Coding, also known as the Dovzhenko method, is a collective term for various Russian and post-Soviet alternative therapies for addiction. Therapists try to frighten patients into abstaining from a substance by convincing them that using it again will harm or kill them. Each method involves the therapist pretending to implant a "code" in the patient's brain that supposedly triggers a severe reaction if the substance is consumed. The techniques combine theatrics, hypnosis, placebos and drugs with temporary side effects. Coding was developed by Aleksandr Dovzhenko, a Soviet and Ukrainian psychiatrist.
Common techniques
In alcohol addiction, a drug that temporarily affects breathing when mixed with alcohol may be given under hypnosis, followed by a small amount of alcohol to produce an adverse reaction. Patients may also be told during a head massage that drinking will cause blindness or paralysis. Other practitioners numb the mouth, then apply very weak electric current through electrodes, suggesting that the mouth's nerve points are being manipulated. Some therapists use a special helmet to persuade patients that their minds are being controlled, and patients are often asked to sign a disclaimer releasing the therapist from responsibility.
Use and risks
Sometimes coding involves inserting a capsule of disulfiram under the skin. Disulfiram is an established treatment for alcoholism, but in this form its effect is temporary and it can be harmful. Coding may be presented as lasting for a fixed period, such as five years, although the methods rely on erroneous beliefs about their effects rather than on proven medical action.