Breaking Free from Diseases of Despair

NAD therapy brings new hope to those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction

by Deborah Wolfe

According to a new study of data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 150,000 Americans died from alcohol and drug-induced causes and suicide in 2017 - more than double the deaths in 1999. The study is a stunning illustration of the horrific toll drugs and alcohol are taking on our friends, families and loved ones. In fact, this epidemic of addiction-related deaths is so profound that researchers gave it a name, calling the casualties “deaths of despair.”

Chad Brewer and his wife Katie, co-owners of the New Spring Wellness Center in Osage Beach, Missouri are all too familiar with the despair of living with addiction and the seemingly insurmountable struggle to break free.

I was killing myself, Chad said of his longtime battle with alcoholism. “I was consumed with how I’m not going to drink today, or how I’m going to hide my drinking from my wife today.

Brewer would regularly drink on the sly before going out with friends to give the appearance that the cocktails he had while out on the town were the first drinks of the day. In addition, he would buy mini bottles of vodka and keep them in his pocket, to pour into his water when they went out.

Ultimately, the heavy drinking took a toll on Brewer’s health as well as his relationships with his loved ones. But the usually driven and self-disciplined businessman found it impossible to quit.

I knew what I was doing to myself and I knew what I was doing to my family,” Brewer said. “I really wanted to quit, but nothing was getting rid of the cravings.

After attempting and giving up on various addiction recovery programs, the Brewers were nearly at the end of their rope when hope came in the form of a groundbreaking new therapy called Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide treatments (NDA).

Found in almost every cell of the body, the NAD coenzyme addresses underlying changes in the brain brought on by chemical dependence. A nutrition-based intravenous infusion, NDA therapy gives the brain the vitamins and minerals needed to become healthy and repair damage caused by stress, depression, addiction, alcoholism, post-traumatic stress, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

“I was hopeful, and he was skeptical,” Chad’s wife, Katie, said. “I never expected to be there. And although it didn’t seem beautiful at the time, I kept praying that God would make our story beautiful.”

The protocol, consisting of an intravenous drip of NAD and Amino Acids, eight hours a day, for 10 days was intense. But by day four, Chad began to fill as though “a fog was being lifted from my head,” and by the end of the treatment Chad’s alcohol cravings completely vanished - better yet, they never returned.

“I wasn’t waking up in the morning and thinking about alcohol. And I wasn’t shaking when I didn’t have alcohol,” Chad said describing how he was amazed with the rapid effects of the treatment.

Impressed by the dramatic impact the therapy had on their lives, the Brewers felt driven to make it more available to others. In 2017, the couple partnered with Dr. Maria Bernabe to open the first NAD treatment facility in mid-Missouri. Nestled within the lush surroundings of the Lake of the Ozarks, the clinic is centrally located between Kansas City and St. Louis, and it is less than a day’s drive from most areas of the United States.

Dr. Bernabe serves as the clinic medical director while Chad and Katie work in-depth with each patient to assess their needs and determine if NAD therapy is a good fit. If a patient isn’t committed to kicking their addiction, the center will decline treatment.

Still, the Brewers feel passionate about the new lease on life NAD can bring people and they welcome the opportunity to share the benefits firsthand. New Spring Wellness Center offers free consultations to prospective clients.

Addiction had such a hold on our lives, and we thought it would never let go,” Chad said. “NDA saved my life and I want others to know it can save them, too.”

In addition to NAD therapy, New Springs Wellness offers a variety of IV treatments to enhance wellness. To learn more about the complete line of services offered by New Spring Wellness Center visit newspringwellnesscenter.com, call (573) 693-1977 or email katie@nswcenter.com.