In a clinical landscape where traditional addiction treatment programs struggle with sobering relapse rates, one physician is quietly achieving what many experts considered impossible: an 80% sobriety rate at eight months for patients battling substance and alcohol abuse. Dr. Austin Harris, M.D., Medical Director of NeuroRelief Ketamine® & Infusion Therapy in Sherman Oaks, California, has developed a comprehensive outpatient protocol that's turning conventional wisdom about addiction recovery on its head.
The statistics paint a stark picture of addiction's grip on America. Nearly 108,000 people died from drug-involved overdoses in 2022—almost 296 lives lost every single day. For those who do seek help, the journey toward recovery often feels like an uphill battle against insurmountable odds. Standard 30-day inpatient programs typically see completion rates hovering around 49%, with long-term success rates that rarely exceed 10% to 25% in the first year after treatment. Against this backdrop of persistent relapse, the outcomes achieved by Dr. Austin Harris represent not just an incremental improvement but a fundamental reimagining of how addiction treatment can work.
The Science Behind the Success
What sets the program developed by Dr. Austin Harris apart is its multi-modal approach that addresses addiction at every level—neurological, psychological, and physiological. At the core of the treatment protocol lies a sophisticated integration of ketamine infusions, a therapy that's been gaining scientific validation for its remarkable effects on addiction recovery.
Research has shown that ketamine treatment can increase one-year abstinence rates from 24% in control groups to 66% in ketamine-treated groups for alcoholics, and the drug has demonstrated the ability to reduce cocaine self-administration by up to 67% from baseline levels. Studies across multiple substances of abuse have found improvements in craving, motivation, and decreased substance use rates, with significant effects lasting up to two years following treatment.
Dr. Austin Harris leverages his extensive background in anesthesiology and psychedelic therapy research to administer ketamine infusions with precision, tailoring dosages in real-time based on each patient's unique physiological responses. "The high relapse rates in traditional treatment models indicate a fundamental flaw in how we address addiction," Dr. Harris explains. "Our program moves beyond simple detox. It is designed to repair the brain's reward system and resolve the deep-seated emotional conflicts that fuel substance abuse."
The mechanism behind ketamine's effectiveness lies in its action on the brain's glutamatergic system. Ketamine works as an NMDA receptor antagonist (in addition to activity at 6 other unique receptors), enhancing neuroplasticity and neurogenesis while disrupting functional neural networks involved in addiction. This creates a unique window of opportunity during which the brain becomes more receptive to forming new, healthier neural pathways—essentially allowing patients to "rewire" their relationship with substances and the emotional triggers that drive compulsive use.
The NAD+ Advantage: Cellular Regeneration and Healing
While ketamine addresses the neurological foundations of addiction, Dr. Austin Harris incorporates another critical component into his treatment protocol: NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) therapy. This naturally occurring, homeopathic coenzyme plays an essential role in cellular energy production and has emerged as a powerful tool in addiction recovery.
Chronic substance abuse depletes the body's natural NAD+ levels, and research has shown that replenishing these levels can influence the neurobiology of addiction, reduce cravings, and alleviate withdrawal symptoms. The infusion of NAD+ works at the cellular level to restore brain function, support neuronal health, and facilitate the repair of damage caused by long-term substance abuse.
A pilot study examining NAD+ infusions coupled with enkephalinase inhibitors found significant reductions in cravings, anxiety, and depression, with 100% of tested patients maintaining abstinence during the treatment period. For patients in Dr. Austin Harris's program, this means experiencing fewer of the debilitating withdrawal symptoms that often derail early recovery attempts. The therapy helps restore natural energy levels, improve cognitive function, and support the brain's ability to find pleasure and reward in everyday life—capabilities that addiction systematically dismantles.
"NAD+ provides neuro-regeneration that's absolutely critical for sustainable recovery," notes Dr. Harris. "We're not just helping patients get through detox; we're helping their brains heal at the most fundamental level."
A Revolutionary Tool: The Sparrow Device
Perhaps the most innovative element of the protocol developed by Dr. Austin Harris is the integration of the Ascent Sparrow Device from day one of treatment. This non-invasive, periauricular device represents a breakthrough in managing the acute physical distress of withdrawal, particularly for individuals detoxing from opiates.
The device works by stimulating the vagus nerve through electrodes placed on key points of the outer ear. Vagus nerve stimulation has been shown to block the sympathetic, cardiovascular, and inflammatory activation associated with opioid withdrawal while modulating central brain regions involved in anxiety and reward systems. Studies have documented up to 84.6% symptom alleviation within 60 minutes of activation, with effects including reduction of sweating, gastrointestinal upset, agitation, insomnia, and joint pain.
For alcohol dependence, transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing protracted withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, irritability, mood instability, insomnia, and cravings. The device activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to restore autonomic balance that's disrupted during acute withdrawal.
"The inclusion of the Sparrow Device from day one makes the initial detox phase more manageable," Dr. Harris emphasizes. "It sets a stable foundation for the profound psychological work that follows. When patients aren't overwhelmed by physical withdrawal symptoms, they can engage more fully in the therapeutic process."
Beyond Pharmacology: Mindfulness and Integration
The comprehensive approach championed by Dr. Austin Harris extends well beyond pharmaceutical interventions. Recognizing that addiction is as much a psychological and behavioral condition as it is a neurological one, the program incorporates mindfulness-based cognitive training and dedicated post-infusion integration coaching.
Research has indicated that the therapeutic effects of ketamine may be mediated by participants' perception of the psychoactive effects of the treatment, suggesting that the psychological experience during infusions plays a crucial role in recovery. Dr. Harris and his team work closely with patients to help them process these experiences, extract meaningful insights, and translate them into behavioral change.
The mindfulness component teaches patients to observe cravings and emotional triggers without immediately reacting to them—a skill that proves invaluable when navigating the challenges of early recovery. Through integration coaching, patients learn to apply the neurological changes facilitated by ketamine and NAD+ therapy to real-world situations, building resilience and developing healthier coping mechanisms.
This integrated strategy helps patients gently process trauma and rebuild healthy neural patterns without re-traumatization, ultimately recovering the brain's innate ability to find reward in daily life. It's an approach grounded in the understanding that lasting recovery requires more than just removing substances from someone's life—it requires helping them build a life worth living without those substances.
The Outpatient Advantage
A critical factor in the success achieved by Dr. Austin Harris is the program's outpatient structure. While conventional wisdom has long favored inpatient treatment for severe addiction, emerging research suggests that the distinction between settings may be less important than the quality and comprehensiveness of care provided.
Studies comparing inpatient and outpatient care have found similar effectiveness on abstinence and drinking outcomes, with some research showing that outpatient care can achieve comparable or even superior completion and abstinence rates for certain patient populations. The outpatient model offers distinct advantages: patients can maintain their daily routines, stay connected to supportive family and friends, and immediately practice new coping skills in real-world environments.
"Allowing individuals to maintain their daily routines in a familiar environment supports long-term habit formation and recovery sustainability," Dr. Harris notes. The concierge-level access patients receive to Dr. Austin Harris and his team throughout the treatment process ensures they're never navigating challenges alone, even while living at home.
This "whatever it takes" ethos—personalized care that adapts to each individual's needs—may be one of the most important factors in the program's exceptional outcomes. Each patient receives a detailed initial consultation, and their infusion protocol is continuously adjusted based on their unique physiology and responses.
Addressing the Accessibility Challenge
Despite its innovative approach and impressive outcomes, Dr. Austin Harris remains acutely aware that the addiction treatment crisis is fundamentally an access crisis. NeuroRelief® has committed to breaking down financial barriers by offering flexible financing options for all prospective patients, ensuring that credit scores don't become obstacles to receiving life-saving care.
This commitment to accessibility reflects a broader understanding that addiction doesn't discriminate—it affects people across all socioeconomic levels, and effective treatment needs to be available to everyone who needs it. NeuroRelief Ketamine® & Infusion Therapy's recognition by Healthcare Business Review as a Top Addiction Treatment Company for 2024 validates not just the clinical outcomes, but also the model's potential to create systemic change in how addiction is treated.
A New Paradigm for Addiction Medicine
The work of Dr. Austin Harris represents more than just another treatment option—it signals a fundamental shift in how we conceptualize and address addiction. By integrating cutting-edge neuroscience with holistic care, advanced technology with compassionate human support, and pharmaceutical interventions with psychological healing, the program challenges the traditional binary of medical versus behavioral treatment.
The documented 80% sobriety rate at eight months stands in stark contrast to the 10% national average for standard programs, suggesting that when addiction is addressed comprehensively—tackling the neurological damage, the psychological wounds, and the physiological withdrawal simultaneously—sustainable recovery becomes not just possible, but probable.
For the millions of Americans struggling with substance use disorders, and for the families watching helplessly as addiction claims their loved ones, the program developed by Dr. Austin Harris offers something that's been in short supply: genuine hope grounded in scientific evidence and real-world results.
As the addiction crisis continues to extract its devastating toll on communities nationwide, innovative approaches like the one pioneered by Dr. Harris provide a roadmap for what evidence-based, patient-centered, comprehensive addiction treatment can achieve. The question now is whether the broader healthcare system will embrace this new paradigm—and whether more patients will gain access to treatment that actually works.
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