(AmericanProsperity.com) – It’s difficult to find a family in America that does not have someone close to them struggling with addiction issues. Over the past decade, drug-related deaths from methamphetamines alone have risen drastically, yet little is being done to help these Americans caught up in stimulant use. One new startup, though, has a fresh idea that could help those struggling with addiction.
New Treatment Program Raises $6 Million for Addiction Help
On Tuesday, August 31, Affect Therapeutics announced investors provided over $6 million in seed investment for their new mobile technology to help those addicted to drugs. Groups like Acumen, AlleyCorp, and City Light Capital all donated to the cause.
The evidence-based app uses a multi-faceted approach to help people struggling with drug use. The company hopes to help stop the epidemic of drug-related deaths in our nation by using incentives while combining screenings, individual counseling, group therapy sessions, and game theory.
So, Just How Does It Work?
Essentially, Affect Therapeutics uses the stimulant effects of gaming to treat addiction. Through an addictive game-like app and monetary incentives, users will be highly motivated to stay sober and keep up with their tasks, like therapy sessions and drug screenings.
In the words of co-founder and CEO Kristin Muhlner, the app tries to “reignite the reward system in the brain, right after the drug has been eliminated.” Many users can quit by replacing the rush one gets from drugs with one from a game-like system. Preliminary studies with the app showed a patient retention rate of 56%, compared to standard addiction therapy’s meager 23%.
Coming Soon to a State Near You
Affect Therapeutics will begin operations as soon as possible in Kentucky, Arizona, and Nevada, but the company hopes to launch in at least 20 states by the end of 2021. If the rollout goes well, the company hopes to work with insurance companies and the Medicaid market to bring this potentially life-changing addiction treatment to all who need it.
While only time will tell how effective Affect Therapeutics will be, the team behind the company is certainly a powerhouse. With advisors like Haden Blackman, who headed up the Star Wars video game franchises, to Larissa Mooney, the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) president, the app clearly has the best in the business when it comes to both science and gaming.
This experience, combined with the talents of Business Insider’s founder and Chairman Kevin Ryan and Uber’s former product manager Rachel Lin, many people have high hopes the app will help millions of Americans regain sobriety once again.
~Here’s to Your Prosperity!
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