An online registry aimed at gathering information about addicts in recovery was launched Thursday by a Roanoke researcher.
The National Quit & Recovery Registry is geared toward studying an area of addiction research that has been left relatively untouched by scientists, said Warren Bickel, the researcher behind the site.
Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said it is an area of research that lags in part because the stigma associated with addiction keeps people from identifying themselves as recovering addicts. She noted that no one can even say what percentage of addicts achieve recovery.
"I would predict we are going to see more investigators start to get into this area of research," said Volkow, who was in Roanoke as part of Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute's Distinguished Visiting Scholars Series.
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Bickel, who is director of the Advanced Recovery Research Center at the institute, said the site is being funded with money from Virginia Tech Carilion that was set aside when he was recruited to join the faculty.
He said he hopes to build a database of 10,000 people who are addicted to tobacco, alcohol, drugs, sex, food — and anything else. He intends to make the database available to other researchers and use it later to recruit for specific studies.
Anyone can register at www.quitandrecovery.org.
"This speaks to the power of reaching out to people through the Internet," Bickel said, noting that he hopes people will want to share their information to help others who are still struggling with addiction.
Initially the site will simply be a place to register participants. People also can share their stories of recovery. Bickel said he hopes it eventually will evolve into a resource for people, including providing message boards for recovering addicts to exchange thoughts.