Google celebrates Herbert Kleber, the man who changed how we look at drug addiction

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Updated: Oct 01, 2019 09:06 IST

Google is celebrating the life of Herbert Kleber, a psychiatrist who is known for his work in the field of drug addiction treatment.

The pioneer was able to help many addicts who relapsed after treatment because he looked at addiction as a medical condition, not a moral failure.

He was born on 19 June, 1934, and died on 5 October, 2018.

The doctor from Pittsburgh called himself an optimist and regarded this aspect of his nature which helped him pioneer addiction treatment. He used an ‘evidence-based approach’ to keep his patients from relapsing. Earlier, Kleber’s predecssors used to shame their patients on their path to de-addiction. While working as a volunteer for United States Public Health Service in 1964 in Lexington, Kentucky, seeing thousands of inmates relapse post-treatment made Kleber accept a new approach.

President George H.W. Bush, was a great admirer of his work which led him to appoint Kleber as the Deputy Director for Demand Reduction at the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Later on, he founded National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. He remained a leader who reframed the field of substance abuse research and treatment.

He was a dog lover and remained devoted his home town Dartmouth, where going beyond academics and research, he helped people in their personal and professional lives. He alongside his wife set up research programs on substance abuse at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Dr. Herbert Kleber believed in being a perpetual optimist. He changed the landscape of drug addiction treatment through empathy rather than shaming people who are addicted to drugs. His career, which lasted for more than 50 years, helped save countless lives due to his techniques which revolutionised substance abuse treatment and reframed the entire process in medical science.