Written By: Care New England on March 3, 2021
Treatments for addiction vary depending on the needs of the patient and cannot be generalized to all. In most cases, the treatments are given according to the substance the person is abusing, the level of care that person needs, their mental health needs, or even the health care alternatives that this person can afford.
Research has proven that those who have drug and/or alcohol addiction and continue to the end of their treatment are more likely to stop their substance use. They are also more likely to stop any criminal activities they may be engaged in and their psychological, social, and occupational functioning also shows marked improvement.
For instance, methadone treatment has proved to have a participation increase as far as behavioral therapy is concerned. Also, it has resulted in a decline in both criminal behaviors and drug use.
However, the treatment outcome of every patient will always vary with the nature or extent of the patient's problem, the related services for addressing those issues, the quality between treatment providers and the patients, and the treatment appropriate.
The good news is, drug addiction, with the right treatment options can be managed successfully. Through treatments, people can counteract the addiction's power and the disruptive effects on their behavior, brain and hence regaining control over their lives again.
Relapsing back to drug abuse is also likely to occur. It comes back with recurrence rates, which are similar to those of a known chronic medical illness, for example, hypertension, asthma.
That said, here are the top six addiction treatments that have proven to be successful.
A detox that is medically assisted enables the patient's body to get rid of those addictive substances in an environment that is safe. The good thing about this is that, at times, the substance being rid of can bring life-threatening or unpleasant physical symptoms. However, it is good to note that detoxifying the patient will need other therapies as detox doesn't treat other underlying behavioral causes of drug addiction.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy is a treatment tool with several ways of treating addictions such as alcohol addiction, prescription addiction, and food addiction. It helps the patient to know their unhealthy behavior patterns. It also helps the patient learn how to make trigger identifications and, at the same time, develop skills. It is more effective if combined with other therapeutic techniques.
Contingency management can be used in treating various addictions, including tobacco, narcotics, and alcohol. The CM therapy reinforces the patient's positive behaviors, such as sobriety maintenance, by giving the patient some tangible rewards. This therapy, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse has combated relapse successfully.
This therapy is used in alcohol and substance abuse treatment. It's a group therapy that involves recognizing that addiction has some adverse effects: spiritual, social, and physical. The therapy starts by acceptance, the surrounding to the higher power, which later transits to inconsistent group meetings.
It plays a vital role if combined with other behavioral therapies. Certain medications are used to improve mood, decrease addictive behaviors, and reduce cravings—for example, acamprosate, which helps reduce drinking behavior.
These groups assist the patients to recover through meeting other patients with the same addictive disorder. This helps in boosting the motivation of the patient and reducing the isolation feelings. They also serve as a community, education, and information source.
If you or one of your close friends or family members is struggling with drug addiction and are looking for the next steps, contact us today.
