| Treatment varies depending on the type of drug and the
characteristics of the patient. The best programs provide a combination
of therapies and other services. |
cont. from
1. What is drug addiction treatment?
There are many addictive drugs, and
treatments for specific drugs can differ.
Treatment also varies depending on the characteristics of the patient.
Problems associated with an individual's drug addiction can vary
significantly. People who are addicted to drugs come from all walks of life.
Many suffer from mental health, occupational, health, or social problems that
make their addictive disorders much more difficult to treat. Even if there are
few associated problems, the severity of addiction itself ranges widely among
people.
A variety of scientifically based approaches to drug addiction treatment
exists. Drug addiction treatment can include behavioral therapy (such as
counseling, cognitive therapy, or psychotherapy), medications, or their
combination. Behavioral therapies offer people strategies for coping with their
drug cravings, teach them ways to avoid drugs and prevent relapse, and help them
deal with relapse if it occurs. When a person's drug-related behavior places him
or her at higher risk for AIDS or other infectious diseases, behavioral
therapies can help to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Case management
and referral to other medical, psychological, and social services are crucial
components of treatment for many patients. (See
Treatment Section for more detail on types of treatment and treatment components.)
The best programs provide a combination of therapies and other services to meet
the needs of the individual patient, which are shaped by such issues as
age,
race, culture, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, parenting, housing, and
employment, as well as physical and sexual abuse.
| Drug addiction treatment can include behavioral therapy,
medications, or their combination. |
Treatment medications, such as methadone, LAAM, and
naltrexone, are available
for individuals addicted to opiates. Nicotine preparations (patches, gum, nasal
spray) and bupropion are available for individuals addicted to nicotine.
Components of Comprehensive Drug Abuse Treatment
The best treatment programs provide
a combination of therapies and other services to meet the needs of the
individual patient.
Medications, such as antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or neuroleptics, may
be critical for treatment success when patients have co-occurring mental
disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, or psychosis.
Treatment can occur in a variety of settings, in many different forms, and
for different lengths of time. Because drug addiction is typically a chronic
disorder characterized by occasional relapses, a short-term, one-time treatment
often is not sufficient. For many, treatment is a long-term process that
involves multiple interventions and attempts at abstinence.
2. Why can't drug addicts quit on their own?
Nearly all addicted individuals believe in the beginning that they can stop
using drugs on their own, and most try to stop without treatment. However, most
of these attempts result in failure to achieve long-term abstinence. Research
has shown that long-term drug use results in significant changes in brain
function that persist long after the individual stops using drugs. These
drug-induced changes in brain function may have many behavioral consequences,
including the compulsion to use drugs despite adverse consequences of the
defining characteristic of addiction.
| Long-term drug use results in significant changes in brain function
that persist long after the individual stops using drugs. |
Understanding that addiction has such an important biological component may
help explain an individual's difficulty in achieving and maintaining abstinence
without treatment. Psychological stress from work or family problems, social
cues (such as meeting individuals from one's drug-using past), or the
environment (such as encountering streets, objects, or even smells associated
with drug use) can interact with biological factors to hinder attainment of
sustained abstinence and make relapse more likely. Research studies indicate
that even the most severely addicted individuals can participate actively in
treatment and that active participation is essential to good outcomes.
continue: How Effective Is Drug People
and How Long Does It Last . back to guide index
top .
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Reviewed: 02/2005
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