Addiction treatment works very well in helping people improve health and well being. Addiction treatment works best when people get appropriate care and when they stick with it to completion. Addiction treatment does not always induce a full lifetime of sobriety, it is better at producing periods of remission, which can be quite lengthy.
Relapse is a normal part of the addiction experience, and many if not most people will relapse at some point in life. A relapse does not mean that previous treatments were failures, simply that treatment is once again necessary!
The Principles of Effective Addiction Treatment
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has compiled a list of some the most important concepts of addiction treatment, such as:
- No one form of addiction treatment works for everyone
- Addiction is a complicated disease that causes changes in the brain, but addiction treatment works
- Addiction treatment works best when it endeavors to treat the person as a whole, rather than focuses simply on a single pattern of behavior, such as drug use
- Addiction treatment takes time – there are no quick fixes
- Treatment should be individualized, with treatment plans changing as necessary to meet the evolving needs of the individual
- People do not need to want treatment for it to work. Involuntary treatment is effective
- Because slips and relapses are common during recovery, drug testing is an important part of a continuing treatment program
- Counseling and other behavioral interventions are effective elements in an addiction treatment program. Certain medications may be helpful for some people, but medication should always be used in conjunction with counseling
Page last updated Aug 05, 2010
