Medications
When appropriate, medication can play an important role in addiction recovery.
Medication can:
- Ease the symptoms of acute and chronic withdrawal from certain substances (Alcohol, benzodiazepines, opiates).
- Reduce drug or alcohol cravings
- Stabilize the symptoms of co-occurring disorders that can provoke relapse
Medications that reduce your withdrawal symptoms or decrease your drug cravings improve your chances of long term recovery.
Drug treatment medications are currently FDA approved available for:
- Alcohol
- Opiates
- Tobacco
Alternative or Complementary Therapies
Acupuncture – Acupuncture can reduce the withdrawal symptoms of opiate and alcohol withdrawal and seems to also reduce drug cravings. Acupuncture is in wide use within the criminal justice system as an approved drug treatment.
Meditation – Meditation reduces stress, which can help to reduce the chances of relapse. Additionally, meditation encourages the practice of mindfulness in daily life – which helps to keep people focused on the here and now; one day at a time.
Yoga – As a mind-body activity that also promotes mindfulness as well as reduces stress and improves physical well being, yoga is a proven effective adjunct treatment in a drug treatment program.
Sweat Lodge Therapy – A spiritual rebirthing type experience that is used in certain Native American cultures seems to have therapeutic benefit for those going through a ‘rebirth’ from a life of addiction. A sweat lodge session is intense and difficult, but generally also very rewarding. Many people find a sweat lodge experience beneficial in letting go of the past.
Animal Assisted Therapy (Equine Therapy) – Animal assisted therapists observe your interactions with animals to gain insights that you may be unable or unwilling to verbalize. Most people very much enjoy the experience of working with animals (horses often) as therapy.
Biofeedback – learning - with the help of instruments that measure heart rate, respiration, skin temperature, sweat and other bodily responses - how to regulate our physical processes to help control mood and reaction to stressful life events.
Community Support Groups
12 Steps Groups – a continuing participation in a community 12 steps program is statistically correlated with a decreased likelihood of relapse. 12 step programs, like those offered by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and others are free, widely available and can connect you with other recovery minded people in your community.
Other Support Groups – Some people find the spiritual or other aspects of 12 steps programs incongruent with their personal beliefs. People uncomfortable with AA and other 12 step programs may find similar support through community group alcohol support meetings like those offered at Rational Recovery, Secular Recovery, SMART Recovery, moderation management and others.
page last update Aug 05, 2010
