Treatment

    It is important to note that drug addiction is a treatable disorder. However because there are so many different conditions in drug addiction, the specific treatment must be tailored to the individual's needs. Many drug addicted people have other problems that complicate the treatment such as mental health, occupational, health, or social problems. Treatments often include behavioral therapy, mediations, or even a combination of both. If people are treated for their addiction, they can learn to control their condition and live a normal productive life. The more treatment the person receives, the better off they are.
    Many addicted individuals believe that they can quit using drugs by themselves and try to stop without treatment; however, most of these attempts fail to result in long-term abstinence. According to the the NIDA "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, the defining characteristic of addiction." Thus biology explains why achieving abstinence without treatment is so difficult.
    As was stated under the psychology portion of our webpage, pyschological stresses can combine with biological factors and prevent the attainment of sustained abstinence and make relapse more likely, without treatment. Components Necessary for a Successful Treatment

Steps to Recovery

Step 1: Recognition

In order for treatment to begin, the abuser must recognize the problem. Many times, abusers are in denial about their drug dependence which prevents them from seeking help. Generally, people that are dependent on drugs do not seek the treatment voluntarily, rather, they seek it due to the pressures from loved ones.

Step 2: Detoxification

Treatment begins with detoxification, which is the gradual withdrawal of an abused substance under a controlled environment. In some cases a drug that is similar to the abused drug (e.g. methadone for heroin) is substituted during withdrawal to lessen the miserable symptoms and health risks associated with the withdrawal process. Depending on the drug that the person is addicted to, the withdrawal process can be handled through either an inpatient or an outpatient basis.

Step 3: Rehabilitation

The next step in treatment is rehabilitation. This step is necessary to prevent the recurrence of drug abuse. Rehabilitation involved behavioral therapies such as counseling, psychotherapy, support groups, or family therapy. Behavior therapy helps people to cope with their drug cravings and it teaches them ways to avoid drugs, prevent relapse, and what to do if a relapse occurs. It has been seen that combining a behavior therapy program with treatment medications, such as methadone, helps to suppress the withdrawal syndrome, the drug craving, and in blocking the effects of other drugs (caffeine). Studies have shown that using methadone at adequate dosage levels in treating heroin addiction along with behavioral therapies reduces death rates and many health problems. There are many support groups to help with the rehabilitation process, such as: Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Ala-teen, and Alanon.

Step 4: Abstinence

Following rehabilitation, the abuser must have a life long abstinence from drug abuse. Relapses from this drug abstinence may occur and lead to recurrent dependence.

Types of Treatment Methods

Program Length

Short-term methods - last less than 6 months, include residential therapy, medication therapy, and drug free outpatient therapy
Long-term methods - may include medication therapy such as methadone maintenance outpatient treatment for opiate addicts and residential therapeutic treatment

Outpatient vs Inpatient

Outpatient drug free treatment- does not include medication and encompasses a wide variety of programs for patients that visit a clinic at regular intervals. Involves individual or group counseling. Generally, patients entering this type of program do not abuse opiates, or are opiate abusers for whom maintenance therapy is needed. Generally these patients have stable lives and only brief histories of drug dependence
Therapeutic Communities - highly structured communities where patients stay for 6-12 months. Patients generally have long histories of drug dependence, involvement in serious criminal activities, and seriously impaired social functioning. This type of program focuses on the resocialization of the patient to a drug free and crime free lifestyle.
Short-term residential programs - "chemical dependency units," based on the "Minnesota Model" of treatment for alcoholism. Involve 3- to 6-week inpatient treatment phase followed by an extended outpatient therapy in a 12-step self-help group such as Narcotics Anonymous or Cocaine Anonymous.

Medication vs. Therapeutic

In cases where opiates are abused, methadone maintenance programs are more successful in retaining patients that are involved in only therapeutic.
Therapeutic programs are more successful than outpatient services that provide psychotherapy and counseling.
The methadone programs that provide higher doses of methadone (usually a minimum of 60 mg) have better retention rates.
Those programs that use a combination of behavioral therapy with methadone treatment generally get better results.

For Further information about medications visit NIDA's Web Page on Treatment Medications
For further information about Behavioral Therapies please visit NIDA's web page on Behavioral Change Through Treatment
Is treatment worth it?

YES!!!!!!!
Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Studies
Drug Treatment Programs in Prisons

Can succeed in preventing patient's return to criminal activity
Some successful programs have reduced the re-arrest rate by 1/4 to 1/2

Methadone treatment has been shown to decrease criminal behavior by as much as 50 percent.

"Delaware Model"

shows that prison based treatment including a therapeutic community, a work release therapeutic community, and a community based aftercare reduces the probability of re-arrest by 57% and reduces the likelihood of returning to drug use by 37%

Pure Economics

Drug abuse costs the American society $67 billion per year due to costs of crime, medical care, drug abuse treatment, social welfare programs, and time lost from work.
Drug treatment programs can reduce the cost!
$4-$7 can be saved for every $1 spent on treatment
Leaving an untreated abuser in the community costs approximately $3,600 per month, incarceration costs about $3,300 per month. Methadone maintenance only costs $290 per month.

For further information about treatment please visit:

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