For people struggling with substance abuse and dependence, addiction treatment is a must. Here are the 13 Key Principles of Addiction Treatment to help keep you guided while you look for the right treatment and rehab facility for you or your loved one.
Addiction is a complex disease. It is an uncontrollable and intense, relapsing disease that drives a person to compulsively seek the substance (drug or alcohol) despite devastating and negative consequences.
To tackle drug addiction, professionals have to look at the condition of the person from all angles. The following 13 key principles of addiction treatment serve as a guide for addiction professionals, health providers, and family members to address the multi-dimensional needs of the person who is struggling with addiction. These key principles of addiction treatment will help take things into perspective as the individual gets treatment.
13 Key Principles of Addiction Treatment
1. Addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior. Drugs alter certain areas of the brain. This results in changes in brain functions and the person’s behavior. This is also why drug abusers also have a risk of relapsing even after abstaining from the substance for a long period of time.
2. No single treatment is appropriate for everyone. The kind of addiction treatment depends on the type of drug abused and the patient’s unique needs.
3. Treatment needs to be readily available. When a person addicted to drugs or alcohol finally decides to get treatment, they should be able to easily access it.
4. Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug abuse. Effective treatment should address all aspects of the individual: psychological, medical, behavioral, social, and many more.
5. Remaining in treatment for an adequate period of time is critical. While the treatment duration is on a case to case basis, a minimum of three months in treatment can help significantly reduce or stop drug use. Still, recovery from addiction is a long-term, even life-long, process that may even require a person to go in and out of rehab over the years.
6. Behavioral therapies—including individual, family, or group counseling—are the most commonly used forms of drug abuse treatment. There are various forms of behavioral therapy that helps address the multi-dimensional needs of an individual who needs addiction treatment.
7. Medications are an important element of treatment for many patients, especially when combined with counseling and other behavioral therapies. There are medications that have proven to be effective in helping stabilize people and manage treatment in a safe manner. They are also part of a comprehensive treatment program.
8. An individual’s treatment and services plan must be assessed continually and modified as necessary to ensure that it meets his or her changing needs. Continuing care must be provided to individuals for best results and more lasting recovery, especially since people have varying and changing needs.
9. May drug-addicted individuals also have other mental disorders. Cases of co-occurring disorders are common, and individuals with addiction should also be assessed for mental illnesses. Treatment should address both issues.
10. Medically assisted detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to change long-term drug abuse. This can help safely manage the symptoms of withdrawal, which can otherwise prove fatal, especially for those who have long-term addictions.
11. Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective. Sanctions and motivations from family, job, authorities or legal system can also be effective enticements for treatment and retention.
12. Drug use during treatment must be monitored continuously, as lapses during treatment do occur. Regular and even random monitoring of drug use can also deter individuals from using.
13. Treatment programs should test patients for the presence of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases as well as provide targeted risk-reduction counseling, linking patients to treatment if necessary. Drug use exposes individuals to unhealthy lifestyles and habits. This in turn increases their risk for infectious diseases that need to be tested and diagnosed prior to treatment.
Recent Comments