Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment

Many people equate addiction with simply using drugs and therefore expect that addiction should be cured quickly, and if it is not, treatment is a failure. In reality, because addiction is a chronic disorder, the ultimate goal of long-term abstinence often requires sustained and repeated treatment episodes. Three decades of scientific research and clinical practice have yielded a variety of effective approaches to drug addiction treatment. The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) has determined the following:

No single treatment is appropriate for all individuals. Matching treatment settings, interventions, and services to each individual's particular problems and needs is critical to his or her ultimate success in returning to productive functioning in the family, workplace, and society.

Treatment needs to be readily available. Because individuals who are addicted to drugs may be uncertain about entering treatment, taking advantage of opportunities when they are ready for treatment is crucial. Potential treatment applicants can be lost if treatment is not immediately available or is not readily accessible.

Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug use. To be effective, treatment must address the individual's drug use and any associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and legal problems.

An individual's treatment and services plan must be assessed continually and modified as necessary to ensure that the plan meets the person's changing needs. A patient may require varying combinations of services and treatment components during the course of treatment and recovery. In addition to counseling or psychotherapy, a patient at times may require medication, other medical services, family therapy, parenting instruction, vocational rehabilitation, and social and legal services. It is critical that the treatment approach be appropriate to the individual's age, gender, ethnicity, and culture.

Remaining in treatment for an adequate period of time is critical for treatment effectiveness. The appropriate duration for an individual depends on his or her problems and needs. Research indicates that for most patients, the threshold of significant improvement is reached at about 3 months in treatment. After this threshold is reached, additional treatment can produce further progress toward recovery. Because people often leave treatment prematurely, programs should include strategies to engage and keep patients in treatment.

Counseling (individual and/or group) and other behavioral therapies are critical components of effective treatment for addiction. In therapy, patients address issues of motivation, build skills to resist drug use, replace drug-using activities with constructive and rewarding non drug-using activities, and improve problem-solving abilities. Behavioral therapy also facilitates interpersonal relationships and the individual's ability to function in the family and community.

For more information on effective addiction treatment visit NIDA's website.

	Twelve Step
	www.austinaa.org/
	Association of Addiction Treatment Providers
	www.naatp.org Dedicated to promoting, assisting and enhancing the delivery of ethical, effective, research-based treatments for alcoholism and other drug addictions
	National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism
	www.niaaa.nih.gov Get the latest information and publications on alcoholism and alcohol abuse
	National Institute on Drug Abuse
	www.nida.nih.gov Information, publications and news releases on drugs of abuse Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with any official twelve step group or organization, general services offices, board of directors, or any other organization. Our opinions are strictly our own. The inclusion of a site on this page does not imply endorsement nor recommendation of that site. Some sites represent commercial enterprises. Read them at your own risk. This site is solely for informational purposes, and we assume no liability for any claims or information contained in any of the sites.