Addiction is a treatable disorder. This is why the development of research-based methods can help people stop using substances and resume fulfilling lives in recovery.
Can addiction be treated successfully?
Yes, treatment enables people to manage their condition by counteracting addiction’s disruptive effects on their brain and behaviour and regaining control of their lives.
Principles of effective addiction treatment
According to research, in treating addictions such as alcohol or opioids (pain relievers, heroin or fentanyl), medication is usually required in combination with therapy or counselling.
Detoxification is part of addiction treatment; however, often, it is insufficient to help a person recover. Without some behavioural therapy or counselling, the resumption of drug use usually occurs.
Treatment should be tailored to address each patient’s drug use patterns and drug-related medical, mental, and social problems.
Methods to treat addiction
Various medications can be beneficial during different phases of addiction treatment. These medications assist a patient in ceasing drug abuse, remaining in treatment, and preventing a relapse.
- Treating withdrawal: Upon discontinuing alcohol or drug use, patients may encounter a range of physical and psychological symptoms, such as agitation, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and additional psychiatric disorders. Specific therapeutic medications alleviate these symptoms, facilitating cessation of drug consumption.
- Staying in treatment: Overcoming addiction takes time and focus, and rehabilitation facilities provide a safe space for this. Focusing on psychotherapies and counselling can uncover underlying issues that contribute to substance dependency.
- Preventing relapse: Research suggests that stress cues are linked to alcohol and drug misuse. Stress cues that cause relapse can be anything from people, places, things and moods. Rehabilitation treatment provides a safe space to break the pattern of triggers leading to substance misuse with proven relapse prevention techniques.
The success of addiction treatment
Treatment enables people to manage their condition by counteracting addiction’s disruptive effects on their brain and behaviour and regaining control of their lives.
Principles of effective addiction treatment
According to research, in treating addictions such as alcohol or opioids (pain relievers, heroin or fentanyl), medication is usually required in combination with therapy or counselling.
Detoxification is part of addiction treatment; however, often, it is insufficient to help a person recover. Without some behavioural therapy or counselling, the continuation of drug use usually occurs.
Treatment should be tailored to address each patient’s drug use patterns and drug-related medical, mental, and social problems.
Methods to treat addiction
Various medications can be beneficial during different phases of addiction treatment. These medications assist a patient in ceasing drug abuse, remaining in treatment, and preventing a relapse.
- Treating withdrawal: Upon discontinuing alcohol or drug use, patients may encounter a range of physical and psychological symptoms, such as agitation, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and additional psychiatric disorders. Specific therapeutic medications alleviate these symptoms, facilitating cessation of drug consumption.
- Staying in treatment: Overcoming addiction takes time and focus, and rehabilitation facilities provide a safe space for this. Focusing on psychotherapies and counselling can uncover underlying issues that contribute to substance dependency.
- Preventing relapse: Research suggests that stress cues are linked to alcohol and drug misuse. Stress cues that cause relapse can be anything from people, places, things and moods. Rehabilitation treatment provides a safe space to break the pattern of triggers leading to substance misuse with proven relapse prevention techniques.
Behavioural therapies in addiction treatment
- Twelve-step facilitation: The twelve steps are a form of personal counselling that is usually conducted over a span of 12 weeks and encompasses the principles of acceptance, surrender, and active engagement. Its purpose is to help individuals get ready to participate in 12-step support programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous. These programs are social and supplementary assistance alongside medical treatments.
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): ACT is a form of therapy that combines acceptance, mindfulness, commitment, and behavioural change techniques to enhance psychological adaptability. ACT does not seek to eliminate negative emotions and thoughts. Instead, it encourages individuals to embrace and effectively handle uncomfortable feelings without avoiding situations that may trigger them.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): CBT aims to enhance psychological well-being by confronting and transforming pessimistic thoughts and behaviours. The therapist collaborates with the client to identify efficient methods for managing addiction and triggers while also imparting new skills in information processing that can assist the client in adapting to life following treatment.
- Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT): DBT is an adapted version of cognitive behavioural therapy that incorporates traditional techniques along with principles like mindfulness, acceptance, and dealing with distress, which is rooted in specific Buddhist traditions. The goal of DBT is to empower the individual to shape and ultimately accomplish a fulfilling existence.
- Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT): IPT is a therapeutic approach that emphasizes the importance of connections and addresses relationship difficulties. It recognizes that our interactions and experiences with others influence our emotions and vice versa. IPT aims to enhance clients’ ability to communicate and engage in relationships while also building a network of supportive individuals who can aid them in overcoming obstacles encountered during their healing process.
- Motivational enhancement therapy (MET): MET utilizes motivational interviewing to examine the substance of client meetings to equip clients with abundant knowledge to help them attain their objectives and cultivate a more wholesome mindset. MET does not intend to steer clients through the recovery process but rather to instigate internal transformation that can facilitate a more optimistic approach towards recovery.
- Psychoeducational group therapy (PGT): PGT utilizes CBT principles to educate individuals about their alcohol use disorders and methods for managing them. The group discusses rational thinking, acquiring new skills, exposure to triggers, and preventing relapse.
- Motivational interviewing: This type of counselling method focuses on the needs and goals of the client, aiming to encourage changes in behaviour by addressing inner conflicts. It emphasizes understanding rather than judgment and involves therapists being more proactive than conventional therapeutic approaches.
- Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT): SFBT is a therapeutic method that prioritizes finding solutions instead of dwelling on problems. Individuals are encouraged to re-evaluate past approaches to tackling life’s difficulties and understand why they didn’t work to create new, more fitting solutions that align with their circumstances and personalities.
