TREATMENT

Treatment, in this context, means active participation in the process of recovery from alcohol or drug abuse. Drug and alcohol treatment is the therapeutic and educational process which is usually the first step in recovery from alcohol or substance abuse.

Drug and alcohol treatment covers a wide range of options and variables.

Drug or alcohol treatment is a general term for the processes of medical and/or psychotherapeutic rehabilitation for dependency on alcohol or drugs. The intent of treatment is to enable the patient to cease using alcohol and or mood altering substances. Most people are steered into treatment as the result of some psychological, legal, financial, social, and physical consequences that their drinking or drug use has caused.

Through treatment tailored to individual needs, people with alcohol and drug abuse can recover and lead productive lives.


Scope of treatment

In today's recovery world treatment is very broad term. The overall scope of alcohol and drug treatment is two-fold:

1. Teaching the individual about alcohol and or drug abuse and what lifestyle changes will be necessary to maintain long term abstinence.
   


2. Behavior modification

Goal of treatment

the primary goal of treatment is achieving lasting abstinence from alcohol and or drug use. The immediate goals are to reduce physical and psychological abuse, improve the patient's ability to function and minimize the medical and social complications. Like people with other life threatening diseases such as diabetes or heart disease, people in treatment and recovery will also need to change their behavior to adopt a more healthful lifestyle.

Effective Treatment Approaches

Medication and behavioral therapy alone or in combination are aspects of an overall therapeutic process that begins with detoxification. It is followed by treatment and relapse prevention. Easing withdrawal symptoms is important in the initiation of treatment. Relapse prevention is necessary. And sometimes, as with other chronic conditions, episodes of relapse may require a return to prior treatment components. A continuum of care that includes a customized treatment regimen, addressing all aspects of an individual's life, including medical and mental health services, and follow-up options (e.g., community- or family-based recovery support systems) can be crucial to a person's success in achieving and maintaining an alcohol, drug-free lifestyle.

Medication and Treatment

Medications can be used to help re-establish normal brain function and to prevent relapse and diminish cravings throughout the treatment process. Currently, we have medications for opioid (heroin, morphine) and tobacco (nicotine) addiction, and are developing others for treating stimulant (cocaine, methamphetamine) and cannabis (marijuana) addiction.

Behavioral Treatment

Behavioral cognitive therapies help patients engage in the treatment process, modify their attitudes and behaviors related to drug abuse, and increase healthy life skills. Behavioral treatments can also enhance the effectiveness of medications and help people stay in treatment longer.

Buprenorphine treatment

Buprenorphine is a relatively new and important treatment medication. NIDA-supported basic and clinical research led to its development (Subutex or, in combination with naloxone, Suboxone), and demonstrated it to be a safe and acceptable addiction treatment. While these products were being developed in concert with industry partners, Congress passed the Drug Addiction Treatment Act (DATA 2000), permitting qualified physicians to prescribe narcotic medications (Schedules III to V) for the treatment of opioid addiction. This legislation created a major paradigm shift by allowing access to opiate treatment in a medical setting rather than limiting it to specialized drug treatment clinics. To date, nearly 10,000 physicians have taken the training needed to prescribe these two medications, and nearly 7,000 have registered as potential providers.

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