Drug Addiction Treatment
Drug addiction treatment works. It saves money, helps people return to work, reduces the burden on emergency care, and decreases crime rates and imprisonment costs. Law enforcement costs fifteen times more than drug treatment to achieve the same benefit in reduced cocaine consumption, reduced crime and reduced violence. Less than twenty five percent of those needing treatment get it.
No single drug addiction treatment is appropriate for all individuals, matching treatment to individual’s needs and problems is critical for a program to succeed. Drug addiction treatment needs to be readily available. Addicts have to be ready for treatment before they seek it. Once they do seek drug addiction treatment it is important to take advantage of the opportunity as many addicts can be lost if immediate treatment is not provided. Effective drug addiction treatment attends to many needs of addicts, including medical, social, and mental health needs, not just their drug use. An addict’s drug addiction treatment plan must be continually evaluated and modified to ensure that the plan meets the addict’s changing needs.
Remaining in treatment for an adequate amount of time is a vital element for drug addiction treatment effectiveness. Three months of absolute sobriety is often considered a milestone. Counseling and other behavior therapies are critical parts of an effective drug addiction treatment. Therapy helps the addict develop interpersonal, drug resistance, problem-solving and other skills. Medications can be an important element of drug addiction treatment for many patients, especially when used with counseling. Addicted or drug abusing individuals with coexisting mental disorders should be treated for both in an integrated way. Drug addiction treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective. Strong motivation by enticing can increase treatment success. Possible drug use during treatment must be monitored through testing. This monitoring can discourage the urge to use drugs.
Disclaimer: Cliff Schaffer does not personally endorse or support any of the comments made within the writings of this article. |
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