Tag Archive for addiction

Evidence Based Substance Abuse Treatment

There is much talk in the substance abuse treatment field these days about Evidence Based Treatment. The phrase refers to treatment that has shown some sort of evidence (presumably scientific) that it is effective. Examples, of such treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, a variety of new medications, brief interventions, etc. On the surface of the matter it would seem that any reasonable person would support doing research on the phenomenon of addiction and its treatment and utilize the results of that research to continually improve the treatment that is provided. We like to believe we are reasonable people and certainly do support outcome research in our field and do our best to use the results of that research to improve care. However, caution is advised here for a number of reasons.

First, outcome research into emotional and behavioral conditions is notoriously difficult to do in the real world. It has been described as similar to entering a hall of mirrors. Generally speaking, the research tends to result in the conclusion that with any given condition there are a number of types of therapy that demonstrate effectiveness. The research tends to bog down though when attempts are made to determine whether or not one type of substance abuse treatment is superior to another. Studies then begin to focus on the attempt to match treatments that have shown some effectiveness with certain types of patients in order to maximize treatment outcomes-basically trying to determine what kinds of treatments, provided by what kinds of therapist work best with what kinds of patients. The theory is that with good assessment we can match patients with the kinds of treatments that are most effective given their symptoms and maximize the chances of success. We are sort of at that place with regard to outcome research into the treatment of addictions. The bottom line answer though is that it is too early to tell. Our field has yet to be able to even agree on how to measure the condition we are studying so that the results of one study or approach can be reasonably compared to another.

Second, because it seems difficult to argue with science and evidence there is a strong tendency for those with political, economic, religious or social agendas to use the cloak of science to alter an existing substance abuse treatment system to further agendas other than what is actually best for chemically dependent patients. I could say much about this topic but will not get on my soapbox. Rather, I think it is important to state where we are with all of this at Valley Hope.

We believe that chemical addiction is a disease, that there is no cure, that recovery is possible, that there is ample evidence, anecdotal and empirical, that substance abuse treatment like ours works. We believe that all alcoholics and addicts are human beings deserving of caring, respectful, dignified treatment; that they are ill not bad. We believe that the causes of chemical dependency are complex and not easily understood, that the disease ravages the entire person and that as a result treatment needs to be aimed at helping the whole person- mind, body and soul. We believe that the disease is chronic not acute and that recovery requires a commitment to a life long plan of action. Consequently, we believe that our commitment to helping each patient cannot be time limited. We believe that the active ingredients in treatment that works are not easily defined; that they do not lend themselves easily to exploration through the scientific method; and that science looks at phenomenon through a certain lens that colors and shapes the way a certain picture looks. History is replete with examples of how the meaning of data has been transformed by a change in perspective or by somehow recognizing the effect of context on the interpretation of the data. For now, we know deep in our hearts that love moves mountains and that a spiritual awakening is tied to recovery from addiction even though building a body of data to support these realities is difficult.

Further, we will be very cautious in implementing new substance abuse treatments that sound too good to be true as we have seen so many come and go over the years. There is no easier, softer way to recovery, no magic pill, no easy aphorism to guide every decision. We will scour the research on chemical dependency treatment to glean all that we can to aid us in helping more people achieve recovery. We will, however, evaluate the research critically and insure that we do not abandon treatment philosophies and methods that we know in our hearts work in order to chase faddish treatments based on early outcome studies that show some statistical significance but questionable clinical significance.

Category: drug abuse / Tags: ,

Drug Abuse Addiction: A Misunderstood Problem

Too often people don’t truly comprehend the real reason why a person develops a drug abuse addiction or how drugs can alter their brain to stimulate compulsive drug abuse and addiction. They wrongly perceive this problem as something that is surely a social problem only and may discriminate those who abuse drugs as morally powerless. A persistent and general belief is that addicted individuals should be fully capable of just quitting drugs as long as they are willing to alter their attitude and behaviour. Again and again, what people often simply and underestimate is the complication of drug addiction. It is a serious disease that impacts the very brain itself and as a result, ceasing drug abuse and drug addiction is not plainly a matter of an individuals’ willpower. Through current scientific advances we are now able to understand much more in regards to how precisely drugs affect the brain. Furthermore, we now know that drug abuse addiction can be successfully treated to assist individuals’ in stopping the abuse of drugs and carry on their normal lives.

Drug abuse and addiction can be a huge burden on society. There have been approximate estimates of the overall costs of this issue in the USA alone, which includes health costs as well as losses in productivity, to surpass 500 billion dollars annually. As distressing as these figures are, they don’t adequately and fully convey the breadth of detrimental public health and safety implications, which involve domestic violence, school failure, family disruption, loss of employment, child abuse, and many other types of deviant crimes.

To truly understand what drug abuse and drug addiction is, we need to know that it is a continuous, relapsing brain disease that induces uncontrollable drug seeking and use and abuse in spite of harmful and damaging consequences to the abuser who is addicted and to all those who are close to them. Drug abuse and addiction is defined as a brain disease for the reason that this problem advances changes in the function and also the structure of the brain. Even though it is undeniable that for most addicts the initial decision to take drugs is purely voluntary, over the course of time the alterations in the brain, as a result of abusing drugs over and over again, can greatly affect an individual’s self control and capability to make logical decisions, while at the exact same moment send extreme impulses to take more the addictive substance.

It is these very extreme changes in the brain that makes it so difficult for an individual who is addicted to absolutely cease from abusing drugs. Fortunately, there are existing treatments that assist people to neutralize drug addiction’s strong damaging effects so that the individual can recapture some semblance of self control. Studies have shown that incorporating drug abuse addiction treatment medications along with behavioural therapy is one of the most successful ways for majority of patients. When a treatment method is customized to each patient’s patterns along with psychiatric aid can lead to long term continuous recovery and a life without the need for further intervention.

Very much like other chronic or relapsing diseases such as heart disease or diabetes, drug abuse addiction can be managed quite successfully. Additional, it’s not unusual for a drug abuse and addiction person to backslide and start abusing drugs again. We must be clear that relapse does not indicate failure, rather, it demonstrates that proper drug abuse and drug addiction treatment should be reintroduced, modified, or that other forms of drug abuse addiction treatment is required to help the individual retake self control and recover.

Category: drug abuse / Tags: , , , ,