The National Library of Medicine estimates that 40 million injuries and sicknesses are due to drug abuse each year. Addiction is a complicated disorder and according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, only ten percent of people who require treatment actually get it. Doctors and other health professionals focus on three main approaches to treatment.
Medication
The first stage of drug addiction treatment is typically detoxification. Medications are used to help with withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Doctor prescribe different types of drugs, depending on the type of addiction targeted. Naltrexone is an example of a drug that combats alcohol withdrawal. For individuals addicted to opioids such as heroin, methadone is often prescribed. Nicotine addiction is treated with replacement therapies, such as nicotine patches or gum. The National Institute on Drug Abuse warns that although detoxification is a necessary and important step, it is essential that patients undergo therapy to completely treat addiction.
Outpatient Treatment
Most addiction treatment approaches include counseling. Several types of therapy exist, including behavioral therapy and family therapy. Behavioral therapy teaches addiction sufferers to understand what triggers their drug abuse and focuses on techniques to help manage those triggers. As its name suggests, family therapy addresses the impact of an individual's drug abuse on family members. It aims to improve relationships and create a support network for the addiction sufferer. Another type of counseling, called motivational incentives and motivational interviewing, reinforces the patient's own willingness to make behavioral changes by rewarding positive behavior. In addition to counseling, community groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous can offer support as long as it's needed.
Residential Treatment
Sometimes an addiction problem warrants more intense supervision and care. In severe cases, residential programs may be the best treatment approach. Facilities termed "therapeutic communities" host intense programs that aim to rehabilitate a patient within six to twelve months. The types of patients in these communities vary from long-term drug abusers to criminal offenders. The patients and mental health professionals work together to change patients' views about drugs and to understand their own role in unhealthy lifestyle choices. The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that even those patients who entered therapeutic communities involuntarily eventually benefit from treatment.
