Basics and Principles of an Effective Treatment on Drug Addiction

Addiction is a complex but a treatable one that has impacts on the performance and behavioral aspects of brain. Drug abuse changes the structure and performance of brain so that it results in a situation that lasts for a long time, even after ceasing it. Maybe it’s for the same reason that addicted individuals have a sharp tendency toward re-using the drugs even after ceasing drugs and although they are aware of the destructive consequences of drug abusing.
There’s not a single treatment for individuals. Kinds of treatments differ, depending on the type of drug and the personality aspects of patient. Treatment environment, interventions and the provided services have to be matched to the patient and his/her complex. If the mentioned conditions be matched well to the patient, he or she can have a successful return to the family and society as well as his/her workplace.
Treatment have to be available. No one who is addictive to a drug abuse refers to a treatment service provider at a specific and recognizable time and you cannot tell exactly that when does an individual refers to the department to be treated, so the treatment must be available to them to take advantage of the services. Just like the other chronic disease, addiction is a chronic one as well and the sooner it is recognized and treated, the more successful it will be and will have positive output as well.
An effective treatment attends to the needs of patient as well as the drug type. In order to provide an effective treatment, it have to consider the drug abused as well as ant problem related to patient, such as legal, social, mental and medication problems. Also the treatment process must be attentive to the gender, age, ethnicity and the culture of patient.
The necessity of not leaving the process. Treatment period for each patient is different and depends to the type and degree of him/her. According to the studies conducted on the treatment period, each person dealing with addiction needs a 3 months’ period to reduce the drug abusing habit. Consequently, the more a period lasts, the more and the better output it will have. Just like the other chronic disease. If the treated person returned to drug abusing, he/she must be returned to the treat process. We see that addicted persons who are at treatment, have a tendency to leave the process sooner than the real date, so the treatment programs must be adjusted and have strategic planning by which they sustain the patients in them.
Behavioral treatment – including individual or family and group counseling – are one of the most common methods used for drug abusing treatment. Behavioral treatment differs from each other in their focus point and may address different items to focus on them, such as: changing patient motivation, motivating him/her to cease drug abusing, creating skills to have resistance on drug abusing, replacing abusing activities with rewarding and productive activities, improving problem solving skills and facilitating the relationship skills. Participating in group treatments or peer to peer counseling, while treatment period or even after the treatment is ended, can help the patient to have stronger will and see better outputs.
Medications are considered as one of the most important element for most of patients, specifically when combined with counselling and other treatment.as an example methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone helps someone addicted to heroin to stabilize his/her life and reduce the amount of daily abusing. Acamprosate, Disulfiram and Naltrexone are medicines that cure alcoholic dependencies and its performance is approved. A replacement product can be an effective component in treatment period for anyone who is addicted to nicotine. This replacement product can be a part of treatment program. Nicotine replacement product can be prescript and used in different ways like patches, gum, lozenges, or nasal spray). Be aware that prescribing each of these replacement products depends on the addiction and drug type and the only one who can recognize if the patient needs it or not, is the doctor and professional.
The treatment program and services must be continuously assessed in order to be changed if needed. Changes must be according to the continuing changes of the patient. In his/her improving period, a patient may need a different and changing treatment combinations and components. Besides counseling and mental treatment, a patient may need new medications, family treatment, work rehabilitation or social and legal services. Continuing care results in the best treatment, but at the same time it must be matched to the patient needs.
Most of drug addicted individuals, have mental disorders at the same time. Drug abusing and addiction, both are considered to be some kinds of mental disorders and occurs at the same time with other mental disease. Patients who have one of them must be examined for the other. If both the addiction and mental disorder occurred at the same time, the treatment process must consider both of them and settle a separate treatment program for each of them.
Medically assisted detoxification is just the first level of treatment and does a little to treat long-term drug abuse. Although Medically assisted detoxification Can safely manage the physical symptoms and charges of withdrawal and at the same time pave the way to the long-term withdrawal but alone. It’s not enough for long-term withdrawal. So the patient must be encouraged to continue the treatment after detoxification. Incentive strategies can improve the patients’ participation in treatment process.
In order to have an effective treatment, there’s no need to be volunteer. Sanctions and enticement form family, can be effective in some situations, even if the patient be delivered to the treatment service provider department through justice system. This increases the treatment rate as well as participation rate. A family can recognize his/her child as an addicted individual while the patient is denying his/her problem and this denial from the patient delays the treatment and worsen the situation. The patient is suffering from addiction and mental disorders and is unaware of it or at least is denying it, but the family knows that and decides to deliver the patient to a place providing drug addiction treatment.