Coping with Chronic Health Conditions: Tips

3 Factors That Make Substance Abuse Treatment Effective

5 November 2015 by Freddie Cox

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), effective treatment for any type of substance abuse problem requires continual management. One of the reasons substance abuse treatment fails is not typically because the treatment plan was bad; it is actually because the addict failed to get continual treatment for the issue. If you have a loved one struggling with a drug addiction, you may want to encourage him or her to get treatment for the rest of his or her life. This could help him break the addiction for good. Here are some factors that help make substance abuse treatment effective for an addict.

Treatment Must Be On An Individual Basis

One important factor of successful substance abuse treatment is realizing that each addict is different. People with substance abuse disorders are all different in many ways, including that each person has different:

• Personalities, problems, and views of life
• Preferences when it comes to the substances they choose to use
• Triggers, backgrounds, and lifestyles
• Genetics
• Responses to drugs and treatment plans
• Needs

Effective treatment centers realize that each addict is an individual and that each person is different in many ways. Because of these differences, an effective substance abuse treatment facility will handle each case on a unique basis. While there might be similarities in treatment plans, no two treatment plans should be identical.

Multiple Types Of Treatment Is Vital

In addition, an effective treatment center will realize that one form of treatment is never enough for a struggling addict. In fact, most addicts will need multiple forms of treatment strategies for success in breaking an addiction. Here are some treatment strategies that can help a person completely break an addiction:

• Counseling – Talking about an addiction is a great way for an addict to really understand what is going on, why it is happening, and how to prevent relapses.
• Medication – While there are many addicts that break their addictions without medication, there are many people that need it to stay clean. This is especially true for people that suffer from mental illnesses, such as depression or schizophrenia.
• Support groups – Being around others that share the same experiences and struggles can provide support to a person that is going through this.
• Inpatient services – When a person first decides to break an addiction, an impatient treatment facility is the best option. This will force the person to go through detoxification, and it will keep the person away from drugs and alcohol. The amount of time needed for this varies, but it can take anywhere from a few days to a few months.

Remember, every person is different and has different needs, and a good substance abuse treatment center will apply this principle to each person that comes for help.

Ongoing Treatment Is Not Optional

Finally, it is important for you to realize that ongoing treatment for substance abuse problems is not optional. This is something that is completely necessary for the addict's well-being in the future. Ongoing treatment can be the crucial factor for a person to avoid relapsing in the future. This can include any of the strategies listed above, but it can also include other things, such as random drug testing.

Ongoing treatment might be needed for the rest of a person's life, and that is fine if that is what it takes. Substance abuse is a disease of the brain, and it should be treated continually like any other chronic disease.

If someone you know is struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction, you may be able to help by encouraging this person to go to a substance abuse treatment center. This could help your loved one break the addiction he or she has.

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