Addiction Treatment Program 

Recent strides in research about mental health and addiction treatment tell us that more than half of the people affected by one condition (such as an drug addiction) are also affected by at least one other condition (such as an emotional condition), and vice versa. We also have learned that when all conditions are not treated at the same time (or one or more conditions is under-treated), recovery is far more difficult. Unfortunately, because many addiction treatment programs and mental health programs treat only one condition, many people are under-treated (or inappropriately treated). This means that drug addiction treatment (as well as mental health or alcoholism addiction treatment program) is less likely to be effective, and relapse of one or both conditions is far more likely.

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Dual diagnosis refers to the presence of both a mental illness and a substance abuse problem. Integrated dual diagnosis treatment is effective for mental health and substance abuse problems. In this dual diagnosis treatment model one clinician or treatment team provides both mental health and substance abuse treatment. Dual diagnosis treatment can take place in a drug rehab, residential treatment center or addiction treatment center and be very effective. People with dual disorders can and do recover. In fact, most people recover, and they report more satisfying lives while they are in recovery. 

How does recovery from dual diagnosis occur? 

• Recovery must be the individual’s choice. People cannot be “pushed” into giving up substances. Over time they can learn to manage both their illnesses and to get on with their lives in personally meaningful ways. 

• The process of recovery begins as soon as someone enters a dual diagnosis treatment program or becomes committed to managing their illnesses. 

• Recovery takes time, hope, and courage. For most people, recovery occurs over months or years. 

• People in integrated dual disorders treatment programs learn to manage two long-term illnesses and build a new meaningful life without drugs. This process requires time, support, education, courage, and skills. 

You can help. Everyone in your loved one’s life can help by offering support, hope, and encouragement

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Here are a few models of the most common addiction treatment methods without medications.

• Relapse Prevention is drug addiction treatment that helps you control your behavior. Moreover, you learn to identify dangerous situations and how to avoid them. This addiction treatment basically concentrates on augmenting your learning processes. This way, it helps you to develop your own defense skills.
• Matrix model is an intensive and deep drug addiction treatment without medications. It works as much on your consciousness as on forcing into you a kind of drill that prevents you from using drugs.
• Supportive-Expressive Psychotherapy drug addiction treatment works mostly through interpersonal links. It works in a way to create your sphere of comfort. What is more, it teaches you to trust in other people’s support. This treatment is mostly used in cocaine and heroin addiction cases.
• Individualized drug counseling drug addiction treatment without medications is a short-term therapy that concentrates not only on a drug addiction but it also works also on other related subjects, such as employment status and family problems.
• Motivational Enhancement Therapy drug addiction treatment concentrates on the addicts’ will with an aim to incite the will to fight the addiction. This treatment is quite effective and is capable of changing people, but in a good way. The drug addict not only stops using drugs but also becomes stronger and more focused.
• Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents drug addiction treatment without medications works with an aim to change patients behavior to drug-free one. This treatment is based on showing desired behavior and rewarding any steps addicts take toward achieving it.

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BY LORI WHITTEN, NIDA Notes Staff Writer 

Heroin-addicted patients who undergo so-called ultrarapid, anesthesia-assisted detoxification suffer withdrawal symptoms as severe as those endured by patients in detoxification by traditional methods, according to a NIDA-funded clinical trial. Researchers Dr. Eric Collins and colleagues at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University concluded that there is no compelling reason to use general anesthesia in the treatment of opiate dependence, especially as it presents particular safety concerns. The new findings corroborate those of three international studies. 

The ultrarapid detox technique, developed about 15 years ago by clinicians who hoped to mitigate the discomfort of withdrawal and speed the initiation of relapse prevention therapy, relies on a general anesthetic to sedate the patient for several hours while an opiate blocker precipitates withdrawal.The method is not covered by insurance, which makes it difficult to determine how many patients have received anesthesia-assisted detox.

If you are looking for a medical detox program you can call 1-800-99-DETOX. 

NO ADVANTAGE” 

“Although providers advertise anesthesia-assisted detox as a fast and painless method to kick opiate addiction, the evidence does not support those statements,” says Dr. Collins. “Patients should consider the many risks associated with this approach, including fluid accumulation in the lungs, metabolic complications of diabetes, and a worsening of underlying bipolar illness, as well as other potentially serious adverse events,” he says. Those with preexisting medical conditions—including some psychiatric disorders, elevated blood sugar, insulin-dependent diabetes, prior pneumonias, hepatitis, heart disease, and AIDS—are particularly at risk for anesthesia-related adverse events. “Careful screening is essential with the anesthesia-assisted method, because the thought of sleeping through withdrawal is so compelling that some patients may conceal their medical histories,” says Dr. Collins. 

“We now have several rigorous studies indicating that anesthesia-assisted detox— a costly and risky approach—offers no advantage over other methods,” says Dr. Ivan Montoya of NIDA’s Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse. Dr. Montoya notes, “The low retention of patients in subsequent outpatient treatment in the present study, which is not unusual for the opiate-addicted population, highlights the need to engage people in long-term recovery after detoxification.” Naltrexone can help motivated patients stay off opiates, but many do not stick to the regimen of daily tablets because of the medication’s side effects of anxiety and restlessness. Long-acting monthly injections of naltrexone, which are now available for alcoholism treatment, may work better for patients and show promise in NIDA-supported clinical trials. 

Dr. Montoya also points out that with the current epidemic of prescription painkiller abuse, clinicians need more research on costeffective detox methods for these opiates (see “2003 Survey Reveals Increase in Prescription Drug Abuse, Sharp Drop in Abuse of Hallucinogens“). Some clinics are using buprenorphine for this purpose, and NIDA-funded investigators are studying various methods to improve prescription opiate detox and help patients engage in longer term treatment. 

SOURCE 

Collins, E.D., et al. Anesthesia-assisted vs buprenorphine- or clonidine-assisted heroin detoxification and naltrexone induction: A randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association 294(8):903-913, 2005. [Abstract] 

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