Drug Addiction Treatment Blog

A study of Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step oriented self-help programs finds that they can help most people recover from alcoholism and drug addiction, even those who are not religious or have health problems.
The Pacific Institute on Research and Education (PIRE) reported that researchers tracked a group of 227 alcoholics and addicts over three years and found that those who had attended AA or other self-help programs after addiction treatment or a drug rehab had higher rates of abstinence, and drank less if they did relapse. The results cut across gender and religious lines and held regardless of psychiatric history or whether the patient had previously attended AA or other similar programs.
“Here’s a widespread, chronic disorder that seems to respond well to an inexpensive resource — mutual-help groups such as AA,” said study co-author Robert Stout, Ph.D., director of the Decision Sciences Institute at PIRE. “Not only do we need to get more addicts engaged in these groups, but we also need to gather evidence on this issue and make sure that the public, policy-makers and practitioners know about it.”

Added co-author John F. Kelly: “There is a clear dose-response relationship: If you don’t go to any meetings, you have the worst outcomes. If you go to a few, you have a little bit better outcome, and if you go to a lot, you have an even better outcome.” Kelly is the associate director of the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Addiction Research Program.

The study was published in the August 2006 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

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Drug addiction is a treatable disorder. Through treatment that is tailored to individual needs, patients can learn to control their condition and live normal, productive lives. Like people with diabetes or heart disease, people in treatment for drug addiction learn behavioral changes and often take medications as part of their treatment regimen.

Behavioral therapies can include counseling, psychotherapy, support groups, or family therapy. Treatment medications offer help in suppressing the withdrawal syndrome and drug craving and in blocking the effects of drugs. In addition, studies show that treatment for heroin addiction using methadone at an adequate dosage level combined with behavioral therapy reduces death rates and many health problems associated with heroin abuse.

In general, the more treatment given, the better the results. Many patients require other services as well, such as medical and mental health services and HIV prevention services. Patients who stay in treatment longer than 3 months usually have better outcomes than those who stay less time. Patients who go through medically assisted withdrawal to minimize discomfort but do not receive any further treatment, perform about the same in terms of their drug use as those who were never treated. Over the last 25 years, studies have shown that treatment works to reduce drug intake and crimes committed by drug-dependent people. Researchers also have found that drug abusers who have been through treatment are more likely to have jobs.

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Throughout the United States there are many different philosophies that are embraced by addiction treatment programs to treat the addict and alcoholic Some addiction treatment providers believe that addicts and alcoholics are genetically predisposed others bio-chemically, in either case, this is a controversy that has been debated for years within the scientific, medical and chemical dependency communities. One “camp” believes in the disease of the brain, which embraces the notion that addiction greatly affects the thought and chemical process within each person.

Another “camp” argues that addiction is a dual problem consisting of a physical and mental dependency on chemicals, compounded by a pre-existing mental disorder. They would argue that the mental disorder needs to be treated first and is the primary cause of the addiction. A third line of thought clings to the belief that addiction or alcoholism leads to “chemical imbalances” in the neurological system.

With all of this information and research, the fact remains, that there is scientific evidence to support all of these concepts. Based on national averages, we have about a 20% full recovery rate. Recognizing that we still have a long way to go, it is clear that addicts and alcoholics tend to achieve long term sobriety with a combination of drug rehab / addiction treatment, coupled with attendance at a 12 step self help program

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One day I walked into a liquor store to buy a pint and the store owner told me it would cost $5.25. I gladly whipped out the money, said thank you and promptly left to get drunk. I think I had a good time, but you know how that is…..

A few months later, I wandered back into the same liquor store to buy the same pint of liquor. The store owner turned to retrieve the pint of liquor from the shelf. I asked the price of the liquor, not remembering of course, and the store owner tells me that it is $5.25, plus my car. I was stunned and enraged, so I paused for a moment, thought carefully about the cost and figured I could always get another car, so I paid the store owner the $5.25 and turned over the bill of sale to my car. As I proceeded to take that first drink, I thought to myself, boy the price of booze has sure gone up since the last time I was here.

A month later, I sauntered back into the same liquor store to buy the same pint of liquor I had previously purchased. This time the store owner recognized me, (which of course I am proud of because it means I am an important customer) and turns to get the pint of liquor from the shelf, with a slight grin on his face. This time I was a little hung over and again had to ask the price. One would think I could remember that by now, but I couldn’t. I did remember though that he couldn’t take my car this time because I didn’t have it anymore. I really outsmarted him this time. The store owner looked me square in the eye and says the pint is only $5.25, pauses and then says, plus your job. I said what….Are you crazy…..You already have my car….Now you want my job too….I will never give up my job for liquor!!!!!…As I walked home, bottle in hand, I continued to rant and rave about how stupid this man was because I was going to take my business elsewhere. I would show him.. It finally hit me….What was I going to do when I couldn’t afford to drink anymore…..I think you get my point ……..

I was so willing to pay any price to keep getting high or drinking, whether material or emotional. Now the question my sponsor always asks me is, “What lengths are you willing to go to maintain your recovery?” What price are you willing to put on your sobriety? When all is said and done he’ll say, “No matter what, don’t leave before the miracle happens….God’s got one coming just for you, if you’ll just be patient.

Anonymous

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