There are vast quantities of information on the subject of alcohol and drug rehabs and addiction in general. Data from one source may be diametrically opposed to that from another.
It can be difficult to know which sources you can trust. Keep reading to learn more of the facts about addiction treatment.
Just about everyone has a distinct opinion about how to end the use of addictive substances and to treat addiction; there are just too many lines of thought out there. Is there a ‘best’ track of therapy for people who have been diagnosed as being addicted to drugs or alcohol?
There is no agreement on the best resolution. People debate the merits of controlling negative consequences, controlling the substances and staying away from the substances all together.
Not long ago, I saw 2 review studies; its research reported data drawn from hundreds of controlled research surveys and present the facts which are seen to be consistent across the board. There were some interesting points which were uniform across both of these review studies. These were:
1. Growing a huge support system is a must in recovery.
The rate of success for patients in substance abuse treatment is
significantly better where these patients have a support network, including loved ones and friends. Self-help groups and other support networks can also play a worthwhile role in helping patients to stay in recovery.
2. Staying in treatment longer is better.
Being in treatment for the long haul is more effective than is short term intensive treatments, bringing credence to the old saying in recovery circles that sobriety is not an event, but rather an ongoing process.
3.There is no ‘best’ treatment.
There is no single correct answer that works for every patient. Cognitive behavioral treatment, the 12 step system and others have all been just about equally effective in different cases. Project Match is a government study that tried to match up patients to different treatments by type and their findings were that all of these recovery methods worked equally well.
4. The old ‘in your face’ style is not effective.
The confrontational school of addiction treatment widely used in the 1980s did not yield results as readily as does rendering support and positive reinforcement to patients.
5. The relationship with your counselor is critical.
All of the available data indicates that patients are much more likely to be successful in recovery if they have a deep, positive relationship with their therapist or group members. These relationships keep addicts in recovery involved in the recovery process.
The common elements of any solid addiction treatment method are training, working to build coping skills, building and restoring interpersonal family relationships and keeping the patient included over the long term.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Bill
The “staying in treatment longer is better” one I have always wondered about. Long term treatment worked for me after short term stays had failed. BUT….I saw a pretty horrible success rate in long term all around me. Also, it seems like I have seen other data or “facts” thrown around online where they seem to indicate that length of treatment really does not matter much.
Plus, you have all sorts of oldtimers barking at the newcomers that they never went to treatment at all, and just went to meetings!
So there are some different issues there I think. Not sure what to think in some cases. Can you point me towards some studies that look at the difference between long and short stays in treatment? I would love to see more “hard evidence” that supports it one way or the other….
Your eyes will cross and your hair will smoke, but here you go…
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/txDischarges.htm#Success
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/Sros/sros8020.htm#E28E16
Length of Stay and Change in Drug Use after Treatment:
In addition to the type of treatment, the length of stay in treatment (Figure 3-7) was consistently associated with the extent of change in drug use. Although the pattern does not appear strictly linear in Figure 3-7, this is a consequence of grouping clients in types of treatment with shorter (generally the 24-hour facilities) and longer (outpatient) planned terms. By and large, the “less than one week” and “less than six month” groups are more heavily weighted with clients with suboptimal lengths of stay. The multivariate regression results reported below make it more clear that, after controlling for type of treatment (and therefore planned length of stay), length of stay is associated with the extent of decrease in drug use. Clients who completed their treatment plan were more likely to reduce their pretreatment drug use than noncompleters for every principal drug except crack.
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/txDischarges.htm#Success
This is a great guide in my opinion I’ve worked in treatment a long time now and I’ve encountered various elements of this article time after time. The support system alone is tremendous tool in staying sober so is the therapeutic alliance.
The list of 5 common Elements of Good Addiction Treatment are true enough. A person who are into addiction needs more emotionally & psychologically support & understanding. They are sensitive in nature and always feeling isolated. Indeed, you can hardly feel them that they are something not just here on earth but also for God…
I think that the success of any drug addiction treatment is greatly affected by a patient’s support network. Without the love and support of family, friends, and loved ones especially during treatment, anyone who’s suffering from addiction will most likely go back to his or her old habits.
There’s no doubt that longer retention yields better results. time and time again in my research I see the same finding.
One of the things that was left out of this excellent list was the notion that pharmacological treatment (i.e., medication) is sometimes a very useful part of recovery for some people. 12 Step groups hate this notion for the most part, but medications can help some people make it through early treatment where they would otherwise fail.
Keep up the good work!
Another great post. I am addicted to this site. Just love the quality of the posts and the message they carry. Hats off.
Point #1 is very deserving of its spot. My brother struggles with an addiction. If it weren’t for his family and support group there is no telling how far he would sink in to his hole. He has been sober for 2 years, after a long haul of addiction (more than 8 years). Everyone is really proud of him and we continue to give our support. Like this article, I also believe it’s the most important element in good addiction treatment.
This is a great guide in my opinion I’ve worked in treatment a long time now and I’ve encountered various elements of this article time after time. The support system alone is tremendous tool in staying sober so is the therapeutic alliance.
On point as always, Bill. One of the “read between the lines” I get from the length of treatment surveys is that a person not necessarily be “in” treatment that entire time; rather the longer a person remains connected to the place they became sober, you’ll get the same numbers.
That, however, leads to another problem/issue. “My way is better than your way.” Although natural to feel grateful for a facility/program, the problem begins when “mine” is “better” than “yours.” The fact remains that a 6 month, free, Salvation Army program will always have a slight edge over any mansion in Malibu. Better treatment? Nope…longer treatment.
Jon Heller
The Addiction Channel