What are the principles of effective treatment?

Research shows that when treating addictions to opioids (prescription pain relievers or drugs like heroin or fentanyl), medication should be the first line of treatment, usually combined with some form of behavioural therapy or counselling and 12 Step recovery such as Narcotics Anonymous.

Additionally, medications are used to help people detoxify from drugs, although detoxification is not the same as treatment and is not sufficient to help a person recover. Detoxification alone without subsequent treatment generally leads to resumption of drug use.

For people with addictions to drugs like stimulants or cannabis, no medications are currently available to assist in treatment, so treatment consists of behavioural therapies and 12 Step recovery groups. Treatment should be tailored to address each patient's drug use patterns and drug-related medical, mental, and social problems.

Discoveries in science lead to breakthroughs in drug use treatment.

What medications and devices help treat drug addiction?

Different types of medications may be useful at different stages of treatment to help a patient stop abusing drugs, stay in treatment, and avoid relapse.

• Treating withdrawal. When patients first stop using drugs, they can experience various physical and emotional symptoms, including restlessness or sleeplessness, as well as depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Certain treatment medications and devices reduce these symptoms, which makes it easier to stop the drug use.

• Staying in treatment. Some treatment medications and mobile applications are used to help the brain adapt gradually to the absence of the drug. These treatments act slowly to help prevent drug cravings and have a calming effect on body systems. They can help patients focus on counseling and other psychotherapies related to their drug treatment.

• Preventing relapse. Science has taught us that stress cues linked to the drug use (such as people, places, things, and moods), and contact with drugs are the most common triggers for relapse. Scientists have been developing therapies to interfere with these triggers to help patients stay in recovery.

How do behavioural therapies treat drug addiction?

Behavioural therapies help people in drug addiction treatment modify their attitudes and behaviours related to drug use. As a result, patients can handle stressful situations and various triggers that might cause another relapse. Behavioural therapies can also enhance the effectiveness of medications and help people remain in treatment longer.

• Twelve-step facilitation (TSF) is an individual therapy typically delivered in 12 weekly session to prepare people to become engaged in 12-step mutual support programs. 12-step programs, like Alcoholic Anonymous, are not medical treatments, but provide social and complementary support to those treatments. TSF follows the 12-step themes of acceptance, surrender, and active involvement in recovery.

• Cognitive-behavioural therapy seeks to help patients recognize, avoid, and cope with the situations in which they're most likely to use drugs.

• Contingency management uses positive reinforcement such as providing rewards or privileges for remaining drugfree, for attending and participating in counselling sessions, or for taking treatment medications as prescribed.

• Motivational enhancement therapy uses strategies to make the most of people's readiness to change their behaviour and enter treatment.

• Family therapy helps people (especially young people) with drug use problems, as well as their families, address influences on drug use patterns and improve overall family functioning.

Treatment must address the whole person.

How do the best treatment programs help patients recover from addiction?

Stopping drug use is just one part of a long and complex recovery process. When people enter treatment, addiction has often caused serious consequences in their lives, possibly disrupting their health and how they function in their family lives, at work, and in the community.

Because addiction can affect so many aspects of a person's life, treatment should address the needs of the whole person to be successful. Counsellors may select from a menu of services that meet the specific medical, mental, social, occupational, family, and legal needs of their patients to help in their recovery.

In summary, medication addictive disorders, is usually considered when symptoms are severe and detoxification is required. The decision should be made in consultation with a mental health professional and is not a routine approach, with therapy generally being the first-line treatment.

At ExpatTherapyHub.com, our therapists can provide comprehensive evaluations and collaborate with medical professionals to determine the most appropriate treatment plan. We aim to support individuals in making informed decisions about medication as part of a holistic approach to managing an addictive disorder.

Fa-eeza Kasmed our counsellor based in the Australia offers affordable therapy for expats, can help adults with addiction as well as anxiety and self-esteem issues.

Expat therapy Hub, also provide affordable online therapy for depression and anxiety, therapist for ADHD and specialise in expat therapy in Asia.