Treatment
A Path of Recovery that can involve many interventions and attempts at abstinence.7
What is Treatment?
Treatment is offered in different settings and the type of treatment greatly depends on the substances misused, as well as a person’s individual needs and characteristics. Treatment services are offered in residential and outpatient programs and often include counseling or other behavioral therapy, family therapy, medication, or a combination of services, depending on the client's individual treatment plan.7
Does treatment work?
Substance abuse disorders are treatable. In a major study published in 2000 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that treatments for drug use disorders are just as effective as treatments for other chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, asthma, and diabetes."7
According to NIDA reports, relapse rates are similar to those for other well-characterized chronic medical illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. Therefore, treatment of chronic diseases involves changing deeply imbedded behaviors, and relapse does not mean treatment failure. For the patient, lapses back to substance abuse abuse is an indication that treatment needs to be reinstated or adjusted, or some kind of alternate treatment is necessary.”11
How does treatment benefit society?
Addiction treatment benefits society. Cost/benefit reports indicate that when individuals participate in treatment and in recovery activities, there is reduced crime, improved health, lower health care costs and beter employment and social functioning. Helping one person achieve recovery from a substance use disorder through effective treatment programs and other support services can improve many lives.
There is a positive return on investment when money is psent on treatment. Research suggests at least a 2:1 benefit-to-cost ratio. Another study discovered as much as a $23 return for every dollar spent on treatment.7
While the return on investment varies from state to state and program to program, evidence supports the overall positive financial gain to society when investing in the treatment of people with substance use disorders.
Research consistently points out that ipeople who have untreated substance use disorders typically have high rates of repeated contacts with the justice system and a greater chance of re-incarceration. However, when inmates receive treatment for a substance use disorder, re-arrests have shown to drop from 75 percent to 27 percent.7
What is Recovery?
SAMHSA defines recovery from alcohol and drug problems as “a process of change through which an individual achieves abstinence and improved health, wellness, and quality of life.”
The distinction between treatment and recovery is important. The Recovery Services Community Programs Web site explains that “recovering from alcohol and drug use disorders is a highly individualized experience, and everyone who goes through the experience has an individual definition of recovery. In addition, recovery is achieved via many different pathways. Within the RCSP projects, an emerging definition goes beyond abstinence alone to include a full re-engagement—based on resilience, health, and hope—with one’s family, friends, and community.”