The first step in any drug addiction treatment program is medical detox, and it should be done under proper medical supervision.
No single drug addiction treatment is appropriate for all individuals. Matching treatment settings, interventions, and services to each individual’s particular problems and needs is critical to his or her ultimate success in returning to a productive life.
Effective Drug Addiction Treatment
Effective drug treatment programs will attend to the multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug use. To be effective, drug addiction treatment must address the individual’s drug use and any associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and/or legal problems.
An individual’s drug addiction treatment program must be assessed continually and modified as necessary to ensure that the plan meets the addict’s changing needs. An addict may require varying combinations of treatment components during the course of treatment and recovery. In addition to counseling or psychotherapy, a patient at times may require medication, other medical services, family therapy, parenting instruction, vocational rehabilitation, and social and legal services. It is critical that the treatment approach be appropriate to the individual’s age, sexual preference, gender, ethnicity, and culture.
Drug addiction treatment programs should also provide assessment for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, and provide counseling to help addicts modify or change behaviors that place themselves or others at risk of infection. Counseling can help patients avoid high-risk behavior.
