Understanding Treatment of Addiction

Not everyone who tries drugs becomes an addict. Certain people seem more susceptible to addiction than others and it may be due to a genetic predisposition. On the other hand, having an addict in the family definitely does not mean that future generations are condemned to a life of addiction.    

The best treatment of addiction includes healing of the entire person. Medication, therapy, social services and rehabilitation are included in the treatment. The psychological causes as well as the physical consequences are dealt with.

It has often been believed that an addict needs to desire recovery in order to be treated for drug addiction; however recent findings suggest that pressure from friends, family, employers or the legal system on the addict to obtain treatment, improves their treatment outcomes.

Relapse (the falling back to substance abuse during recovery) is common to addicts with serious disorders. People who are not addicts find this very frustrating and difficult to understand. Depression, anxiety and a huge amount of shame often accompany relapse. During this time, the addict needs support and treatment to continue the process of recovery and not to give up. In time I believe that the public perception will become more gracious during these difficult periods.

To successfully treat or support addicts, the network of people around the addict need to understand that addiction is a treatable brain disorder and that the addict is not some weak character that deserves to suffer in order to ‘learn a lesson’.