Can addiction be treated successfully?

There are many different ways to treat addiction. The most traditional include inpatient rehab settings based on abstinence. These styles of treatment include inpatient residential, partial hospitalization (PHP), and Intensive Outpoint (IOP). These settings are designed to remove the client from the natural habitat and give them some sobriety breaks from their addiction. Recently, these styles of treatment have come under scrutiny for cost and failure rates. The missing link with addiction being treated successfully is the aftercare and longevity of accountability piece of treatment. In patient treatment does not simulate real life and professionals are finding that people can do treatment well but not handle life’s issues well.

So, can addiction be treated successfully? If inpatient is failing, what is working? Well, different styles of treatment have started cropping up to treat addiction successfully with different levels of success. Individual therapy with recovery coaching seems to have a longer lasting impact in dealing with life scenarios and life goals. Assisting clients with discovering their true potential and what is causing the underlying issues can assist with successful treatment of addiction.

Adding brain health supplements that increase serotonin and dopamine will improve how a client feels (these are the happy chemicals) and reduce cravings which will organically reduce drugs and alcohol addictions. Restoring the body to health is also important and can include nutrition and fitness advice and exercise programs. Learning how food can be medicine is key to recovering from addictions.

Can addiction be treated successfully if the client does not want complete abstinence? Yes, clients can use medically assisted therapies (MAT) such as Suboxone, Methadone and Vivitrol to reduce cravings and increase brain functions. These can be managed, monitored and adjusted according to how well the client is doing in recovery.