Have you or someone you know ever experienced an addiction to alcohol or drugs? Symptoms can include feeling like you use the substance regularly, having urges to use the substance to block out emotions or thoughts, using the substance even though it causes problems in your life and repeated failed attempts to stop using the substance, among many other symptoms. Substance abuse can be caused by many things. It can range from simply being prescribed medication for pain or sleeping problems to boredom or severe mental issues like depression or anxiety.
Here is a list of treatments and therapies for alcohol and substance abuse:
1. Behavioral counseling
The basic idea of behavior counseling is to modify the patients attitude towards alcohol or drugs. It works alongside other treatments like medication. There are multiple kinds of behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, Contingency management, 12 step programs, family behavior therapy, and rational emotive behavioral therapy.
2. Medication
There are many medications effective at treating drug addiction. For opioid addiction there is a medication called buprenorphine which can help reduce or even eliminate cravings and withdrawal. Another helpful medication is methadone which can help addiction by activating opioid receptors in the brain. There are medications for alcohol addiction too. Acamprosate, disulfiram, and naltrexone can all help to fight alcohol abuse.
3. Medical devices
Medical devices or applications can be used to effectively treat substance abuse. Myoscience is a device that uses cryoablation therapy to ablate signal-carrying members of the nerves which stops pain signals from traveling to the brain. Another popular medical device is the Provant therapy system. It uses electromagnetic energy to reduce pain by inducing the natural endogenous opioids that form in the body.
4. Evaluation of mental health
A psychological evaluation can help determine if the root problem is caused by an underlying mental issue. This is one of the most effective treatments because many people who abuse drugs are alcohol so not even know they have mental problems.
5. Rehab facilities
Rehabilitation centers can include many different types of therapy. They are important because the patient can live on site with constant supervision of doctors while also isolating them from their everyday lives. The amount of time spent in these facilities can vary from person to person. There are alcohol rehabilitation centers and rehab for substance abuse.
6. Long-term follow-up
This is one of the most important steps once the patient has gone through the withdrawal stage. Relapsing is common among addicts and making sure they stay clean is the key to long term sobriety. This can be harder for patients that abuse more than one substance.
