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Effectiveness of Substance Abuse Treatment

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), substance abuse treatment includes medications and behavioral therapy. They are both effective in treating substance abuse and in preventing relapse. Because substance abuse is a severe brain disease, treatment does not guarantee that an individual will not suffer a relapse.

  1. Medications

    • Medication is used to return the brain to the usual function, reduce cravings and help the patient avoid relapses. For opiate addiction, methadone and buprenorphine are effective treatments; disuliram, naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram are beneficial in treating alcohol abuse.

    Behavioral Therapies

    • Cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, multidimensional family therapy and motivational incentives are behavioral therapies used to treat substance abuse. All can be effective in assisting the patient to change his outlook and behaviors toward drug abuse so he exhibits more favorable ones.

    Joint Treatment

    • Medications and behavioral therapy work best when applied together instead of in solitude.

    Treatment Results

    • According to NIDA, most individuals who enter and remain in treatment stop using drugs. This results in a decrease in their criminal activity and improves their work, social and psychological abilities.

    Relapse Statistics

    • Per NIDA, 40 to 60 percent of drug-addicted patients suffer a relapse.

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