Forum: Close to Home
Topic: Should people be given an opportunity for further addiction treatment if they relapse?
Topic Posted by: Close To HomeDate Posted: Wed Mar 18 15:22:22 1998
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Posted by: Roger in Baltimore (rwhimler@hotmail.com )
Date posted: Sat Apr 4 21:31:55 1998
Subject: Treatment after relapse
Message:
Research is getting clearer and clearer on this subject. First, most people stop using alcohol (and probably drugs) on their own without the benefit of treatment or of the fellowships of NA and AA. However, many try repeatedly on their own and are unsuccessful. These people can benefit from treatment. Treatment is more successful than no treatment, but it is no magic wand. Success rates are in the area of 30%. The fellowships of NA and AA are probably not amenable to rigorous scientific study, but clearly they work for some. The average smoker (nicotine addict) takes seven attempts before he or she is successful in quitting. It is clear that a model of "one shot" treatment is inappropriate. We are, however, a long shot away from matching patient and treatment. It amazes me how people address addiction treatment as if it is different from other disease treatments. In the course of treating my high blood pressure, I was treated with at least five different medications, with very different sites of action, before finding one that both successfully reduced my blood pressure and which I would tolerate. It only makes sense that if one treatment did not work, the goal is to try another that might because it has worked for others. My belief is that drug addiction and alcoholism have multiple causes (etiologies) that are different for different people. I believe this explains why most people are able to stop on their own. It also explains why no one treatment works for all addicts or alcoholics. My explanation to my patients is: "If what you are doing (to recover) is working for you, keep doing it. If what you are doing is not working for you, do something else." Doing nothing is the worst choice.
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