Myths &
Facts about Addiction & Treatment
Written & Edited
by: Charles N. Roper, PhD, LCDC
About two-thirds
of this article was taken from The White Paper: Effectiveness
of Substance Abuse Treatment, U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, February, 1995. The balance was written by
Charles N. Roper, PhD, LCDC.
Among the
hundreds of myths surrounding addiction and drug rehab treatment, the
following are especially relevant to individuals who are beginning
to question the true nature of their relationship with addictive
substances and are considering the possibility of seeking
treatment.
-
Myth:
Addiction is a bad habit, the result of moral weakness and
over-indulgence.
-
Fact:
Addiction is a chronic, life-threatening condition, like
hypertension, arteriosclerosis, and adult diabetes.
-
Fact:
Addiction has roots in genetic susceptibility, social
circumstance, and personal behavior.
-
Fact:
Certain drugs are highly addictive, rapidly causing
biochemical and structural changes in the brain. Others
can be used for longer periods of time before they begin
to cause inescapable cravings and compulsive use.
-
Myth:
Bad, stupid, and crazy people are most susceptible to becoming
addicted to alcohol and drugs.
-
Fact:
Addiction is an equal opportunity disease. It does not
discriminate in any way against any class of people. It
strikes equally among individuals in all ethnic,
socio-economic, intelligence, and emotional wellness
categories.
-
Myth:
If an addict has enough willpower, he or she can stop abusing
alcohol and using drugs.
-
Fact:
Few people addicted to alcohol and other drugs can simply
stop using them, no matter how strong their inner resolve.
Most need at least one course of structured substance
abuse treatment to end their dependence on alcohol and
other drugs. Some achieve sobriety through participation
in community-based support organizations (e.g., Alcoholics
Anonymous), but relapse rates under this condition are
very high. The most effective approach is one that
combines structured treatment and community-based support.
-
Myth:
Many people relapse, so treatment obviously does not work.
-
Fact:
Like every other medical treatment, addiction treatment
centers cannot guarantee lifelong recovery. Relapse is often a
part of the recovery process; it is always possible--and
treatable. Even if a person never achieves perfect
abstinence, addiction treatment can reduce the number and
duration of relapses, lower the incidence of related
problems such as crime and poor overall health, improve
the individual's ability to function in daily life, and
strengthen the individual to better cope with the next
temptation or craving. These improvements reduce the
social and economic costs of addiction.
-
Myth:
People with alcohol and other drug problems must attend 28-day
hospital-based treatment programs, where they dry out and
emerge new individuals, cured of their problems.
-
Fact:
Treatment is provided in many different settings, in many
different ways, and for different lengths of time. It is
provided in hospitals, residential facilities,
free-standing clinics, and counselors' and therapists'
private offices. Treatment often follows a "continuum
of care," within which the individual participates in
one or more levels of care. These levels range from highly
restrictive and intensive to only slightly restrictive and
intensive, as follows:
-
Medically
supervised detoxification;
-
Intensive
residential treatment;
-
Extended
residential care;
-
Halfway
house, or supported living;
-
Partial
hospitalization, or day treatment;
-
Intensive
outpatient treatment;
-
Supportive
outpatient treatment;
-
Continuing
Care; and
-
Individual
counseling and therapy.
-
Myth:
Once sobriety is achieved, whether with or without the benefit
of treatment, most individuals can eventually return to social
use of alcohol and/or drugs.
-
Fact:
Addiction is a chronic condition that does not disappear,
even after extended periods of sobriety. This is true
regardless of the individual's drug of choice, level of
self-control, or length of abstinence.
-
Myth:
An individual who is addicted to one drug or family of drugs
can undergo treatment for and recover from addiction to that
particular drug and still use other drugs with impunity.
-
Fact:
Cross-addiction nearly always occurs when an addict tries
to switch drugs, regardless of the reason. Cross-addiction
invariably takes the form of one or the other of two
possible outcomes: 1) The individual quickly becomes
addicted to the second substance, or 2) The individual
returns to the original drug while under the influence of
the second one.
-
Myth:
We have reached the limits of what we can do to treat
addiction.
-
Fact:
The more we learn about addiction, the more effective
treatment becomes. Even though current treatment methods
are far from perfect, today's treatment providers are
being challenged to stretch their knowledge base and find
more effective approaches to prevention, intervention, and
treatment.
Please email your comments or
questions regarding this article to: croper1(at)austin.rr.com
(not a direct link in order to avoid address being picked up
robotically for spam).
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