Addiction Paper
Addiction: Alternative Treatments
PSY 425
February 1, 2006
Introduction
The initial exposure to any drug addiction treatment is an overwhelming experience. Whether one attends an Alcoholics Anonymous session, a Detox facility, or a Psychiatric in-patient center, one unavoidable conclusion manifests itself: Addiction is a horrible situation for any human being.
The following paper looks at several different elements of the addiction treatment environment, and from differing modalities to success rates, addiction treatment is examined, contrasted and compared.
Modalities
There are many options for the treatment of alcohol and drug addition. These treatments are referred to as modalities. Treatment modalities are most often referred to as one or more of the following disciplines:
(1) Allopathic (2) Homeopathic/Alternative
(3) Inpatient/Residential (4) Outpatient/Self-help
Many treatment plans incorporate two or more of these modalities to successfully treat the addict, and often their families.
The Allopathic modality refers to the use of modern medicine to treat the physical addiction. The two most common medications used are methadone and LAAM (Levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol). These medications suppress the withdrawal symptoms and cravings associated with Narcotic Addiction. The primary withdrawal method for this modality is to switch the user to a comparable drug that has milder withdrawal symptoms. Once the switch is made, the dose is gradually reduced thus alleviating the severity of the withdrawal and increasing the chance of recovery. Depending on the type of narcotic addiction, this method of treatment is often required for the addict to survive the withdrawal period (NIDA, 2006).
However, there are those addicts who begin using/abusing drugs again after going through the withdrawal process. For the Opiate addict who cannot refrain from using, Methadone maintenance therapy is an option. These addicts are given a higher dose than that which is
PSY 425
February 1, 2006
Introduction
The initial exposure to any drug addiction treatment is an overwhelming experience. Whether one attends an Alcoholics Anonymous session, a Detox facility, or a Psychiatric in-patient center, one unavoidable conclusion manifests itself: Addiction is a horrible situation for any human being.
The following paper looks at several different elements of the addiction treatment environment, and from differing modalities to success rates, addiction treatment is examined, contrasted and compared.
Modalities
There are many options for the treatment of alcohol and drug addition. These treatments are referred to as modalities. Treatment modalities are most often referred to as one or more of the following disciplines:
(1) Allopathic (2) Homeopathic/Alternative
(3) Inpatient/Residential (4) Outpatient/Self-help
Many treatment plans incorporate two or more of these modalities to successfully treat the addict, and often their families.
The Allopathic modality refers to the use of modern medicine to treat the physical addiction. The two most common medications used are methadone and LAAM (Levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol). These medications suppress the withdrawal symptoms and cravings associated with Narcotic Addiction. The primary withdrawal method for this modality is to switch the user to a comparable drug that has milder withdrawal symptoms. Once the switch is made, the dose is gradually reduced thus alleviating the severity of the withdrawal and increasing the chance of recovery. Depending on the type of narcotic addiction, this method of treatment is often required for the addict to survive the withdrawal period (NIDA, 2006).
However, there are those addicts who begin using/abusing drugs again after going through the withdrawal process. For the Opiate addict who cannot refrain from using, Methadone maintenance therapy is an option. These addicts are given a higher dose than that which is
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