Behavioral treatment (alone or in combination with medication) is the cornerstone for achieving satisfactory long-term outcomes for many people with drug use disorders or other mental illnesses. Psychotherapy (talk therapy) can help treat autism spectrum disorder and any other co-occurring mental health disorder. The therapy also teaches healthy coping mechanisms. They don't provide a cure for the disorder, but they are more effective for people participating in a treatment program.
The treatment of SUD often requires ongoing care to be effective, since SUD is a chronic condition that can result in both recovery and relapse. For example, patients who may rely on opioid medications, such as hydrocodone (Vicodin), for relief after a dental procedure should be informed of the need to stop taking the medication or request a non-opioid-based pain reliever. The effectiveness of behavioral therapy for addiction treatment depends on the person receiving the treatment, their level of commitment to treatment, the therapist and other members of the treatment team, and the type of therapy being administered. The authors also examine recent advances in drug development for other substance use disorders, such as stimulant addiction.
For example, patients should go to the clinic every day to receive the daily dose observed at the beginning of treatment and be closely monitored using urine drug tests. Likewise, social workers are in a critical position to inform patients who need treatment for alcohol and opioid dependence about the potential benefits of naltrexone and acamprosate for alcohol dependence and of naltrexone, buprenorphine, and methadone for opioid dependence. Through therapy, counseling, rehabilitation, and other treatment modalities, the fundamental reasons that explain the development of addiction can be analyzed and the coping and healing mechanism can be initiated. Addiction affects everyone differently, so it's important that treatment is also individualized.
However, naltrexone has had limited use as a medication for opioid addiction due to significant treatment retention problems.
