Drug abuse and addiction has diverse bad effects on physical and mental status of the user. A variety of pharmacological and behavioral approaches are involved in treatment for drug addiction. Drug addicted people are treated in physicians' offices and mental health clinics by physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses and social workers.
Medications:
The first step of drug addiction treatment is detoxification. Withdrawal symptoms during detoxification are suppressed by medications. These should be followed by proper behavioral therapies. Otherwise it is waste of giving medication treatment. Some of the most common drugs that are given for detoxification for opiate addicts are methadone, naltrexone, and buprenorphine. Withdrawal symptoms are suppressed by methadone and buprenorphine. They help in relieving cravings. Naltrexone is given to the patients who have already been detoxified. However, it is not widely used because of some compliance issues. Bupropion and varenicline are the two medications which are given for patients addicted with tobacco.
Behavioral Treatment:
Patients are engaged in behavioral treatment process. Their attitudes and behavior related to drug abuse is modified through the approaches of behavioral treatment. The treatment can be given different ways including out-patient treatment and residential treatment. Out-patient treatment includes treatment where patients visit a clinic regularly. Individual as well as group counseling are included in outpatient behavioral treatment. Residential treatment programs are those where patients are intended to be at a residence for as long as 6 to 12 months.
In addition to these two approaches, sometimes treatment is also given within the criminal justice system. Its aim is to prevent the criminal behavior of the user.
Medications:
The first step of drug addiction treatment is detoxification. Withdrawal symptoms during detoxification are suppressed by medications. These should be followed by proper behavioral therapies. Otherwise it is waste of giving medication treatment. Some of the most common drugs that are given for detoxification for opiate addicts are methadone, naltrexone, and buprenorphine. Withdrawal symptoms are suppressed by methadone and buprenorphine. They help in relieving cravings. Naltrexone is given to the patients who have already been detoxified. However, it is not widely used because of some compliance issues. Bupropion and varenicline are the two medications which are given for patients addicted with tobacco.
Behavioral Treatment:
Patients are engaged in behavioral treatment process. Their attitudes and behavior related to drug abuse is modified through the approaches of behavioral treatment. The treatment can be given different ways including out-patient treatment and residential treatment. Out-patient treatment includes treatment where patients visit a clinic regularly. Individual as well as group counseling are included in outpatient behavioral treatment. Residential treatment programs are those where patients are intended to be at a residence for as long as 6 to 12 months.
In addition to these two approaches, sometimes treatment is also given within the criminal justice system. Its aim is to prevent the criminal behavior of the user.
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