|
Addiction Research
In the 1970s and 80s a couple of researchers carried out some interesting
studies. They found that some people recovered from addiction problems, alcohol
and heroin addiction, without ever going to treatment, medical or otherwise. At
the time, the medical profession recognized that this was a possibility but they
also considered that it was extremely rare. Research over the last decade has
dispelled that myth consistently finding that between 70 and 85% of people who
recover from addiction problems do so without the aid of treatment, including AA
and NA. Other research found that even for people who have actually gone to
treatment, when they are asked to name the most important influences on their
recovery, it is rare for them to list treatment.
So what are the implications of this research does this mean that we should
close treatment that we no longer need it? No of course not, there will always
be some people who need treatment. What it means is that medical treatment
should not be seen as the first and only option for addiction problems. Some
commentators suggest that we should be looking at what they call stepped care,
basically that inpatient treatment would be the final option, not the first and
that the less intensive options would be tried first.
For example, if someone were to go their doctor with a drinking problem, the
doctor's first reaction should not be that here was someone who needs to be in
treatment, go to AA and be abstinent for the rest of their life. Instead the
doctor should be looking at various other measures that are much less intensive
and or extreme. Not everyone with a drinking problem is an alcoholic, and not
everyone with a drinking problem needs to abstain from alcohol forever. Many
alcohol problems are transient, that is they may be the behavior of youth, which
later disappears when the person is faced with marriage and responsibility.
Other ‘problems’ are reactions to life circumstances, eg bereavement or job
loss. When we again look at the research we find is that people are reluctant to
attend doctors or treatment agencies with an alcohol problem. The reason they
give is that they will be branded an alcoholic, have the shame and stigma of
being an alcoholic and never be able to drink again in the lives. Given these
reasons it is hardly surprising that people do not attend for treatment of
drinking problems until they are desperate or hit rock bottom.
There are two rather worrisome side-effects from treating alcohol problems in
the way described above. The first of these is that because people are reluctant
to go to treatment because of stigma, etc it means that people delay addressing
their alcohol problem until it is so severe they have no choice or they have
reached rock bottom. Perhaps with a less medicalised system people would perhaps
seek treatment earlier and suffer less damage as a consequence. However, the
second side-effect is perhaps even more worrying. Because this attitude to
addiction problems, breeds dependence on the doctor or a medical system for a
solution to their dependence on substances or other behaviors. Similar things
have been written about 12 step groups, that people become dependent upon the
group or the organisation. Thus they are transferring dependence from one thing
to another.
If we are going to reduce the incidence and effects of addiction then, rather
than have a system that substitutes one dependence for another, what we really
need is a system that allows people to be free of dependence, of any kind. This
is not a radical new idea, if anything it is a trip into a time past where we
dealt with the problems in the community rather than expected the doctor to cure
them all. However, in order to do this, we need to have a system that teaches
people life skills. For example, how to solve their problems, how to set goals
for the future and perhaps the most basic skill of all, how to communicate with
each other. Maybe if people had more of these skills, they would be less likely
to develop addiction problems in the first place. If they did develop addiction
problems, they will be less likely to be severe. If the addiction problems were
severe, they would be more likely to find a solution. Thus perhaps the solution
lies in empowering people to ‘treat’ themselves rather than creating more
addiction specialists.
John McMahon, PhD has worked in the addiction field
as a therapist and teacher for 30 years. He has published around 50 papers,
spoken at conferences around the world, has provided consultancy to many
treatment agencies and is the owner and creator of 24/7 Help Yourself. Visit www.alcohol-and-drug-guide.com.
Article source: http://www.articledeshboard.com/.
Used with author's permission.
|
|
