Category: Top » Health » Addictions

Addiction, a suitable case for treatment?

Tags: addiction, people, treatment, problems, medical, addiction problems, problem, alcohol, dependence, natural recovery

Today most people take for granted that addiction is a condition that requires medical attention. However, it is only relatively recently that addiction has been treated by the medical profession at all. A hundred years ago addiction was not a term that many people would have recognised and, even if they had recognised it, they would not they would not have considered it to require medical attention. Indeed, it wasn't until the 1950s that the major medical bodies in the USA decided to make addiction treatment widely available and even later, in the 1960s, before psychiatrists started to address it. Prior to this time, addiction was considered to be criminal justice or moral problem, the answer being punishment or sermons. Recovery from addiction problems in those times tended to something people achieved by themselves or with the aid of friends and relations, doctors were rarely if ever consulted. Currently, while recognition of addiction as a medical problem has brought benefits, for example, treatment rather than punishment, many believe the pendulum has swung too far with any risky behaviour now regarded as an addiction and requiring medical attention. Indeed many ask if we are medicalising issues that should be more appropriately dealt with in other ways? Certainly many including well-respected researchers think that this is exactly the case.

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 recognised 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 behaviour of youth, which later disappears when the person is faced with marriage and responsibility. Other вЂ

Seed Newsvine

Comments

No comments posted.

Add Comment

You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.

<h1>Addiction, a suitable case for treatment?</h1><br />by sas_second<br /> Today most people take for granted that addiction is a condition that requires medical attention. However, it is only relatively recently that addiction has been treated by the medical profession at all. A hundred years ago addiction was not a term that many people would have recognised and, even if they had recognised it, they would not they would not have considered it to require medical attention. Indeed, it wasn't until the 1950s that the major medical bodies in the USA decided to make addiction treatment widely available and even later, in the 1960s, before psychiatrists started to address it. Prior to this time, addiction was considered to be criminal justice or moral problem, the answer being punishment or sermons. Recovery from addiction problems in those times tended to something people achieved by themselves or with the aid of friends and relations, doctors were rarely if ever consulted. Currently, while recognition of addiction as a medical problem has brought benefits, for example, treatment rather than punishment, many believe the pendulum has swung too far with any risky behaviour now regarded as an addiction and requiring medical attention. Indeed many ask if we are medicalising issues that should be more appropriately dealt with in other ways? Certainly many including well-respected researchers think that this is exactly the case.<br /><br />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 recognised 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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 behaviour of youth, which later disappears when the person is faced with marriage and responsibility. Other вЂ<br /><h2>About the Author</h2><p>John McMahon <a href="%u201Chttp://www.247helpyourself.com%u201D"> 24/7 Help Yourself </a> and <a href="%u201Chttp://www.alcohol-and-drug-guide.com%u201D"> Alcohol and Drug Guide.com </a><br /> I have worked in the addiction field for over 25 years. In that time I have worked as a therapist, university lecturer and researcher and have published about 50 articles in scholarly journals and books and am the originator of a brand new concept in alcohol treatment on line – 24/7 Help Yourself. Submitted by: <a href="http://submitter.co.za">Article Submitter</a></p> <br /><h3><a href="http://www.content4reprint.com/health/addictions/addiction-a-suitable-case-for-treatment.htm" title="Addiction, a suitable case for treatment?">Article Source:</a> <a href="http://www.content4reprint.com" title="Free high quality articles">Content for Reprint</a></h3>