Addiction Treatments

The most common form of addiction treatment (over 80%) is the 'addiction as a disease' treatment and is mostly psychological. This addiction treatment is based on the philosophy that addiction is a lifelong, chronic and progressive disease, and that the addict can relapse at any time. The programs are characterized by their 12-steps that they use to support the addicts and normally have a religious aspect to the treatment.

Another addiction treatment is the Behavioral Modification treatment, which was developed to work on the A-type personality, or a person who was self centered, and has had a socially destructive history of substance abuse. This method relies on boot camp style tactics, where the individual is berated by groups of peers and then hopefully rebuilt into a more socially adaptable and giving person.

A more long term and serious treatment method, requires the addict to go away for 1/2 years, to a work camp, where they will be required to do farming or hard labor. This treatment method is often combined with a religious aspect as well.

The biophysical treatment method uses a purification sauna and vitamins to release drug residues stored in fat tissue, to reduce cravings, anxiety and depression caused by the drug abuse side effects. It takes 1 year for this chemical balance to be restored. This treatment is normally done in conjunction with an exercise and social educational program, to restore/build life skills and to encourage the addict to become a productive member of society.

Some alternative or natural treatments believe that talk therapy is not enough to treat an addiction and that addictions are caused by imbalances in the body of genetic factors, nutritional deficiencies, medical conditions or biochemical imbalances. Therefore the imbalance is treated, rather than the addiction.

Pharmaceutical treatments for addictions have also become available in recent years. Medications are now available for people addicted to pain killers and heroin. A patient does not have to go to a drug treatment center or clinic, as any psychiatrist or family doctor can prescribe the drugs. The drug has a built-in "ceiling effect", meaning that increasing the dosage will not enhance the drug�s effects and it therefore becomes virtually impossible for addicts to abuse.