Question

As a future therapist, what do you think is a useful treatment for someone with a drug addiction? Can you use a drug to treat an addicted patient? What other non-pharmaceutical therapies are available? Please provide at least 3 references - one can be the textbook. Use proper APA citations.(please give in depth respones)

Answer 1

Drug addiction is the uncontrolled craving for illicit drugs. Treatment include

• behavioral counselling : it target towards changing attitude of the patient related to drug use, adoption of healthy lifestyle, persistance for medication used in drug addiction.
• medication: these are usually used to suppress withdrawal symptoms during detoxification. It helps to prevent relapse in addicts as it help to reestablish normal brain function and avoid craving.for example methadone,buprenorphine and naltrexone are used in opioid addiction, nicotine replacement therapy in tobacco addiction etc.
• Cognitive behavioural therapy help the patient to recognise, avoid and cope with the situations in which they most likely take drugs.
• Motivational incentives uses positive reinforcement to avoid taking drugs.

So combination of non pharmacological and pharmacological methods is the best treatment for drug addiction.

yes , drugs are used in treatment basically to combat withdrawal symptoms and to prevent relapse.

non pharmaceutical therapies include cognitive therapy, behavioural therapy and motivational incentives, family therapy