Can addiction be cured? It’s a question as common as it is complicated. As treatment for drug or alcohol addiction continues to evolve, more addiction solutions come to light. Addiction experts continue finding new, effective treatment options for individuals struggling with sobriety, and pre-existing treatments are improving.
Many have wondered if addiction is curable. There are still aspects of addiction that are unknown to experts, and every case is unique. It is common to see someone leave rehab and wonder if their condition is gone. Current research suggests that addiction is incurable, but there are still questions surrounding the best treatment.
GateHouse Treatment knows how important it is to treat addiction before it is too late. Substance abuse can have fatal consequences; treatment is essential to finding lasting healing. Our facility provides addiction treatment programs for individuals who cannot maintain sobriety. The treatment center hosts industry-leading professionals ready to assist those struggling with addiction recovery, and our long-term treatment options provide support far beyond 28 days. For more information, contact us today at (855) 448-3707 to schedule a consultation.
Is There Some Hidden Addiction Cure?
Addiction is a disease, and today, there is no cure. Addiction is a chronic disease, and no single medicine or treatment will provide a patient with a definitive cure that will completely rid them of their addiction. Once an addiction has occurred, the person must learn how to live with this lifelong disease and manage its symptoms.
While addiction is not curable, many treatment options make it much easier to live with. Addiction recovery is rapidly advancing, and every year brings new research, data, and opportunity to enhance the current treatment options while bringing new ideas to the forefront. Today, individuals have access to elite sober living facilities and counselors who help people get to the root of their problems. In addition to this, they also have medication-assisted treatment to lean on, a groundbreaking service that helps reduce drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Through these services, individuals can live a free and fulfilling life.
What Does Treatment for Addiction Look Like?
Individuals struggling with addiction should take a comprehensive approach to treating their disease. In many cases, underlying issues, such as trauma or mental illness, greatly contribute to an individual’s drug use.
Once a person decides to get help, their addiction treatment will typically start with detoxification. Detox allows the body to rid itself of its physical dependence on a substance while managing withdrawal symptoms.
Detox is mentally and physically taxing, but it is the first step to living a sober life. This process may induce extreme withdrawal symptoms, but the medical professional supervising the detox may be able to provide medication to help with pain and discomfort.
Once detoxification is complete, various treatment options exist for individuals beginning their road to recovery. Some may choose an intensive outpatient program that allows them to make regular visits to a treatment facility where they can connect with psychologists, psychiatrists, and addiction experts. Others may choose a sober living facility; recovery can be hard, and the added structure of a sober living facility is a huge benefit for those unable to recover at home.
Most importantly, addiction treatment requires a lifelong commitment. Addiction never truly goes away, and to successfully manage its symptoms, an individual must choose sobriety every day and do what it takes to avoid or overcome the temptations of relapse.
Behavioral Counseling and the Elusive Addiction Cure
To make meaningful change, individuals struggling with addiction must address their attitudes and behaviors related to drug use. For many, underlying issues lead to substance abuse and subsequent addiction. Many people use drugs to cope with stress, depression, or anxiety.
Therapy is a way to develop healthy coping mechanisms. Knowing how to deal with stress is an essential life skill, and those who do not have this skill may find themselves making poor decisions when dealing with the stressors in their lives. Countless individuals deal with depression, anxiety, and stress regularly, but using drugs to cope with negative emotions will only lead to turmoil. Psychotherapy helps to address the motives surrounding an individual’s drug use and provides healthy alternatives.
Group therapy is another form of psychotherapy that helps individuals in recovery manage their addiction. Addiction can feel like a lonely road, and it is important for a person in recovery to feel like they are not alone in their struggle. Group therapy allows similar people to discuss their thoughts, feelings, and struggles in a safe space. Through this form of therapy, they can practice healthy self-disclosure and receive peer support.
How Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Closes In on an Addiction Cure
Medication-assisted treatment is a highly effective treatment plan that helps patients treat their drug cravings. Many individuals in recovery struggle with long-term drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms that follow them long after they have left rehab. It can be extremely hard to deal with these cravings in the real world. However, dealing with drug cravings is essential to long-term success. Relapse can have devastating results, and it can cause someone to spiral into a drug-fueled lifestyle that leads them back to rehab.
The medication-assisted treatment uses FDA-approved medications to help clients reduce cravings for alcohol or opioids. By reducing drug cravings, medication-assisted treatment allows individuals to focus on what is important and reduce their long-term withdrawal symptoms. Medication-assisted treatment is available via oral tablet or injection and has minimal side effects. When correctly following a prescription, the medication is not addictive and can be enormously effective with therapy or a 12-step program.
Long-Term Relapse Prevention: The Next Best Thing to an Addiction Cure
As previously mentioned, addiction is a chronic disease that will require a lifelong commitment to treatment. Because of this, developing a long-term plan that addresses relapse prevention is essential to maintaining sobriety and avoiding drug use. Because addiction never fully disappears, individuals in recovery must find a way to fight their cravings daily. Developing a relapse prevention plan can help make this easier.
Relapse prevention starts with a commitment to a lifestyle change. A person in recovery should not expect to live the same life they did before they started treatment. Activities related to drug use, such as barhopping and nightclubbing, need to be eliminated, and certain relationships may also need to end.
Joining an alumni program is a great way to gain support and accountability. Sober living facilities offer a level of structure that many clients miss significantly after being discharged. By participating in an alumni program, a person can connect with fellow program graduates seeking peer-to-peer support for their struggles with addiction. Many alumni programs also host monthly activities so participants can experience sober recreational activities such as sports, movie nights, or karaoke.
Contact GateHouse Treatment for Safe and Effective Addiction Solutions
Addiction never disappears, but treatment programs make it easier to live with temptations. There may not be a cure, but today, numerous addiction solutions can help people stop their drug use. If a person is fully committed to getting the help they need and living a sober life, they can successfully end their substance abuse and begin a life of sobriety. Addiction is also not a death sentence. The disease that is addiction can be managed by using the right treatment and remaining consistent.
GateHouse Treatment provides various treatment programs for individuals struggling with addiction to alcohol or drugs. Our treatment center provides a comprehensive approach to addiction, and our services help individuals can do much more than end a person’s physical dependence on a substance. We offer sober living facilities, intensive outpatient programs, and other long-term treatment programs beyond 28 days. For more information on how we can help, contact our team today at (855) 448-3707 to schedule a consultation.
- Exploring 6 Long-Term Effects of Medication-assisted Treatment - January 10, 2024
- Observing National Codependency Awareness Month This January - December 18, 2023
- The Dangers of Adderall: Who’s at Risk and 2 Healthy Alternatives - May 3, 2023
