Evidence Based Addiction Treatment

Evidence-Based Programs Provide help for Recovery

To recover from substance problems, you may need evidence based addiction treatment in Colorado. Evidence-based programs provide reliable help for your recovery. You can find effective options for both drug and alcohol addiction.

What Is Evidence-Based Addiction Treatment?

There are all kinds of possible treatments for substance addiction. Many of these treatments are not based on research. This means that no one knows if they really work. However, in the 21^st century, many addiction treatments do have scientific backing. Experts refer to these options as evidence-based addiction treatment.

How much research is needed to declare a treatment evidence-based? As a rule, experts do not rely on just one study. Instead, they rely on the results of multiple studies. Why? This increases the odds that a suggested treatment is truly effective.

Not all Treatment Options for Addiction are Equal

Not all treatment options for addiction meet this high bar. Some treatments simply do not hold up when researchers examine them in detail. In addition, some treatments have not been thoroughly studied. In contrast, evidence-based treatments have proven their usefulness in helping people fight addiction.

This does not mean that everybody who receives a specific type of treatment will get better. In fact, responses to evidence-based care vary from person to person. However, it does mean that many people improve when they receive treatment. For this reason, evidence-based care sets the standard for modern addiction programs.

Evidence-Based Practices in Addiction Treatment

There are many kinds of evidence-based addiction treatment programs in Colorado. That is true for a couple of reasons. First, not all forms of treatment work for all forms of addiction. Instead, programs rely on different options to treat people addicted to different substances. That includes people addicted to alcohol. It also includes people addicted to street drugs and medications. In every case, the best evidence-based addiction treatment in Colorado matches the substance causing your problems.

Evidence-Based Treatment for Opiate Addiction

Opiate addiction is another term for opioid addiction. People affected by this problem have an addiction to at least one of the following:

• Illegal opioid street drugs like heroin
• Legally made opioid medications such as morphine, oxycodone or fentanyl
• Illegally made knock-offs of opioid medications

Opioid addiction evidence-based treatment in Colorado comes in a range of options. These options include the medications:

• Methadone – proven to help relieve withdrawal symptoms during detox
• Buprenorphine – also proven to relieve detox withdrawal symptoms
• Naltrexone – proven to help reduce your cravings for opioids once you gain sobriety

Evidence-based opioid treatment also includes several types of behavioral therapy. This is the name for active therapy that helps you change your relationship to substance use. Common forms of therapy in opioid programs include:

• Contingency management – proven to help you stick to your treatment plan
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT – proven to improve your ability to avoid using opioids in the future
• Motivational interviewing – proven to help you build internal motivation to quit using opioids
• 12-step facilitation – proven to help you join a self-help group while in treatment

Other Drugs and Evidence-Based Addiction Treatment

There are also proven treatment options for other types of drug addiction. However, most of the available options do not take the form of medication. Instead, they take the form of behavioral therapy.

For example, if you have problems with cocaine, your evidence-based addiction treatment in Colorado may include cognitive behavioral therapy. It may also include contingency management or 12-step facilitation. In addition, your treatment may include:

• Community Reinforcement Approach or CRA – proven to help you stay sober during treatment
• The Matrix Model – proven to help you reach sobriety through a combination of methods

No matter the source of your drug addiction, your treatment plan may include family behavioral therapy. This therapy helps you understand how problems in your household affect your substance use. You may also take part in couples therapy for the same reason.

There are also several therapy options for teens and younger children. These include:

• Multisystemic therapy – shown to help teens and younger kids address antisocial behavior
• Multidimensional family therapy – shown to help teens and their families address household issues that make substance use more likely
• Brief strategic family therapy – shown to help teens and their families improve their communication

Alcohol and Evidence-Based Addiction Treatment

Medication is one alcohol addiction treatment evidence-based practice in Colorado. One option your doctor may prescribe is naltrexone. This medication can reduce the amount of pleasure you get from drinking. It can also help you control your drinking urges.

Disulfiram is another evidence-based option. You can start taking this medication once you have achieved alcohol abstinence. If you drink again, it will make you feel sick. In this way, disulfiram helps you avoid alcohol use.

Your doctor may also prescribe acamprosate. This medication helps you recover your normal brain function. By doing so, it helps ease the long-term symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. For these reasons, acamprosate can help you stay sober.

There are also evidence-based therapy options for alcohol treatment. Common choices include:

• Contingency management
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Community reinforcement approach
• Motivational Enhancement Therapy or MET, which works in a similar way as motivational interviewing
• 12-step facilitation therapy
• Family behavioral therapy

In addition, there are therapy options for teens with alcohol problems. As a rule, these are the same options used to help teens with drug problems.

More Things to Consider About Evidence-Based Addiction Treatment

To be effective, evidence-based treatment may need to take other things into consideration. One common factor is mental illness. Mental illness and substance problems often occur together. Experts use the term dual diagnosis to describe these combined issues.

If you are affected by a dual diagnosis, you need more than evidence-based addiction treatment. You also need evidence-based care for your specific form of mental illness. Some substance rehab programs offer proven treatment for dual diagnosis. In addition, some mental health programs do the same thing.

You may also need help with the combination of addiction and serious trauma. Such trauma is often caused by sexual or physical abuse. It may also have other sources. One possible evidence-based addiction and trauma treatment in Colorado is Seeking Safety. This is the name of a therapy designed to help people affected by:

• Addiction and PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Addiction and any other type of major trauma

Learn More About Evidence-Based Addiction Treatment

You can find evidence-based drug addiction treatment in Colorado. You can also find evidence-based options for alcohol problems. Treatments based on evidence are the preferred choice for your recovery. Why? Because research supports their usefulness. Not everyone who receives this form of care will improve. However, many do. This explains why experts strongly recommend evidence-based care.

Evidence-based treatment comes in two forms: medication and therapy. There are medication options for alcoholism and some forms of drug addiction. In addition, there are therapy options for all forms of addiction. The best programs choose treatments known to help with your specific substance problem.

Additional factors can affect your treatment. For instance, many people who need addiction help also suffer from mental illness. Other people affected by addiction have gone through highly traumatic experiences. Fortunately, there are addiction treatment evidence-based practices in Colorado for all circumstances.

Want to learn more about evidence-based care? Contact our experts today at…

[i] Health Policy: Evidence-Based Practices in Addiction Treatment – Review and Recommendations for Public Policy
http://europepmc.org/article/PMC/2951979

[ii] National Institute on Drug Abuse: Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment – A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition)
 https://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/podat_1.pdf

[iii] National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator – Frequently Asked Questions: Searching for Alcohol Treatment https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/FAQs-searching-alcohol-treatment#topic-what-medications-treat-aud