Saturday 30 January 2016

The Main Options In Addiction Therapy Toronto Residents Should Know

By Barbara Graham


There are different types of addictions that exist. These addictions may either be related to substances or behaviors. Prescription drugs, cannabis, cocaine, tobacco and alcohol are among those that are most addictive. The addict may have a strong will to change their behavior but this will may not be strong enough to overcome the desire for the substance. In this article, we will consider the options in addiction therapy Toronto residents can use.

Treatment programs are usually tailored to meet individual needs. The various therapies that exist are often used in combination to optimize the benefits. Cognitive behavior therapy, CBT, is one of the treatments that has been shown to yield good outcomes for most (if not all) addictions. In the treatment, the addict is helped to gain insight about their problem; they help identify what caused their addiction and what they can do to overcome.

Some forms of addictions such as that of opioids are chronic, relapsing illnesses. As a matter of fact, it is a lifelong illness in some cases. Maintenance therapy is important to ensure that the patient remains stable and functional. Methadone (or naloxone) are the commonly used drugs for this. There are instances in which these drugs have been administered for decades. Experts say that counseling should be continued as well to augment the drugs.

Several other drugs are available for use in the management of the other types of addictions. Nicotine preparations are usually given to persons who are addicted to tobacco. The preparations are available in various formulations such as patches, gum, nasal sprays and lozenges. Drugs such as bupropion may also be prescribed together with the preparations. Drugs administered for alcohol dependence include naltrexone, disulfuram and acamprosate.

The success of treatment is determined by a number of factors. Compliance to drugs and retention in the program is one of the most important. This in turn is related to factors such as individual motivation, the presence of a strong social support structure and the nature of the relationship between the addict and the therapist. It is the role of the clinician to ensure that they build a strong relationship with their client.

The family should be incorporated into the treatment process as much as possible. This is because they are in most cases affected either directly or indirectly by the behavior of the addicted family member. The members can be involved through family counseling or couples therapy (for the spouse). The members play an integral role in influencing behavioral change. They also begin to heal from emotional wound that have been inflicted on them by the addicted relative.

Treatment may be given to an individual or a group. Group therapy is generally preferred. Individual treatment is more helpful when the addict has other conditions such as bipolar mood disorder or depression. The main advantage of group therapy is the fact that peers can learn from each other and support by forming groups such as alcoholic anonymous.

There is a need to choose between residential and outpatient treatment. In the residential type, the client is housed in a specialized period of time and only released when they have shown progress. This arrangement allows them to stay away from their old tempting environment. For the outpatient type, they make regular visits to the clinic.




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