REPLY TO PEER DISCUSSION BELOW 200 WC REQUIRED

There are many different treatment options for people suffering from a substance abuse disorder (SUD). Addiction is a chronic disease that makes it difficult for people to stop using substances for a short period of time and claim that they are cured. It has been found that most people require long-term, repetitive care to cease using, stay drug-free and once again become healthy, functioning members of society (NIDA, 2019).

One SUD treatment method that has been in practice since 1949 and is now known as the Minnesota Method is abstinence-based and treats drug and alcohol addiction as a disease without a cure. This method consists of counseling and on-going support that reinforces that lifelong abstinence is the only key to recovery. This method is based on the 12-step principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and has evolved into abstinence-based treatment services that are both outpatient and inpatient and provide peer support, open discussions, group therapy and lectures (Moglia, 2018).  The Minnesota Model spread across this country and was met with much acceptance and enthusiasm, but further research needs to be done on the effectiveness of this abstinence-based method. Interestingly, a challenge that has evolved was the decision by the Minnesota Method to employ the 28-day treatment timeline (arbitrarily) that the health insurance companies have readily accepted despite research that shows that 90 days or more in treatment increases the overall abstinence success rate (Doweiko, 2019).

A popular substance abuse treatment option is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a type of behavioral therapy that helps teach people with a SUD to recognize, avoid and cope with situations they encounter in their lives that normally would lead to them using drugs or alcohol (NIDA, 2019). CBT teaches people to look at patterns in their thought processes that support their SUD and how to differentiate between rational and dysfunctional feelings and beliefs. CBT is a widely accepted and proven method of SUD treatment that can be used with individuals or in group settings (Doweiko, 2019).

Our textbook informs us that the harm reduction or HR model is based on the concept that changing the behavior of someone with a SUD can be done over time, thus reducing the damage and consequences caused by their misuse of substances. The goal of abstinence is one that can be developed as the person learns and accepts new behavioral patterns. Good examples of the HR method are the opioid agonist replacement programs that offer controlled administration of medications such as buprenorphine or methadone. Another example is needle exchange programs that provide substance users with “clean” needles to prevent needle-sharing which can lead to HIV infection or spread of other infectious diseases. Unfortunately, the stigma that surrounds needle exchange programs makes them unfavorable in many areas of the U.S. (Doweiko, 2019).

When discussing treatment options for SUD’s, it is important to mention pharmacological treatments for an array of helpful applications such as withdrawal symptoms, control over cravings, concurrent psychiatric disorders, overdose and agonist compounds for maintenance programs. Pharmacotherapy has proven successful in aiding people with a SUD and their recovery efforts, but there are risks that they can over-utilize the very medications that are meant to help them or some refuse to take medications that could make their recovery easier and more successful (Doweiko, 2019). An example of pharmacological treatment would be the administration of medications to aid in the withdrawal process of drugs or alcohol that can cause severe physical symptoms of shaking, hallucinations, sleeplessness, abdominal pain and/or cramps, as well as extreme irritability (Moglia, 2018).