| Myth: Addiction is a bad habit, the result of moral weakness and over-indulgence. | |
| Fact: Addiction is a chronic, life-threatening condition, like hypertension, atherosclerosis and adult diabetes. | |
| Fact: Addiction has roots in genetic susceptibility, social circumstance and personal behavior. | |
| Fact: Certain drugs are highly addictive, rapidly causing biochemical and structural changes in the brain. Others can be used for longer periods of time before they begin to cause inescapable cravings and compulsive use. | |
| Myth: If an addict has enough willpower, he or she can stop abusing alcohol and using drugs. |
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| Fact: Few people addicted to alcohol and illicit drugs can simply stop using them, no matter how strong their inner resolve. Most need one or more courses of structured substance abuse treatment to reduce or end their dependence on alcohol and illicit drugs. | |
| Myth: Many people relapse, so treatment obviously does not work. |
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| Fact: Like virtually any other medical treatment, addiction treatment cannot guarantee lifelong health. Relapse, often a part of the recovery process, is always possible-and treatable. Even if a person never achieves perfect abstinence, addiction treatment can reduce the number and duration of relapses, minimize related problems such as crime and poor overall health, improve the individual's ability to function in daily life and strengthen the individual to better cope with the next temptation or craving. These improvements reduce the social and economic costs of addiction. | |
| Myth: We have reached the limits of what we can do to treat addiction. | |
| Fact:The more we learn about addiction, the more effective treatment becomes. Matching clients to the services they most need, while supporting continuous and focused engagement in treatment, is imperative. Today's treatment providers are better able to do this than ever before. | |
| Myth: People with alcohol and illicit drug problems get sent to 28-day treatment programs, where they dry out and emerge new individuals, cured of their problems. |
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| Fact: Treatment is provided in many different settings, in many different ways, for different lengths of time. It is important to provide the most appropriate mix of services and settings for each client based on an assessment of individual needs and cultural relevance. | |
| Fact: Treatment is provided in both outpatient and inpatient settings, with different levels of intensity. Residential treatment is provided in the form of short-term treatment and therapeutic communities. Outpatient treatment is available in three general formats: 1) intensive day treatment; 2) intensive outpatient treatment; and 3) traditional outpatient treatment. General phases of treatment include:1) detoxification; 2) rehabilitation; 3) continuing care; and 4) relapse prevention. | |
| Source: The White Paper: Effectiveness of Substance Abuse Treatment, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, February 1995. |
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