Mini Series 1 - Does treatment work?

Busting Addiction and Its Myths

In this podcast, we answer the question... Does treatment work?

One of the myths out there is that paying for treatment is throwing good money after bad. There are just so many stories of addicts and alcoholics relapsing after treatment at even the most expensive facilities, it is indeed hard not to conclude that treatment does no good.

It is also true that the vast majority - our estimate is 90% - of those who achieve long-term success at sobriety have relapsed at least once on their way home. Many have relapsed three times or more. Giving it a try six times before "it" sticks is not unheard of.

The hard truth is also that many people throw in the towel and are still out there, or dead, or in prison.

We have also heard it said that saying that treatment doesn't work is like blaming the gym if you are out of shape.

Here are the factors that affect the success of treatment:

1. The addict has to make "this" his own decision and enter treatment for himself and no one else, even if his family or career will benefit.
2. He or she must be desperate enough to want to radically change their way of thinking and behaving. One often hears "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired".
3. There are many different types of treatment centres. The reputable ones are fully licensed, employ counsellors with college-level degrees in their profession, have MD's and nurses on call or on staff, and observe Best Practices.
4. There is a bottom line to this question as well: assuming the addict/alcoholic ends up in a properly run treatment centre, the odds of relapse are lowered if the individual makes a personal commitment and follows through all the way.