EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENT

SO...WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF TREATMENT?

There are no one specific treatment which guarantees successful recovery from drug abuse. However, the length of treatment is directly proportional to success rate. Therefore, the longer a patient is receiving treatment and care, the more likely he will succeed in becoming free of the drug. Because a therapeutic community is a type of treatment setting with constant care and supporting environment, patients who complete a therapeutic community program have atleast 75 percent chance of being substance-free five to seven years afterwards. This statistic is compared to a 50 percent success rate for those who are enrolled in a therapeutic community for one year, and 25 percent success rate for being treated for less than 1 year. One study observed that the completion of a specific combination of many treatments resulted in a 75 percent success rate for crack cocaine users. This combination consisted of outpatient treatment combined with drug testing, individual and group therapy, and relapse prevention.

As mentioned before, there is not one single "best" treatment modality for cocaine. For all treatments, the success rate:

- immediately after treatment intervention: complete abstinence in 70-80 %

- one year after treatment intervention: complete abstinence in 10-30 %

*GREAT OVERVIEW OF COCAINE TREATMENT STUDY (SLIDESHOW)--analyzes the effectiveness and relapse rates of treatment programs

• FACTORS OF ADHERENCE FOR COCAINE ADDICTION TREATMENT

Ideally, the integration of both pharmacological and behavioral interventions is the most successful method for treating an addiction. However, even though there is no pharmacological solution, it is possible to complete treatment and lead a healthy lifestyle. All forms of therapy have the potential to help different kinds of people. The most important aspect of treatment is finding a type of treatment or combination of treatments which best match the patient. Whether the therapist has to adjust certain components of treatment or teach at a slower/faster pace according to the specific individual, it is vital that the patient feels comfortable while trying to make a momentous life change.