There is no single best treatment for substance abuse or addiction. Treatment programs have different mechanisms of action, and each is proven to help people in specific ways.
Addiction affects brain circuits that are essential for normal emotion processing, motivation, reward sensitivity, self-control, and cognitive functioning. Certain types of treatments address these underlying causes by helping the individual heal from the trauma that created an attachment disorder and other stressors that led to an addiction. Others help with cravings, relapse prevention, and other symptoms common to substance abuse or addiction. The primary thing that all effective treatment has in common is engagement from the client — they must be committed to their recovery if it’s going to last. Let’s look at some of the most effective forms of treatment available today for your loved one’s substance use or addictive behavior.