Addiction has no `quick fix,' expert says.Byline: Bill Bishop The Register-Guard True or false? Meth addicts almost never recover. Answer: False. True or false? People who suffer hypertension, diabetes or asthma are more likely to succeed in their treatment than meth addicts. Answer: False. Who says? Psychologist A. Thomas McClellan, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania (body, education) University of Pennsylvania - The home of ENIAC and Machiavelli. http://upenn.edu/. Address: Philadelphia, PA, USA. , director of the Treatment Research Institute, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, and 30 years of experience studying the studies of addiction treatment. "I'm the grandson, son, father, husband, brother, employer, friend of addicted ad·dict·ed adj. 1. Physiologically or psychologically dependent on a habit-forming substance. 2. Compulsively or habitually involved in a practice or behavior, such as gambling. people," McClellan says. But McClellan is no Pollyanna about meth. The highly addictive drug is tough to kick. The majority of treatment programs are ill-focused. Public expectations for treatment success are unrealistic, he says. It's difficult for the public and politicians to see drug addiction drug addiction or chemical dependency Physical and/or psychological dependency on a psychoactive (mind-altering) substance (e.g., alcohol, narcotics, nicotine), defined as continued use despite knowing that the substance causes harm. as a chronic medical problem needing treatment. Diabetics, after all, do not steal to get sugar, McClellan says. "The thing that is most despair-producing is the fact that most patients relapse following treatment. It doesn't much matter what that treatment is or who they are," McClellan says. "The relapse rates are way up there, 50 percent or higher within a year. Since abstinence abstinence: see fasting; temperance movements. is the criteria ... it means half of the patients or programs have failed. But abstinence isn't recovery. Abstinence is the beginning of recovery. I always say abstinence is too much to ask and not enough to ask." For example, abstinence would cure a drunken driver, McClellan says. But it wouldn't make the person a good parent, good employee or even a good driver. Recovery requires addicts to change their lives in other ways as well. "What they really want is recovery - responsibility, pro-social behavior, a reduction of social expense. That's the problem addiction treatment has yet to address," McClellan says. "You've got a problem if you're using meth. I don't care
"Don't Care" is a 1994 (see 1994 in music) single by American death metal band Obituary. what level. The fact you're using it means you're stupid, or you are unable to control it, or you have some other problem - like you're depressed. Happy people don't use crystal metham- phetamine." A broader perspective on disease treatment in general helps counteract public despair over addiction treatment, McClellan says. For example, addiction is similar to asthma, diabetes and hypertension. All are chronic diseases. All are influenced by genetics, metabolism and behavior. All have effective treatment, but no "cure." Many studies of patients show less than 60 percent adhere to adhere to verb 1. follow, keep, maintain, respect, observe, be true, fulfil, obey, heed, keep to, abide by, be loyal, mind, be constant, be faithful 2. medication regimes and fewer than 30 percent change their diet and exercise to fight diabetes and hypertension. In asthma, fewer than 30 percent take their medicine as prescribed, McClellan says. The same predictors for relapse in those disease treatments can be found in treating addiction: failure to follow doctor's orders "Doctor's Orders" is the title of an episode from the third season of the television series . Its episode number is 068, and it first aired on 18 February 2004. Plot summary This is a summary of the beginning portion of the episode. , low socioeconomic status socioeconomic status, n the position of an individual on a socio-economic scale that measures such factors as education, income, type of occupation, place of residence, and in some populations, ethnicity and religion. , lack of family support and mental health problems. "Addicts' behaviors do not distinguish them from people with any other illness," McClellan says. "It's not surprising the public has thought of this (addiction) as sin and wanton Grossly careless or negligent; reckless; malicious. The term wanton implies a reckless disregard for the consequences of one's behavior. A wanton act is one done in heedless disregard for the life, limbs, health, safety, reputation, or property rights of behavior, as something correctable through criminal or moral approaches. "My review of the literature, and the reviews by lots of people, shows those approaches aren't very effective. The best things we have are medical approaches. They're not good enough. But they're getting better," McClellan says. "When you look at the effectiveness of medical approaches with addiction, it's right in line with other medical approaches to other diseases." But fewer than 4 percent of people in substance abuse treatment currently get there by a doctor's referral. Instead, they are required to attend by courts, welfare or employee assistance programs. Methamphetamine methamphetamine (mĕth'ămfĕt`əmēn): see amphetamine; methedrine. addiction poses its own problems in treatment. Unlike alcohol or cocaine addiction, no medication can relieve the craving craving Psychology A strong desire to consume a particular substance–eg of abuse, or food; craving is a major factor in relapse and/or continued use after withdrawal from a substance of abuse and is both imprecisely defined and difficult to measure. for the drug or nullify nul·li·fy tr.v. nul·li·fied, nul·li·fy·ing, nul·li·fies 1. To make null; invalidate. 2. To counteract the force or effectiveness of. its effects for addicts in treatment. While meth reduces an addict's self-control, it does not eliminate it, McClellan says. "I don't want to convey that treatment is always going to work. We don't have medications to stop that craving or take away the ability of that drug to produce a high," McClellan says. "That said, lots of people make recovery. Strong social supports with sanctions can work. Drug courts have been shown to work; they don't always." There have been other epidemics of illegal drug use. Those fizzled after communities and users experienced the widespread psychosis psychosis (sīkō`sĭs), in psychiatry, a broad category of mental disorder encompassing the most serious emotional disturbances, often rendering the individual incapable of staying in contact with reality. and other social impacts of the drugs, McClellan says. If history is any indication, the current methamphetamine epidemic will be followed by another - perhaps one involving a more powerful and easier-to-make designer drug, he says. "Lots of people will tell you that you have to get tough on drugs and punish. Other people will say no, you need better treatment," McClellan says. "I think either one of those by itself is not adequate. Any cop will tell you you need better treatment. Any treatment provider will tell you you need better law enforcement to keep drugs away from people who are vulnerable. I think this country wants a quick fix. There isn't one." METH HELP Here are a number of local agencies available to help meth addicts: Family Development Outpatient treatment 1258 High St. Eugene, OR 97401 (541) 342-8437 www.c-f-d.org Emergence Addiction & Behavior Outpatient counseling 2149 Centennial Plaza Eugene, OR 97401 (541) 344-2237 www.acescounseling.org Living Solutions Group clean and sober living in five co-ed and single gender households Eugene and Springfield 684-4883 Looking Glass Looking Glass - A desktop manager for Unix from Visix. Adolescent Recovery Outpatient therapy 20 E. 13th Ave. Eugene, OR 97401 485-8448 www.lookingglass.us/pages /Services/arp.htm Narcotics narcotics n. 1) techinically, drugs which dull the senses. 2) a popular generic term for drugs which cannot be legally possessed, sold, or transported except for medicinal uses for which a physician or dentist's prescription is required. Anonymous Peer support and group activities Call for a list of meeting times and places 729-0080 Serenity Lane New Hope Program Outpatient therapy 2133 Centennial Plaza Eugene, OR 97401 485-1577 www.serenitylane.org /newhope.html White Bird - Chrysalis chrysalis (krĭs`əlĭs): see pupa. Drug Treatment Outpatient therapy 323 E. 12th Ave., Eugene OR 97401 683-1641 or (800) 422-7558 http://whitebirdclinic.org /chrysalis.html Willamette Family Men's Treatment Center Outpatient and residential treatment 1420 Green Acres Green Acre is a conference facility in Eliot, Maine, in the United States. It was founded by Sarah Farmer in 1894. After Sarah Farmer became a Bahá'í in 1900, many Bahá'í speakers were invited, including Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl in 1903, `Abdu'l-Bahá in 1912 and Mírzá Road 338-9098 www.wfts.org/ Willamette Family Women's Treatment Center Outpatient and residential treatment 687 Cheshire Ave. 343-2993 www.wfts.org/ Willamette Family Adolescent Girls Treatment Center Outpatient and residential treatment 687 Cheshire Ave. 343-2993 www.wfts.org/ Willamette Family Buckley Detoxification Detoxification Definition Detoxification is one of the more widely used treatments and concepts in alternative medicine. It is based on the principle that illnesses can be caused by the accumulation of toxic substances (toxins) in the body. and Sobering Center 605 W. Fourth Ave. 343-6512 www.wfts.org/ Relief Nursery Accessing Success Program: 485-0007 Main office: 343-9706 |
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