Can You Cure Addiction?

Myths about addiction are rampant, from beliefs that addicts are weak, to thinking that addicts just need to “get over it”. The truth is that addiction is a mental health disorder, not a weakness, requiring treatment and management just like a physical disorder.

What Is Addiction?

Addiction, also known as a substance use disorder, is a complex condition that affects both the brain and behavior.  It involves a persistent pattern of seeking and using a substance despite negative consequences.

Addiction changes the brain’s reward system, particularly the way it processes dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure. Over time, the brain begins to associate the substance with pleasure, leading to cravings for the substance and a lack of ability to experience pleasure without the substance.  The brain becomes so accustomed to the substance that withdrawal symptoms occur when the substance is not used.

Several factors can increase a person’s risk of addiction, including genetics, early exposure to substances, trauma, other mental health conditions, and environmental influences.

Can Addiction Be “Cured”

Addiction cannot be cured, but it can be managed. Unlike an infection that can be cured with antibiotics, addiction is more comparable to a disease like diabetes. It has no cure, but it can be managed so that the person can live a normal life. People with addiction will spend a lifetime in recovery, which requires ongoing effort and support. In addiction treatment, patients learn skills and strategies to handle triggers and cravings, and to avoid relapse. These strategies, along with a strong support system, are the tools that the person will use to manage their addiction for the long-term.

Evidence-Based Treatments for Addiction

Treatment is the first step toward long-term recovery.  Several types of treatment have proven to be effective. These include various types of therapies and medication assisted treatments.

Therapies for Addiction

Therapies for addiction include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT teaches patients to recognize their own negative or destructive thoughts and to challenge those thoughts. It also teaches healthy coping skills to manage life’s stressors.
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): DBT is similar to CBT, but focuses on regulating emotions, being mindful, and tolerating distressing situations. Therapy usually involves individual therapy, and practicing skills learned in groups.
• Motivational Interviewing: In motivational interviewing, the therapist encourages the patient to set goals for change and become motivated to meet those goals.
• Relapse Prevention: Relapse prevention teaches patients with substance abuse disorders to recognize triggers and situations that can cause relapse, and to use coping strategies to avoid relapse.
• Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT): IPT focuses on current relationships and using better interpersonal skills in those relationships. It’s based on the theory that psychological symptoms such as substance abuse are a response to difficult relationship situations.
• Contingency Management: Contingency management therapy uses positive reinforcement to encourage healthy behaviors. In treatment, individuals may earn rewards like small prizes or privileges for meeting specific goals, like attending therapy sessions, passing a drug test, or reaching milestones in their recovery plan.
• Community Reinforcement: Instead of concentrating only on stopping substance uses, community reinforcement helps people rebuild their lives with practical life skills. Therapy may include helping someone find employment or education, improve communication skills, develop healthy hobbies, and learn problem-solving and coping strategies.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

Certain medications can be part of the treatment and management of alcohol and opioid addiction.

Alcohol Addiction Medications

• Acamprosate: Acamprosate can help with relapse prevention.
• Naltrexone: Naltrexone blocks receptors in the brain that produce rewards, removing the positive feelings that you get from alcohol.
• Disulfiram: Disulfiram reduces the risk of relapse by causing unpleasant effects when taking disulfiram drinking alcohol.
• Benzodiazepines: Benzodiazepines are sedatives that can reduce the risk of withdrawal related seizures.

Opioid Addiction Medications

• Buprenorphine: Buprenorphine is a less potent opioid, which essentially replaces the abused opioid. It reduces withdrawal symptoms so that patients can be more involved in therapy.
• Methadone: Methadone helps to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms and blocks the effects of opioids.
• Naltrexone: Naltrexone, similar to Methadone, blocks the pleasurable effects of opioids and reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

Comprehensive Treatment

The therapies and medications discussed are used within a comprehensive treatment program that usually comes in three phases.

• Inpatient Treatment: An inpatient treatment program lasts from 30 to 90 days, and involves a period of medically supervised detox, followed by intensive therapy.
• Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): A PHP allows the patient to live at home or in a sober living facility while attending treatment for four to six hours per day, usually five days a week. The program may last anywhere from four weeks to ten weeks. The treatment consists of therapy similar to that of inpatient treatment.
• Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): An IOP consists of two to three hours of therapy several days a week for eight to twelve weeks. Often, sessions are held in the evenings so that the patient can still go to work or attend school.

Ongoing Support

Even after treatment, ongoing support is critical to maintaining sobriety in recovery. This support can come from family and friends, support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), or Narcotics Anonymous (NA), peer support programs, and ongoing individual therapy. It’s important to build a strong support network so that there is always someone to turn to in challenging times.

Long-Term Coping Strategies for Addiction

It’s very important to be armed with coping strategies in recovery. These can help to support recovery and prevent relapse. Everyone is different, so people in recovery have to learn what strategies work for them.

Potential strategies include:

• Relapse Prevention Planning
  Creating a personalized plan to identify high-risk situations early warning signs and strategies to manage these situations.
• Healthy Daily Routines
  Establishing consistent schedules for sleep, meals, work, and self-care builds structure, reducing idle time that can lead to cravings.
• Mindfulness and Stress Management
  Practices like meditation, breathing exercises, or yoga help regulate emotions and reduce anxiety.
• Physical Wellness and Exercise
  Regular physical activity supports mental health, improves mood, boosts energy levels, and helps repair the body from the physical effects of substance use.
• Meaningful Activities
  Engaging in work, volunteering, hobbies, or creative pursuits builds a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
• Boundary Setting and Trigger Management
  Learning to set healthy boundaries with people, places, or situations associated with substance use helps to prevent relapse.
• Self-Reflection and Personal Growth
  Journaling and goal-setting can bring awareness of progress, challenges, and evolving needs throughout the recovery journey.

In Closing

While addiction cannot be cured, it can be managed to sustain long term recovery and a healthy, fulfilling life. If you are struggling with addiction, Bridges of Hope is here to help with several treatment options. We are committed to providing personalized, comprehensive, compassionate care to get you on a path to lasting recovery. Give us a call today to learn more.