Overview
For this discussion, consider the evidence-based treatment options you chose in u06d1 and apply them to both individual and group counseling. Describe how the approach will guide the session in both modalities.
discussion post week 1
As highlighted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (2014), drug addiction is one of the most complex diseases to treat; therefore, it needs to be governed by some principles. Previously, I had come across several principles, but I had not come across the principle that treatment needs to be readily accessible. This principle focuses on ensuring care is accessible on time to people who are affected by drugs. Drug-addicted persons usually face contradiction or resist the idea of treatment (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2014). These people are only willing to take medication at a certain time, which indicates that the service should be available for them when needed. Similar to other chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or hypertension, the sooner the problem concerning addiction is treated, the more positive the results are likely to be. Interruptions in getting treatment would lead to increased physical, mental, and social conditions, which make recovery problematic.
According to the article by Koob (2024), there are more than 29 million people diagnosed with alcohol use disorder, and more than 140,000 deaths annually in the United States. Although good behavioral therapies are used together with the FDA-approved medication, there is a concern about the poor utilization of these types of treatment methods. The article recommends steps to be taken to close the treatment gap, such as improving the gathering of screening and brief treatment and ensuring medication development (Koob, 2024). These solutions promote the ideology that suggests that treatment should not only be available but also needs to be flexible and integrated into regular healthcare services to enhance accessibility and efficacy.
References
Koob, G. F. (2024). Alcohol use disorder treatment: Problems and solutions. Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 64(1), 255-275.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2014, January). Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition).