Welcome to Addiction Exchange , a forum for the exchange of clinical practice and research information among clinicians, scientists, educators, and administrators in the field of addiction. This publication reviews the current research that substantiates the effectiveness of drug addiction treatment. In the last issue, the first seven of the thirteen principles were reviewed. Clients with coexisting disorders have additional needs that require practitioners to attend to treatment issues, such as medication compliance, while also addressing the drug addiction issues, in order to ensure a successful recovery process.
Detoxification is a form of treatment that addresses the client's physiological needs.
For some clients it is a necessary first step to engaging in successful treatment. However, detoxification alone does not address the psychological, behavioral, social or legal concerns that are often a part of drug addiction. Research indicates that detoxification is more effective when it includes a formal assessment of all of these needs and a referral for further treatment. Research has shown that drug addiction treatment can be effective when combined with legal sanctions as it increases the length of time clients will remain in treatment. In order for treatment to be effective, clients need to remain drug free.