Drug Abuse Treatment Drug abuse treatment includes detoxification, management of drug dependence, and prevention of relapse. Since drug abuse is a complex disorder with multiple causes, there are multiple treatment methods that are more or less effective with, or acceptable to, different patients. Unfortunately, the present state of knowledge does not permit matching an individual patient's drug abuse history and personal characteristics with the treatment method most likely to be successful for that person. As a result, treatment programs are varied and usually multifaceted. 8 Many studies show that treatment is effective, but that relapse remains common and repeated treatments are often required.
Successful treatment depends in part upon the amount of time spent in the treatment program.
Six to 12 months of treatment is often needed. Those who remain in a program for one year are less likely to return to regular drug use than those in treatment less than one year. In addition to length of the treatment program, chances of relapse are influenced by the severity of the problem and by the same biological, psychological, behavioral, social and environmental risk factors that influence the onset of drug use and the escalation to drug abuse in the first place. If a person returns to a drug-taking environment, there is a strong likelihood of relapse. The longer someone has abstained from drug use, the greater the chances of continued abstinence in the future.