It is difficult to escape the clutches of drugs, but not impossible. Thanks to improved treatments, the numbers of former drug users have increased. Two thirds of those addicted to heroin and crack (smoked form of cocaine) who undergo therapy or consumption drop significantly reduced, according to a study on the effectiveness of cessation programs in England.
The work, published in The Lancet, shows the evolution of more than 14,000 patients treated for at least six months. The numbers of abstinence during the 28 days before the last clinical review were high: 42% of heroin addicts and 57% of crack users.
A not insignificant percentage of those who failed to leave the substances were able, at least, reduce their consumption: 29% of those who were ‘hooked’ on heroin and 8% of those who smoked cocaine.
However, success rates were lower among those who were addicted to both drugs. The authors speculate that, if it is difficult to leave a still more complex change of habits in front of two highly addictive substances.
The choice of heroin and crack to evaluate the efficacy of detoxification programs is no accident. “They are different drugs that produce more damage at the biological, psychological and social,” says Alberto Sancho, MD of the Addictive Behaviors Unit of Xativa (Valencia).
This expert believes the study results in English are extrapolated to Spain, because in our country we have also benefited from numerous contributions to the therapeutic armamentarium.
In the case of addiction to heroin, methadone therapy is essential, accompanied by a psychological intervention. For cocaine there is no specific drug, so the tactics are based more on controlling the symptoms, using different drugs and more effective methods of psychology.
“The motivational strategies and relapse prevention have evolved a lot,” Sancho values. “The pact with the patient treatment is the best tool,” he adds.
Advances in knowledge of neurology and psychiatry have also provided valuable weapon to the treatment of addictions, mood-stabilizing drugs (which stabilize the mood), antidepressants and antipsychotics.
Another key to the smooth functioning of the drug therapies is currently being addressed with a global view, taking into account biological, psychological and social. “We must take into account the psychiatric disorders that produce drugs, but also organic problems, which may be neurological, cardiac, liver apostille …”, the doctor.
Sancho is optimistic about the prospects for recovering addicts, while acknowledging that a good number of them do not ever go to a detoxification center.
But most of those who do use the health system able to overcome the problem or at least significantly improve their quality of life.
The addiction specialist belies the image of addictive behaviors units as sites with predominantly patients ‘irrecoverable’. “The resident physicians (MIR) formed me often say that they expected something else. But see many positive results,” says.
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Tags: Addiction to heroin, Cocaine, Detoxification, Drugs, heroin, Psychology, Therapeutic armamentarium, Therapy, Treatment of addictions, Treatments
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