People addicted to various substances have managed to get sobriety with help of organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous, residential rehabilitation centres programs and outpatient clinics devoted to treating addiction. It is estimated that there are about 6.25 crore alcoholics, 90 lakh Cannabis and 2.5 lakhs opiates and nearly 10 lakh illicit drug users in the India.
Of the million addicted patients, only about 1 in 10 gets treatment, often these also fail to keep themselves sober. Many of existing centres do not use proven scientific methods to deal with the factors that are root cause of addiction and trigger relapse.
According to a recent survey of treatment programs, most are based on outdated methods rather than newer proven scientific approaches, shown to be more effective in helping people achieve and maintain sobriety.
A report published by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University , USA reported that “the vast majority of people in need of addiction treatment do not receive anything that approximates evidence-based care.” The report added, “Only a small fraction of individuals receive interventions or treatment consistent with scientific knowledge about what works.” The Columbia report documented that most addiction treatment services provider are not medical professionals and are not equipped with the expertise, skills or credentials needed to provide the full range of evidence-based services, including medication and psychosocial therapy.
Addiction is a complex and a chronic disease. People with addiction need multidisciplinary treatment that is individualized and offered continuously for as long as they need it. Failure of treatment usually occurs because patient never gets the full range of medical and support services they need. Before committing to a rehabilitation centre, clients or their families should plan and find out more about the program.