There’s much talk within the drug abuse treatment field nowadays about Evidence Based Treatment. The saying describes treatment which has proven some kind of evidence (presumably scientific) that it’s effective. Examples, of these treatments include cognitive behavior therapy, motivational interviewing, a number of new medications, brief interventions, etc. On the top of matter it might appear that any reasonable person would support doing research around the phenomenon of addiction and it is treatment and apply the outcomes of this research to constantly enhance the treatment that’s provided. We love to to think we’re reasonable people and definitely do support outcome research within our field and do our very best to make use of the outcomes of this research to enhance care. However, caution is suggested here for several reasons.
First, outcome research into emotional and behavior conditions is notoriously hard to do within the real life. It’s been referred to as much like entering a hall of mirrors. In most cases, the study has a tendency to increase the risk for conclusion by using a condition there are a variety of sorts of therapy that report effectiveness. The study has a tendency to bog lower though when attempts are created to determine whether one sort of drug abuse treatment surpasses another. Studies then start focusing around the make an effort to match treatments which have proven some effectiveness with certain kinds of patients to be able to maximize treatment outcomes-essentially trying to determine which types of treatments, supplied by what types of counselor perform best with what types of patients. The idea is the fact that with higher assessment we are able to match patients with the sorts of treatments which are best given their signs and symptoms and maximize the likelihood of success. We’re kind of available regarding outcome research into treating addictions. The conclusion answer though is it is simply too early to inform. Our field has yet so that you can even agree regarding how to appraise the condition we’re studying so the outcomes of one study or approach could be reasonably when compared with another.
Second, since it appears hard to argue with science and evidence there’s a powerful inclination for individuals with political, economic, religious or social agendas to make use of the cloak of science to change a current drug abuse treatment system to help agendas apart from what’s really perfect for chemically dependent patients. I possibly could say much relating to this subject and can not jump on my soapbox. Rather, I believe you should condition where we’re wonderful this at Valley Hope.
We feel that chemical addiction is really a disease, that there’s no cure, that recovery can be done, that there’s ample evidence, anecdotal and empirical, that drug abuse treatment like ours works. We feel that alcoholics and addicts are people worthy of caring, sincere, dignified treatment that they’re ill pretty good. We feel that what causes chemical dependency are complex and never easily understood, the disease ravages the whole person which consequently treatment must be targeted at enhancing the whole person- mind, body and soul. We feel the disease is chronic not acute which recovery needs a dedication to a existence lengthy strategy. Consequently, we feel our dedication to helping each patient can’t be time limited. We feel the ingredients in treatment that actually works aren’t easily defined that they don’t lend themselves easily to exploration with the scientific method which science examines phenomenon via a certain lens that shapes and colors what sort of certain picture looks. History is replete with types of the way the concept of data continues to be transformed by a general change in perspective or by in some way recognizing the result of context around the interpretation from the data. For the time being, we all know deep within our hearts that love moves mountain tops which a spiritual awakening is associated with recovery from addiction despite the fact that creating a body of information to aid these realities is tough.
Further, we are very careful in applying new drug abuse treatments that seem too good to be real as we view a lot of appear and disappear through the years. There’s no simpler, softer method to recovery, no fast solution, very difficult aphorism to steer every decision. We’ll scour the study on chemical dependency treatment to glean everything we are able to to assist us in assisting more and more people achieve recovery. We’ll, however, assess the research critically and insure that we don’t abandon treatment philosophies and techniques that we understand within our hearts work to be able to chase faddish treatments according to early outcome studies that demonstrate some record significance but questionable clinical significance.