John M. Talmadge, M.D.

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Treatment: Know What to Ask


SEEKING TREATMENT: KNOW WHAT TO ASK

My goal in helping people includes educating them about what questions to ask.
Finding the right treatment for a person’s specific needs is critical. And finding the right treatment is not easy. Drug and alcohol addiction treatment is not “one size fits all.”

Treatment outcomes depend upon:
  • the extent and nature of the person’s problems;
    • the appropriateness of treatment;
  • the competence and skill of clinical staff;
    • the availability of additional services; and
    • the quality of interaction between the person and the treatment providers.


Family and friends play important roles in motivating people with drug problems to enter and remain in treatment. However, trying to identify the right treatment programs for a loved one can be a difficult process.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has sound advice about the five questions to ask when searching for a treatment program:

1. Does the program use treatments backed by scientific evidence?
In the internet era, answering this question has become increasingly difficult. Many programs offer flashy "treatments" that are not scientific at all, despite claims made on beautiful web pages. According to Thomas McLellen, professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, 90% of patients who enter addiction treatment programs don’t receive evidence-based treatment. Many current programs actually reject scientific evidence. For example, they prohibit the use of addiction medications, even though they’ve been shown to be more effective treating some addictions (specifically, the range of opiates like Oxycontin to heroin) than anything else. My concern is a bit different from Dr. McLellan's view (for example, he is not friendly toward 12 Step work). My major concern is that there are dozens of quack therapies, ranging from nutritional "cures" to "new age" approaches, to potentially harmful "trauma therapy."

A great website is not a guarantee that the advertised program is any good at all. Many programs today, using clever marketing, take advantage of opposition to Alcoholics Anonymous and 12 Step Programs by advertising that says, "We are NOT a 12 Step Program!" What these programs fail to do, in almost every example, is to state clearly what they actually do in their approach. Many other websites—and I have reviewed hundreds of them—claim to offer "evidence based treatment," when in fact the program is not evidence based at all. The average person has no idea whether or not claims of scientific evidence are true. Above all, beware of "testimonials" and celebrity endorsements. In selecting a treatment program, you have to use at least as much good judgment as you would use if you were buying a new car or having heart surgery.

Effective alcoholism and addiction treatments can include cognitive behavioral therapy, medications, or, ideally, the combination of both.

Key elements include:
• addressing a patient’s motivation to change;
• providing incentives to stop drinking or using drugs;
• building skills to resist alcohol/drug use;
• replacing addiction related activities with constructive and rewarding activities;
• improving problem-solving skills; and
• building better personal relationships.

Any and every good addiction treatment program will include competent assessment by a qualified addiction psychiatrist. Some programs will team an addiction medicine doctor with a well-qualified clinical psychologist, and that can work well. The point is that everything begins with getting the right assessment. Medications are an important part of treatment for many patients, especially when combined with counseling and other behavioral therapies. Different types of medications may be useful at different stages of treatment: to stop alcohol and drug abuse, to stay in treatment, and to avoid relapse.

2. Does the program tailor treatment to the needs of each patient?
No single treatment is right for everyone. The best treatment addresses a person’s various needs, not just his or her alcohol and drug abuse. Matching treatment settings, programs, and services to a person’s unique problems and level of need is key to his or her ultimate success in returning to a productive life. It is important for the treatment approach to be broad in scope, taking into account a person’s age, gender, ethnicity, and culture. The severity of addiction and previous efforts to stop using drugs can also influence a treatment approach.
The best programs provide a combination of therapies and other services to meet a patient’s needs. In addition to addiction treatment, a patient may require other medical services, family therapy, parenting support, job training, and social and legal services.
Finally, because addictive disorders and other mental disorders often occur together, a person with one of these conditions should be assessed for the other. And when these problems co-occur, treatment should address both (or all conditions), including use of medications, as appropriate.
Medical detoxification is a necessary first step in the treatment of certain addictions, but by itself does little to change long-term drug use.

3. Does the program adapt treatment as the patient’s needs change?
Individual treatment and service plans must be assessed and modified as needed to meet changing needs.
A person in treatment may require varying combinations of services during its course, including ongoing assessment. For instance, the program should build in drug monitoring so the treatment plan can be adjusted if relapse occurs. For most people, a continuing care approach provides the best results, with treatment level adapted to a person’s changing needs. A patient’s needs for support services, such as day care or transportation, should also be met during treatment.

4. Is the duration of treatment sufficient?
Remaining in treatment for the right period of time is critical. Appropriate time in treatment depends on the type and degree of a person’s problems and needs. People argue about this point all the time, and I don't have the patience or space on this blog to cite the references, but research tells us that most addicted people need at least three months in treatment to really reduce or stop their drug use and that longer treatment times result in better outcomes. The best programs will measure progress and suggest plans for maintaining recovery. Recovery from drug addiction is a long-term process that often requires several episodes of treatment and ongoing support from family or community. If you have read this far and are starving for the references, contact me.
Relapse does not mean treatment failure. The chronic nature of addiction means that relapsing to drug abuse is not only possible, but likely, similar to what happens with other chronic medical illnesses—such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma—that have both physical and behavioral components. And like these illnesses, addiction also requires continual evaluation and treatment modification if necessary. A relapse to drug use indicates a need to re-instate or adjust treatment strategy; it does not mean treatment has failed.

5. How do 12-step or similar recovery programs fit into drug addiction treatment?
Self-help groups can complement and extend the effects of professional treatment. The most well-known programs are Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and Cocaine Anonymous (CA), all of which are based on the 12-step model. This group therapy model draws on the social support offered by peer discussion to help promote and sustain drug-free lifestyles.
Most drug addiction treatment programs encourage patients to participate in supportive therapy during and after formal treatment. These groups offer an added layer of community-level social support to help people in recovery with abstinence and other healthy lifestyle goals.

To order NIDA materials, please go to: http://drugpubs.drugabuse.gov.

Do 12-Step Programs Work?

Do mutual help organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous really work? Last year, The Carlat Report on Addiction Treatment reviewed the research on AA and reported positive findings. I've summarized that report and included the references here. AA and other 12 Step programs provide many of the elements found in formal treatment. More importantly, the recovering fellowship creates a framework for support over the long term, helping individuals stay sober longer, have fewer drinking days, and have shorter periods of relapse. Twelve Step Facilitation (TSF) has been found as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy in addressing alcohol-related issues.

Since the 1930's when Bill W. and Dr. Bob started Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) the fellowship has grown to over two million members. Meeting in rented rooms, school halls, hospitals, and the storied church basement, AA and similar 12-step organizations (eg, Narcotics Anonymous [NA]) remain the most commonly sought sources of help for substance-related problems in the United States (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Results from the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings. Rockville, MD: Office of Applied Studies; 2008).

Research has shown that attending AA, either alone or during and following professional treatment, enhances outcomes. One naturalistic study, for example, followed 466 previously untreated individuals with problem drinking for eight years. Participants self-selected into one of four groups: no treatment, AA alone, formal treatment alone, and formal treatment plus AA. Those who received some sort of help—AA, formal treatment, or both—had higher rates of abstinence at all time points. At eight years, 26% of patients in the no treatment group were abstinent from alcohol compared to 49% who received AA alone, 46% who received formal treatment alone, and 58% who received the combination of treatment plus AA (Timko C et al, J Stud Alcohol 2000;61(4):529–540).

A systematic Cochrane review of the best scientific studies on AA and TSF found that they were as effective as any of the interventions to which they were compared for some factors, such as retention in treatment, but found that no studies unequivocally proved AA and TSF were superior to other treatments (Ferri M et al, Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2006;(3):CD005032).

Other studies have found a linear dose-response relationship between AA attendance and favorable drinking outcomes (Kaskutas LA, J Addict Dis 2009;28(2):145–157). Attending one meeting per week, on average, appears to be the minimum threshold to realize benefit and increasing meeting frequency is associated with progressively greater rates of abstinence. In addition, research has shown that women engage with AA as much as men, become more involved with the 12 Steps, and derive similar benefit. In 1990, the Institute of Medicine called for more research on how AA works. Since then, research has revealed that AA aids recovery through multiple mechanisms, many of which are also activated by professional behavioral treatments (Kelly J et al, Addict Res Theory 2009:17(3):236–259).

Most consistently and strongly, AA appears to work by helping people make positive changes in their social networks (eg, by dropping heavy drinkers/drug users and increasing abstainers/low risk drinkers), and by enhancing coping skills and self-efficacy for abstinence when encountering high-risk social situations (see for example, Kelly JF et al, Drug Alcohol Depend 2011;114(2–3):119–126).

Among more severely addicted people, AA also appears to work by enhancing spiritual practices, reducing depression, and increasing individuals’ confidence in their ability to cope with negative emotion (Kelly JF et al, Addiction 2012;107(2)289–299). Thus, AA appears to work through diverse mechanisms and may work differently for different people. Stated another way: individuals may use AA differently, depending on their unique needs and challenges.

Research has shown that involvement in 12-step work can reduce the need for more costly treatments while simultaneously improving outcomes. A large multicenter study of over 1,700 patients found those treated in professional 12-step treatment went on to participate in community-based AA and NA meetings at a higher rate than those from professional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) programs, who relied more heavily on professional services. This translated into a two-year savings of over $8,000 per patient among 12-step treated patients, without compromising outcomes. In fact, those treated in the 12-step treatment programs had one-third higher rates of abstinence across follow-up (Humphreys K & Moos R, Clin Exp Res 2001;25(5):711–716; Humphreys & Moos, Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2007;31(1):64–68).

Project MATCH was a large randomized trial comparing three individually-delivered psychosocial treatments for alcohol use disorder—TSF, CBT, and Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET)—that was funded by NIAAA. It included 1,726 patients from nine clinical sites across the US (Project Match Research Group, J Stud Alcohol 1997;58(1):7–29). TSF was found to be as effective as the more empirically supported CBT and MET interventions at reducing the quantity and frequency of alcohol use post-treatment and at one- and three-year follow-ups. Moreover, TSF was superior to CBT and MET at increasing rates of continuous abstinence, such that 24 percent of the outpatients in the TSF condition were continuously abstinent at one year after treatment, compared with 15 percent and 14 percent in CBT and MET, respectively (Tonigan JS et al,Participation and involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous. In: Babor TF & Del Boca FK, eds. Treatment Matching in Alcoholism. New York: Cambridge University Press;2003:184–204).

Abstinence rates at three years continued to favor TSF, with 36 percet reporting complete abstinence, compared with 24 percent in CBT, and 27 percent in MET (Cooney N et al. Clinical and scientific implications of Project MATCH. In: Babor TF & Del Boca FK, eds. Treatment Matching in Alcoholism. New York: Cambridge University Press; 2003:222–237).

In light of findings from several such RCTs that demonstrated the efficacy of TSF, this therapy was added to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Registry of Evidence-Based Practices and Programs (NREPP) in 2008.

The overwhelming majority of research has been conducted on AA. More research is needed on other MHOs, such as SMART Recovery, LifeRing, Celebrate Recovery, Women for Sobriety, Moderation Management, and others, so that more objective evidence is gathered on secular, religious, and non-abstinence-based AA alternatives (see the article "Alternatives to 12-Step Recovery" for more on these groups).

Two Talks Today to Good Teams

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with the staff at Windhaven House in Dallas, a sober living program for women in addiction recovery. We discussed many of the important issues facing women in recovery today, and I was very impressed with the knowledge and commitment of the team at Windhaven. Later I enjoyed a really tasty lunch at Innovation360, a progressive program developed by my longtime friend and colleague, Dr. Kevin Gilliland. I presented my short talk, "Four Sides to Every Story," outlining the basic concepts advanced by Dr. Paul McHugh of Johns Hopkins. I am happy to share the slides upon request. By the way, i360 has one of the most elegant websites on the net. Kevin and I are thinking about putting up some podcasts and videos, and i360 has already done some great media work.