An overarching idea in the treatment of Substance Abuse and with Substance Abuse Theory is that the longer a person uses drugs the more the brain becomes damaged. When this occurs the cravings for drugs become relentless and the tolerance for drugs become greater. This causes the abuser to use more of the drug.
This line of biological thinking has paved the way for medical interventions using state of the art psychotropic and blocking medications. These can alter brain chemistry, stop drug cravings and bring about positive changes in the brain such as regrowth of neurons in the prefrontal cortex. It should be noted that none of the treatments that could work can begin until those persons whose brains have been altered due to chemical substance abuse have been restored to normal brain functioning.
Psychological therapy has also been found to change the structure of the brain and help to bring about normal brain functions even after long term use and damage. One of the ways by which the brain can be changed is through the use of exercises that help with regrowth in the prefrontal cortex. In addition the use of thiamine therapy seems to help to correct the dysfunction.
Substance Abuse Theory
One idea in modern Substance Abuse Theory is that there are two types of alcoholism. This theory posits that Type one alcoholics develop the disease gradually over time. It is known as milieu limited alcoholism because there was a positive correlation between socioeconomic status of fathers and illness. It seems that men in this group displayed personality traits which predispose them to become tolerant of the anti-anxiety aspects of the alcohol which in turn has them using more so that it becomes problematic. The second type of alcoholism includes the type of person that is prone to taking risks. This type is called male limited because males are the predominant types to get this. This type is highly hereditary and is associated with persons who have low levels of serotonin and dopamine.
Another area of substance abuse that is often overlooked is the rates of recovery from nicotine addiction. There are huge numbers of persons who never quit smoking. His takes a huge toll those persons who do smoke. The numbers are staggering in the fact that some 90% of lung cancer deaths are attributable to smoking. It would seem then that a focus of substance abuse treatment might also urgently include people who smoke. Perhaps the discussion for nicotine cessation can happen at the beginning of any other treatment. Up to 70% of people who are newly recovering from substance abuse are those that smoke.
Treatments should be devised from the strengths perspective. This includes interaction with clients focusing on the assets of the person trying to overcome substance abuse. Relapse prevention techniques are another area of study that are quite important. There is no sure fire way to help someone. Give them as many tools as possible. This seems like the best idea.
References
Van, W. K. S., & Davis, D. R. (2013). Addiction treatment: A strengths perspective. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.