Drug addiction is an intricate disease that is characterized by compulsive drug use. It affects behaviors and several brain regions, especially those involved with rewards, motivation, learning, and memory. The path to drug addiction starts with the voluntary act of using a drug. If a person continues to take a drug frequently over a large period of time the act becomes less and less voluntary. Eventually, using the drug becomes second nature to the person and they can’t fully function without the drug. This compulsive behavior mainly results from the effects of persistent drug exposure to the brain ("DrugFacts: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction"). There are three main processes that are related with drug addiction. These include:
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Most of these therapies involve forms of both individual and group counseling. There are several types of outpatient therapies. These include: cognitive-behavioral therapy, multidimensional family therapy, motivational interviewing, and contingency management ("DrugFacts: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction"). Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on helping addicts recognize, avoid, and cope with situations where drugs are involved. In addition, cognitive-behavioral therapy focus on the cognitive and behavioral sequences leading to drug use, the management of cravings, mood regulation, and lifestyle change (Beck, 475). Multidimensional family therapy is a little different. This type of therapy focuses more on adolescents with drug addictions and their families. This form of therapy is designed to help improve the functioning of the whole family instead of just the addict by addressing and discussing a wide range of issues involved with drug use. Motivational interviewing is another common form of outpatient therapy. This focuses specifically on changing a person’s behavior and state of mind, so that they will continue to seek professional help. Lastly, contingency management is a type of therapy that focuses primarily on using positive reinforcement to encourage abstinence from drugs ("DrugFacts: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction"). For example, when your mother says that she will take you out to eat ice cream if you eat all of your vegetables, she is using positive reinforcement to encourage a behavior. Contingency management uses a similar approach to encourage a healthy lifestyle and discourage drug use. Residential therapies can also be effective in aiding
Most of these therapies involve forms of both individual and group counseling. There are several types of outpatient therapies. These include: cognitive-behavioral therapy, multidimensional family therapy, motivational interviewing, and contingency management ("DrugFacts: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction"). Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on helping addicts recognize, avoid, and cope with situations where drugs are involved. In addition, cognitive-behavioral therapy focus on the cognitive and behavioral sequences leading to drug use, the management of cravings, mood regulation, and lifestyle change (Beck, 475). Multidimensional family therapy is a little different. This type of therapy focuses more on adolescents with drug addictions and their families. This form of therapy is designed to help improve the functioning of the whole family instead of just the addict by addressing and discussing a wide range of issues involved with drug use. Motivational interviewing is another common form of outpatient therapy. This focuses specifically on changing a person’s behavior and state of mind, so that they will continue to seek professional help. Lastly, contingency management is a type of therapy that focuses primarily on using positive reinforcement to encourage abstinence from drugs ("DrugFacts: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction"). For example, when your mother says that she will take you out to eat ice cream if you eat all of your vegetables, she is using positive reinforcement to encourage a behavior. Contingency management uses a similar approach to encourage a healthy lifestyle and discourage drug use. Residential therapies can also be effective in aiding