How to Overcome Drug Addiction

Drug addiction and alcoholism are notoriously difficult to overcome.

We can dwell on the reason that it is so difficult but this is likely to be wasted effort. Instead, we need to unlock some of the key principles that can enable long term recovery when it comes to treating drug addiction.

Thus far, no one has developed a treatment program or methodology that has proven to be even remotely successful for treating addiction. When considering the success rates of such things, the numbers are decidedly disappointing. Having lived in a long term treatment facility, and now working in a drug and alcohol rehab for the last 4 years, I have seen this startling lack of success first hand, as hundreds of addicts go out into the world--make an honest attempt at recovery--and ultimately fail, only to return to treatment again at a later date. I have seen this over and over again. I don't need published statistics to tell me that treatment is failing us; I see it every day at my job.

So why do I keep showing up to work, if I believe that treatment is failing us? For one thing, it's all we've got in the fight against drug addiction. For two, treatment works in some cases, and the small handful of successes are enough to keep me going. It's worth pointing out that treatment worked for me. But it fails so many people, and the problem of addiction is so widespread, that I believe we have a duty to find superior treatment methods. I believe it's worth fighting for....shouldn't we try to find a better way? Success rates of our existing treatment models are below 10 percent when measured a year after leaving treatment, and in rigorous and thorough studies it is closer to 2 or 3 percent. This is unacceptable in my opinion.

What I have learned in my journey through recovery is based both on my experience and on that of watching others. I lived with over 40 recovering drug addicts at a long term facility in early recovery, and now I work with hundreds, even thousands of addicts each year at a treatment center. My experience is that the ones who succeed in recovery are those who find passion and purpose in creating a new life for themselves. This may or may not occur with the twelve step program as the foundation for growth.

The key is to purposefully create a new life in recovery. It is not enough to just quit the drugs and alcohol and expect to be content. I also believe that a spiritual solution, by itself, is short-changing us in the personal growth department, when the true creative life in recovery incorporates a full range of holistic categories, such as fitness, nutrition, emotional balance, and so on.