Changes Addiction and Treatment Blog
Our addiction and treatment blog is here to help you navigate the space between addiction and recovery
What’s the link between addiction and ADHD?
Living with ADHD can be challenging and battling an addiction at the same time is even more difficult. But this is a reality for many people: Up to 50% of people with ADHD have a substance use problem. The two mental health issues need to be treated simultaneously in...
What 8 Standards Should a Quality Rehab Meet?
There are many addiction treatment centres advertising their services to the public and it can be difficult to sort good facilities from sub-par ones, which is why it's important to understand what goes into running a quality rehab. When choosing a rehab, make sure to...
Rehab staff are the key to the success of a patient’s addiction treatment
Research shows that rehab staff at a treatment centre are pivotal to the successful treatment of the client. Staff members need to be both appropriately qualified and experienced. There should also be enough staff members: A high staff to patient ratio improves...
The importance of Long-Term Treatment & Aftercare When Leaving Rehab
If you've just been discharged from rehab, you might be wondering about the importance of long-term treatment and aftercare. Find out why you need to enrol in an aftercare programme immediately to safeguard your recovery. Self-help groups help too. This is blog number...
Can addiction be treated with medication?
There are a number of medicines that have been approved for treating substance use disorder and this begs the question can addiction be treated with medication. How effective is medication for the treatment of addiction? Giving a person medication alone is of little...
Inpatient versus outpatient rehab: What’s the difference?
When it comes to addiction treatment, inpatient versus outpatient rehab both have their pros and cons when it comes to treating addiction and alcoholism. Certain categories of client do better in inpatient and outpatient is more appropriate for others. This is blog...
The Longer The Treatment The Better The Results
Evidence shows that the longer a person stays in treatment, the higher the chances that they will achieve long-term sobriety. But even brief treatment is better than no treatment at all. Aftercare and outpatient programmes are a good idea for those unable to spend a...
Why is it so important to complete rehab treatment and engage addicted clients?
Addiction treatment works best when addicts or alcoholics successfully complete rehab treatment and don’t drop out before the process in finished. Client engagement has also been found to increase an addicted client’s chance of successful long-term sobriety. This is...
Confrontational treatment approaches for addiction do not work: Here’s the evidence
Confrontational treatment approaches have been used for addiction treatment for decades, despite the fact there is no evidence to show it is effective. Studies show that confrontational treatment actually does more harm than good. This is blog number 13 in the series...
Co-existing Psychiatric Disorders and Addiction Need to be Treated Simultaneously
Dealing with addiction is hard enough on its own, but it is even more difficult when you’re dealing with a co-occurring mental illness such as depression or bipolar disorder. The link between mental illness and addiction goes both ways. About 50% of people with a...
Addicts and alcoholics face issues other than addiction, that need to be addressed in treatment
An addict or alcoholic going to treatment is likely to be facing myriad issues, and many of these are issues other than addiction. These issues include medical, social, vocational and legal problems that are associated and contributory factors to their addiction or...
Relapse Prevention: Drug or alcohol relapses are common but can be prevented
Addiction is often described as a relapsing condition and many people relapse after treatment, which is why relapse prevention is important. The United States’ National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) defines addiction as “a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by...