Medications are an important element of treatment for many patients, especially when combined with counseling and other behavioral therapies. As many drug-addicted individuals have other mental disorders, medically assisted detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to change long-term drug abuse. An individual’s treatment and service plan must be assessed continually and modified as necessary to ensure that it meets his or her changing needs. Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective. Drug use during treatment must be monitored continuously, as lapses may occur during treatment. Therapeutic community programs with prison-based and specialized treatment facilities, CBT treatment for 91–180 days, and 12-step orientation with staff specialized in substance abuse can be helpful (Grella et al., 2007).
