Treatment for Drugs Addiction

If you are ready for help, a combination of health and social support, like medication and therapy, will give you the best results.

A good treatment program should also include ways to reduce your harms from substance use in case you use substances again.

Medications

Medications can help you with various substance use issues or addiction. Some examples include:

• a nicotine patch, gum or inhaler, or varenicline (Champix) or buproprion (Zyban) for quitting smoking

• naltrexone (Revia), to reduce alcohol cravings

• acamprosate, to reduce alcohol withdrawal symptoms like insomnia, depression and cravings

• opioid agonist therapy (OAT) like buprenorphine or methadone for people with opioid addiction

Peer support

Peer support can be helpful before, during and after formal treatment. It focuses on:

• emotional support
• sharing experiences
• Education
• practical activities

Withdrawal management

You might need short-term help dealing with substance use withdrawal (also called detoxification or detox). Withdrawal management is the initial supervised, controlled period of stopping the use of a substance.

It can help you manage your withdrawal symptoms while you stop using the substance. At the same time, you'll learn more about your treatment options.

Psychological supports

Psychological supports like therapy and counselling are talk-based approaches that can help you reduce or stop drugs abuse.

Information about drugs and alcohol

You can learn more about drugs and alcohol to understand the risks associated with them. This can help you to make informed choices. Some treatment programs also offer education to your family members.