How Is Addiction Treatment Measured?

Before we dive into how addiction treatment programs measure their success rates, it’s important to acknowledge the characteristics of addiction. First, Substance Use Disorder (SUD)  is a chronic disease. Similar to heart disease or diabetes, there’s no cure, only best practices for treatment. Even though the symptoms of addiction can manifest physically/behaviorally, the origins of the condition start with the brain. For this reason, it’s incredibly difficult to quantify and measure improvement in a universal way. Since the treatment industry has no standard model for measuring success rates, most places have their own definition and measurement of success.

Many people are under the impression that to be successful in recovery means complete abstinence from all substances. While this might be the goal and necessary for some people and some treatment programs, recovery is a fluid process and one size doesn’t fit all. If the goal of recovery is to overcome one’s addiction and learn to live a healthy and productive life, how do we achieve this?

Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to that question. Each treatment program will have their own way of measuring their client’s success rates but all that really matters is whether client’s feel an improvement in their life. Below are some of the key ways that client’s and treatment programs might consider measuring this.

  • Reduction in frequency and amount of substance use
  • Longer gaps between relapse
  • Improvement in relationships with family and loved ones
  • Increased emotional, mental and physical health
  • Improvement in education and employment
  • Improvement in legal status (if applicable)

 

Rehab Is The Best Option For Sobriety

American society has largely come to learn that simply saying no to drugs isn’t a viable approach. Moreover, trying to achieve recovery on your own is incredibly hard to do. One of the primary reasons behind this is people don’t create the support infrastructure needed when times get tough or they have strong cravings. 

The benefits of attending an addiction treatment program versus doing it on your own are threefold. First, most rehabs are designed to treat one’s underlying mental health and behavioral problems. A majority of treatment options provides client’s with psychoeducation and even medical staff. The goal is to find the influence(s) for one’s substance use and treat that. Secondly, treatment programs provide a heightened level of accountability. Client’s can typically expect to receive peer and staff support, as well as drug testing, all of which are incredibly useful for maintaining any semblance of sobriety. Lastly, rehab programs can help clients create a recovery community and network. This aspect of support is absolutely essential to creating supportive relationships in addiction recovery.

We firmly believe that rehab is the best option for sobriety. If you or someone you love is struggling to find an addiction treatment program that is right for them, we can help! Contact our team today to learn more about our services and how we can affect change in your life.