Psychotherapy

 

Pharmacological treatments only treat the physiological effects of withdrawal, however it does not address the cause of why the person began taking the drugs in the first place, which is the most common cause of relapse. Psychotherapy can motivate the patient for abstinence and strengthen will power while providing stress coping mechanisms.

 

A Cochrane review of 11 controlled trials with 1592 adults considered the use of psychosocial and pharmacological treatments vs only pharmacological treatments for opioid detoxification and found that patients receiving a combined approach had a greater probability of completing the program and had an increased abstinence rate at follow up appointments.

 

A pharmacological and psychosocial treatment package should be first line for the treatment of opioid addiction, whereas the pharmacological treatment for cannabis and stimulant addiction is not yet well developed, therefore psychosocial interventions remain the primary method of treatment. This can consist of keyworking or formal interventions such as “talking therapies” like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and group therapy.

 

The clinical guideline regarding psychosocial interventions in the treatment of opioid addiction states that the service user’s needs and preferences need to be understood and considered before implementing any care plan.