Addiction treatment continues to evolve as professionals learn more about how substances impact the brain. As such, we constantly are refining addiction treatment to improve the outcomes for all our clients. When you need recovery services, you need to find a facility like Harmony Hills that seeks to provide the most scientifically proven ways to help clients reach recovery.
Studying Addiction in the 19th Century
Substance use disorders have existed for centuries. Alcohol has existed since ancient times, and people have misused it throughout time. Morphine was the first addictive drug isolated in 1806. While this opium-derived drug made pain management possible, addiction soon followed.
In 1875, the first comprehensive study of morphine addiction occurred. This initial study discovered some of the foundations of addiction science. First, those who experienced morphine addiction would try to get the drug at all costs, despite the costs. Secondly, doctors could reverse withdrawal effects from morphine with opiates. The former finding indicates the importance of getting prompt treatment for addiction. The latter discovery creates the basis of modern medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid withdrawal and detox.
Changes in Attitude to Addiction During the 20th Century
Around the beginning of the 20th century, researchers investigated drugs producing toxins in the body. Some believed that these toxins created addiction. Related theories of the first three decades of the era tried to explain addiction as a product of blocking endocrine gland passages, changes to cells throughout the body, and a breakdown of cells in the brain.
Following the first World War, doctors shifted from a biological origin of addiction to only a psychological one. Unfortunately, this change led to a lack of funding and scientific studies into drug addiction. Many doctors did not think that treating those who struggled with addiction was possible from World War I through the 1960s.
In the 1960s, drug use increased, particularly marijuana. This increase in the visibility of drug use prompted foundations to begin researching drug abuse during the 1960s and 1970s because the issue had emerged as a national concern. In 1974, the precursor to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) began to study the impacts of drug abuse on the nation and individuals.
Due to the late introduction of formal study into addiction treatments, today’s methods continue to evolve as facilities work on refining addiction treatment.
Former Addiction Treatments
Attitudes toward addiction have shaped treatment methods. In times when society considered substance use disorders as psychological issues, treatments did not last long. Some called addiction a “sin” or “bad habit” that only required education to correct. Because the prevailing notion did not connect addiction to medical problems, doctors rarely consulted on treatment programs.
As society changed to acknowledge the physical aspects of addiction, medical intervention for detox became more popular. However, even today, too often, detoxification remains the only step in the treatment process without follow-up care.
Refining Addiction Treatment Through Scientific Evidence
Over the years, studies have constantly connected addiction to changes in the brain. These physical changes impact thinking. By integrating physical and psychological addiction therapies into treatment, today’s most modern facilities can show greater effectiveness in treatment.
Another evolution in treatment is looking at multiple levels of care and helping clients through those. For instance, those with the most severe cases of addiction may require 24-hour care in a residential treatment facility. As clients progress and become more independent, they can move to partial hospitalization programs (PHP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP) that require less time at the facility. Aftercare ensures that clients have needed support after treatment to prevent relapses.
Find Out More About Our Addiction Treatment Program in FL at Harmony Hills
If you have problems with a substance use disorder, find out more about our addiction treatment program in FL at Harmony Hills. Phone our facility at 855.494.0357 to learn more about signing up or to get information about our services. You can benefit from our methods of refining addiction treatment that can help you reach recovery.
