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Treatment

Brief Description

There are many options that have been successful in treating drug addiction, including:

  • behavioral counseling
  • medication
  • medical devices and applications used to treat withdrawal symptoms or deliver skills training
  • evaluation and treatment for co-occurring mental health issues such as depression and anxiety
  • long-term follow-up to prevent relapse

A range of care with a tailored treatment program and follow-up options can be crucial to success. Treatment should include both medical and mental health services as needed. Follow-up care may include community- or family-based recovery support systems. Read the DrugFacts

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One patient’s story: NIDA clinical trials bring a new life to a woman struggling with opioid addiction - the study hoped to determine if clonidine used with buprenorphine could help reduce stress-induced relapse in heroin users.

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Principles of Adolescent Substance Use Disorder Treatment: A Research-Based Guide Cover

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Presents research-based principles of adolescent substance use disorder treatment; covers treatment for a variety of drugs including, illicit and prescription drugs, alcohol, and tobacco; presents settings and evidence-based approaches unique to treating adolescents. (January 2014)

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Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition)

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This brief fact sheet provides information about the risks of prescription opioid pain relievers and a summary of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Guideline for Opioid Prescribing for Pain. (March 2017)

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This brief fact sheet provides information about the effectiveness of medications for opioid use disorders and recent scientific advances in this area. (November 2016)

Related Resources

Resources to Help Curb Adolescent Drug Use:

Therapy Manuals For Cocaine Addiction (Archives):

Other Resources

Past information on many drugs of abuse is available on our Archives site.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies in human volunteers conducted to answer specific health questions. Learn about the NIH-sponsored clinical trials available to you.

Other Clinical Trials information sources:

This page was last updated June 2014

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Initiating Buprenorphine Treatment in the Emergency Department

Get Waivered to prescribe buprenorphine

Learn About Buprenorphine Prescribing in the ED.

Cite this article

NIDA. (2014, June 13). Treatment. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/treatment

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