Non-Traditional Treatment for Addiction: Does it Work? - Health

Non-traditional types of treatment for addiction include unique therapies that to date have been studied very little. But while the efficacy of these types of treatment has not been established, many addiction treatment and alcohol rehab centers have been employing these types of therapies as part of their programs. This trend has been driven by television and other programs that feature such shows as Celebrity Rehab - a depiction or real life in a drug rehab center for celebrities. Unfortunately, these programs do not accurately depict the processes involved in the course of the average person's treatment. And while it might seem like a luxury to be offered massages and surfing therapy while getting treatment for addiction, the fact of the matter is that they probably do nothing to help a person get clean and stay clean for life - the ultimate goal of substance abuse and alcoholism treatment.

Non-traditional addiction treatment includes "therapies" and activities that are considered supplemental or unnecessary by traditional drug rehab centers. This includes massages therapy, sauna and heated pool therapy, adventure therapy, equine therapy, psychodrama, ropes courses, acupuncture, yoga, art therapy and hypnosis. Unfortunately, many of these types of activities are specific to a certain group or region. For instance, psychodrama is usually only employed by celebrity rehab centers where a large portion of the clients have acted before. Another example is surf therapy, which is realistically only available to Oceanside communities with warm climates. Being that not everyone could use these therapies or even have them available, it makes sense that these are not the focus of treatment but are only supplemental in nature.

However, some of these therapies do have merit in that they can help a patient relax or confront fears. According to the Touch Research Institute;

"Several TRI studies completed in the past five years involve massage and addictions -- specifically nicotine, bulimia, and cocaine-exposed newborns. These studies positively document the ability of massage to decrease anxiety, agitation, and cravings as well as improve sleep and lessen feelings of depression."

Additionally, adventure therapy has been demonstrated to help improve self-confidence and communication skills, as well as build teamwork skills for application in the real world. Nevertheless, despite the fact that there may be some use for non-traditional addiction treatment, none of them actually address addiction or alcoholism directly. And because addiction is a progressive and potentially fatal condition, it MUST be directly addressed in order to be effective.

Traditional forms of addiction treatment include: detox/acute withdrawal syndrome management, residential inpatient substance abuse treatment, outpatient treatment, day/night or partial hospitalization programs, individual, group and/or family therapies, cognitive and behavioral therapies, denial management and management of post acute withdrawal syndrome symptoms. These types of treatment have proven successful in a number of clinical settings and are the primary treatment modalities offered by the most successful substance abuse and alcohol rehab centers in the country. So while it may be nice to find a facility that offers massage, if you or someone you love needs to get clean, the focus should be on traditional therapies and nothing else.

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