Impact of Continuing Care on Recovery From Substance Use Disorder

The intervention also provided motivational text messages and telephone calls when participants failed to achieve goals or asked for support.47 Participants in the SMS condition responded to 88% of the SMS prompts, and 44% sent at least one request for help. Compared to standard continuing care, the intervention reduced the rate of at-risk drinking from 42% to 29%, a nonsignificant decrease. A third trial randomly assigned 480 female offenders referred from incarceration to community-based SUD treatment to TAU versus TAU plus RMC provided for 3 years.33 Results indicated that RMC was beneficial for women who were not on probation. Conversely, there were no significant positive effects for RMC in women on probation, possibly because they were already closely monitored. Many people struggling with excessive substance use or other compulsive behaviors wrestle simultaneously with depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, or other mental health challenges.

Moreover, integrating various modalities into addiction recovery recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Each person’s journey is shaped by a myriad of factors, including physiological, psychological, and social elements. Therapeutic modalities such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, and mindfulness-based interventions offer diverse tools to address the multifaceted aspects of addiction. Individuals grappling with substance use disorder (SUD) and addiction often face complex challenges, necessitating a multifaceted approach for resolution.

A routine review of one’s treatment plan may be necessary to determine if another method could be more effective. Outpatient counseling can help people understand addiction, their triggers, and their reasons for using drugs. This form of treatment can be done at a doctor’s office or via telehealth appointment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy seeks to help patients recognize, avoid, and cope with the situations in which they’re most likely to use drugs.

The review begins with a brief summary of prior reviews (published through 2014) of SUD continuing care research. First, however, this review presents a conceptual model of continuing care and its principal goals with regard to the promotion of extended recovery. Several studies have examined the impact of providing incentives sober house either for attendance at continuing care or for drug abstinence during continuing care. However, there is no evidence that providing incentives for continuing care attendance improves outcomes.

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• TMC also was more effective, with an abstinence rate of 57% compared to 47% for TAU.
• Relapse can be an indication that treatment needs to be reinstated or adjusted.
• The alcohol and drug addiction recovery process can look different for each person and is based on the level of care determined for a person, so treatment is often tailored to the individual.4 Program lengths vary.
• Like many other chronic conditions, treatment is available for substance use disorders.
• For many with an alcohol problem, drinking a different kind of beverage can keep recovery on track.

However, despite the initial promise of mobile health interventions, significant challenges remain in the provision of continuing care via mobile health apps and SMS. Participants in MBRP and RP had lower rates of relapse to substance use and heavy drinking than did those in TAU. Moreover, among participants with some substance use, those in MBRP and RP had fewer days of substance use and heavy drinking than did those in TAU. Conversely, MBRP produced fewer days of reported substance use and heavy drinking at 12 months than did RP and TAU. PubMed and PsycINFO were used to identify prior reviews of the continuing care research literature as well as articles published after 2014 that were not included in these reviews. The search terms included substance use disorder, addiction, drug use disorder, alcohol use disorder, continuing care, aftercare, stepped-care, treatment outcome, efficacy, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness.

Exercise and Addiction Recovery

This process doesn’t just benefit the individual in recovery—it strengthens the entire family dynamic. This model explains the stages a person goes through when making significant changes to their behaviors. It includes the fluid and non-linear nature of traversing these stages and the importance of personal willingness and motivation to change. Addiction recovery often occurs through five stages, which can vary in duration for each person.

CARE MANAGEMENT IN PRIMARY CARE

Also, exercise releases natural endorphins, feel-good chemicals that relax the brain and body and reduce stress. Rebuilding close connections with family and friends is essential to successful addiction recovery. This often requires the addicted person to recognize and make amends for the damage caused by past behavior. Staying on the path to health takes patience, loving relationships, and emotional resilience.

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Some providers are simply better than others, but the individual characteristics and training that facilitate greater success as a continuing care provider have received little attention. Telephone continuing care appears to improve outcomes consistently for individuals with AUD. The findings for individuals with drug use disorders are more varied, with some studies generating no effects or even negative effects and others yielding positive effects in the full sample or in higher-risk subsamples. In addition, telephone continuing care has been found to be cost-effective and cost-beneficial compared to TAU, and to reduce the risk of criminal convictions in the 4 years following treatment intake.

Motivational interviewing, aligned with the Stages of Change, acts as a skillful clinical style, motivating clients for behavioral changes that enhance well-being. https://www.inkl.com/news/sober-house-rules-a-comprehensive-overview Dr. DiClemente views motivation as a series of tasks, each integral to the process of change. The Stages of Change model delineates these tasks, encompassing concerns, decision-making, preparation, planning, commitment, effective action, plan revisions, and integration of behavioral change into one’s lifestyle. Becoming a contributing member of society typically entails resuming interrupted education and acquiring job skills, but most of all it means finding new life goals and new activities that serve as sources of pleasure—having things to look forward to. At every step of the way, support from friends, peers, and family is useful, but there are also many services and organizations that provide guidance., and many can be accessed through Recovery Community centers.

It is now well known that the repetition of rewarding behaviors produces changes in brain function and structure that facilitate habits and, for some, sustained compulsivity and addiction. Like other complex illnesses and disorders, addiction is multifactorial, resulting from a combination of genetic, social, psychological, and environmental forces. Many people in addiction recovery say their spirituality is important in staying clean and sober. Attending religious services, regular community service, and daily prayer are examples of activities that have helped many who believe a higher power is essential to their continued recovery. Reaching out to a local church ministry, or contacting the United Way in your area, can get you started. Exercise hasn’t been extensively studied for addiction recovery, but there may be some benefits when combined with other treatments.

Opioid use disorder (OUD)

• These models recognize the cyclical nature of change, emphasizing the potential for relapses and reinforcing the importance of ongoing support.
• But it does mean that when those moments arise, you’ll be better equipped to handle them.
• Understanding cross-addiction and its risks is the first step in prevention.
• Mindfulness techniques, such as meditation or deep breathing, can help you stay grounded and aware of your emotions.

The primary outcome was a composite measure that considered cocaine use, other drug use, and heavy alcohol use. However, among participants who continued to use cocaine or drink alcohol in the first 3 weeks of IOP, TMC had significant positive effects on the primary outcome compared with TAU with IOP. Although the incentives almost doubled the number of continuing care sessions that were attended, substance use outcomes in the TMC plus incentives condition were slightly worse than those in TMC. Most of these studies testing continuing care with mobile health interventions have yielded positive effects on substance use outcomes.