In his paper, Sellman divides the scientific evidence that impacts treatment for addictions into 10 principles. It is easy to follow and is a most welcome guide for those interested in treatment and a useful translation of scientific evidence for both the specialist and the non-specialist responsible for making decisions related to the funding of services and training of specialists and so on.
The paper marshals evidence against mistaken conceptions about the nature of addiction and the effectiveness of treatment. It is often thought that one episode of treatment is enough and that relapse constitutes failure, conceptions that must be corrected if we want to reduce the treatment gap. This issue is reflected in the statement: 'Addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder in the majority of people who present for help'. To this very interesting review of the issue I would add that treatment should be readily available because, as Sellman correctly states, 'Change takes time'.
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