Dr Klingemann and his colleagues reviewed a substantial literature on the current state-of-the-art in natural recovery research, and concluded that natural recoveries from substance use disorders not only occur but are a major pathway to recovery. The results of self-change research have given rise to basic questions about the effectiveness of mainstream treatment modalities and drug policies on demand reduction.However, research shows that, like other chronic diseases, drug addiction can be treated effectively and managed over its course. In addition, addiction treatment has also been shown to be an effective way to prevent the spread of diseases, such as human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and hepatitis.
This means that, contrary to the conclusions of Dr Klingemann, we believe recovery is happening in communities, families, hospitals, recovery centres, therapeutic communities, clinics, faith-based programmes and self-help groups in every corner of the world. Effective treatment occurs in a variety of settings, in many different forms and for different lengths of time. > > > >
Read Full Article (PDF)