Therefore, aftercare often concentrates on different ways to manage stress, deal with urges, develop healthy relationships, etc. One of the biggest issues with treating addictions is that the initial stages such as detoxification are typically successful; however, relapse rates tend to be high (McNeece & DiNitto, 2008). As mentioned above the number one reason for relapse and stress, but there are other factors that play into relapse. There has been research to suggest that many addicts are much better able to remain abstinent when they attach personal relevance to abstinence such as coming to believe that there are addictive behavior is structured to their relationships, occupation, personal goals, or freedom. However, it is still surprising many researchers in individuals at how illogical addictive behavior is in many people. For example, many addicts continue to engage in their addictive behavior despite severe consequences such as loss of family, loss of job, imprisonment, etc. Some research has indicated that addicts may have inherently poor decision-making abilities and differences in certain areas of their brain structure such as the frontal lobe that can account for these puzzling behaviors (McNeece & DiNitto, 2008). Nonetheless, any addict seeking to quit needs to make a connection between the destructive aspects of their behavior and the need to attempt to regain control over their life. Often this occurs through what many recovering addicts believed to be a spiritual revelation where one begins to see the "big picture" and makes the connection between potentially destructive selfish behaviors and their addiction.

There are many different nontraditional approaches to treatment for addiction. For the most part the empirical research has not supported the effectiveness of the...

For instance, there are several programs that attempt to teach individuals with alcohol addictions control or moderated drinking. Many traditional addiction researchers condemn this approach; however, there is a body of empirical evidence that seems to support the notion that some alcoholics can learn moderated drinking. The most famous case is the Audrey Kishline, the founder of the moderated drinking movement, who relapsed and ended up killing several people in a car accident while she was intoxicated (although this accident occurred after she returned to AA). Nonetheless, there have been several studies that indicated that many individuals with addictions have returned to occasional use without significant relapse (e.g., Robbins & Reiger, 1991).
Other nontraditional treatment approaches include herbal remedies, natural food remedies, acupuncture, yoga and meditation, vitamin therapy, aromatherapy, and others. Because relapse rates in treatment programs are typically high no matter what the program consists of and any program can claim some level of short-term success many of these nontraditional approaches can claim similar a success rate to medically-based programs in the same way that many placebo arms of drug trials have some success; however, empirical research support documenting sustainable significant success rates is lacking for most of these nontraditional treatments (McNeece & DiNitto, 2008).

References

McNeece, C.A. & DiNitto, D.M. (2008). Chemical dependency: A systems approach (4th ed.).

Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Robbins L.N. & Reiger, D.N. (1991). Psychiatric disorders in America: The Epidemiologic

Catchment Area study. New York: The Free Press.