Treating Addiction

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Self-help treatment is not the best option because it is very easy to go back to your old habits. It is not easy to overcome a habitual behavior. It is easy to decide, “It’s just one”, and that is all that you need to relapse (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2000). Since there are no people monitoring you, and not being accountable to anyone, it is easy to give up. Overcoming nicotine addiction requires support from family and friends. Seeing that they care will be a motivation to go for a treatment plan.

The smoking cessation program is the best option because it allows the patient to choose the treatment program that works best for him or her. With self-help treatment, one has only one option of stopping to use cigarettes. There are no considerations of what led one to start smoking in the first place. If the reasons are still there, then the addict is wasting time (American Psychiatric Association, 1996). They will easily relapse. Smoking cessation allows the patient to choose a treatment plan that they think will work. Each patient has different needs and smoking cessation allows for these needs. There is medication given to deal with withdrawal symptoms.

On the contrary, many individuals have stopped smoking cigarettes without being helped professionally. The only had the desire to accomplish their goal which was to stop the self-destruction habit of smoking cigarettes. Smoking does not help a person in any way. Self-change is also cheap. One can do it at the convenience of their home (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2008). They can even keep it a secret from the family and then surprise them later when they have given it up totally.

Although smoking cessation treatment is considered as the best option, only about 10-15% really quit smoking at the end of the treatment (Prochaska, Delucchi & Hall, 2004).). The processes involved in smoking cessation have been proven to help increase the smoking quit rates in drug dependent patients.

Conclusion

Treating addiction is not easy. The smoking cessation is a long process to follow that requires dedication and hard work. It is important to maximize on this treatment plan to help these individual addicted to smoking cigarette so as to have a productive society. Smoking cessation-treatment program has no effect on the recovery of patients from other drug addictions. It should be included in treating abuse of other substances to help the addicts get rid of nicotine as well. Self-help requires this will power to put other things first compared to putting the desire on smoking.

References

American Psychiatric Association (1996). Work group on nicotine dependence: Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with nicotine dependence. American Psychiatric Association.

The book provides information on clinically researched and tested methods that work when dealing with nicotine addiction. It is important in the argumentative essay as it offers relevant information on the methods of treating nicotine addicts.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (2008). Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research-based guide. USA: National Institute on Drug Abuse, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Press.

The book is guide on an effective treatment of drug addiction. It is important in supporting the notion that medicine is a good way to start treating addiction.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (2000). Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research-based guide. Bethesda, MD : National Institutes of Health.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s recently published Principles of Effective Drug Addiction Treatment, which provides a detailed discussion on how we must treat all aspects of the individual, not just the biological component, or the behavioral component.

Orleans, T. (1993). Nicotine addiction: Principles and Management. Oxford University Press

The book is important in understanding how nicotine affects the brain system and gives ways in which the nicotine can be managed

Prochaska J., Delucchi, K., &Hall, S. (2004). A meta-analysis of smoking cessation interventions with individuals in substance abuse treatment or recovery. J. Consult Clin. Psychology 72, 1144-1156.

This book is important in giving information on how the smoking cessation works.