Is there a pill that can cure addiction?

Hello! Dr. Heinzerling here to talk about a question patients often ask: "Is there a pill that can cure addiction?" There is currently no pill that can solve a drug or alcohol problem on its own. No pill will make it easy to deal with a drug/alcohol problem and there is no pill that will change a person who is not motivated to change. In short, pills don't solve problems, people solve problems. BUT, we know from data and experience that many people who are highly motivated and try very hard still fail with existing non-pharmacologic addiction treatments, which typically combine behavioral counseling and support. With that in mind, a medication added to standard counseling and support services can boost the success rate of patients getting treatment for drug/alcohol problems.

This makes sense based on research and experience that shows that addiction has biological, psychological, AND social aspects. As a result, the best treatment should be one that addresses all three of these domains:

1. a medication for the biology of addiction,
2. a counseling program for the psychology of addiction,
3. and a support program for the social aspects of addiction.

This support program may include self-help groups such as AA or SMART Recovery; support (emotional and otherwise) from family, friends, clergy, community members, sponsors; and an environment and surroundings that support abstinence from drugs/alcohol (avoid triggers such as people, places, and things). In other words, we do not expect medications to be able to REPLACE counseling and support but instead to AUGMENT them. And we also know that generally treatment outcomes are best when a medication is combined with behavioral therapy and support. With this in mind, the treatment we provide in our clinics as well as in our clinical trials combines medication with counseling and support services. What type of counseling and support is provided may be different for each patient depending on their particular needs and which types of counseling/support work best with which medications is an area of active research.

Well that's all for now. Thanks for checking in and as always feel free to send us feedback and comments via our twitter feed (uclasarx)!



Tags: addiction medicine, counseling, cure, keith heinzerling, medication, support