Judith Lewis, Robert Dana and Gregory Blevins, authors of Substance Abuse Counseling state that many current substance abuse treatments have leaned heavily on past methods and familiar practices such as the 12 step programs of Alcoholics Anonymous. Instead of creating an opportunity for evidenced based practices to work within the treatment center allowing for individualism of choice and concrete evidence of overall effective care. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration define evidenced based practices as “approaches to prevention or treatment that are validated by some form of documented scientific evidence…(and) stand in contrast to approaches that are based on tradition, convention, belief, …show more content…
Disulfiram, generic name Antabuse, is a form of aversion therapy that when taken causes the drinker to feel sick after a drink causing nausea and occasional vomiting deterring the drinker from the next drink. Robert B. Huebner Ph.D., with Lori Wolfgang Kantor, M.A., “Advances in Alcohol Treatment”, report that the research data conducted by the NIAA initiated and the COMBINE study which looked at the efficacy of Naltrexone and/or acamprosate, a calcium synthetic compound used with and without treatment, showed that patients that received Naltrexone and behavioral treatment after 16 weeks resulted in the best drinking outcome. The medications affect on the brain cause an increase in the GABA, which is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter of the brain. The result is a decrease in anxiety and increased sedation during acute alcohol …show more content…
What seems to have transpired within the growth of Treatment Programs has resulted in turning their facilities to produce a 12-step treatment program that utilizes the 12-step program as the gateway instead of an option for recovery. Many 12-step treatment clinicians hold strict guidelines such as; attending 90 meeting in 90 days, sponsorship while in treatment, a working of the 12 steps of Alcoholic Anonymous and required attendance of AA/NA meetings. The effectiveness of the 12-step program working within conjunction of Medical facilities and Institutions within its origins allowed an array of treatment variables and options. Creating specific 12 step treatment programs could have possible had a negative long-term affect to the nature and purity of the 12 Step Program through organic nature of