Treating Addictions: Harm Reduction in Clinical Care and Prevention

Among scientists, discussions are developing about addiction’s nature, which can affect ways to get rid of it. Some experts express their opinion that addiction is not a disease that needs to be fought with treatment but is a habit. Another part of experts approaches addiction as a chronic disease that affects the brain (memory, motivation, and others). Experiencing addiction, an ill person has no choice over his actions and is forced only to look for ways to get a new dose of nicotine, a drug, or alcohol.

The biopsychosocial-spiritual model offers a solution for this dispute, arguing that diseases arise due to the complex interweaving of various biological, social, and psychological factors. Accordingly, treatment and rehabilitation involve a focus on the recovery of those factors that led to the origin and the development of the painful process (MacKillop and Ray, 2018). The responsibility for recovery in the biopsychosocial model of the addiction is fully or partially assigned to the sick people themselves, as there is a struggle for their life quality.

Historically, addiction was perceived in society as a vice for which it is necessary to punish its carrier. However, as society developed, it became clear that such an approach did not bring results, and the opposite method appeared – strength-perspective. This approach considers the biopsychosocial features of the disease and guarantees a more reliable result, as it gives the patient hope for new opportunities. It is based on the method when patients are not focused on problems that led them to addiction, but on goals that can be achieved without it, using their strengths. An approach such as harm-reduction is also intended to facilitate the life of patients with addiction. Its basis is the belief that dependence is inevitable for some people, and it is necessary to help them survive (Drucker et al., 2016). For example, harm-reduction programs can provide condoms or clean needles to patients to prevent the spread of diseases.

Thus, I believe that the biopsychosocial model of addiction, and approaches that consider it, represent a humane treatment approach that can bring some results. It opens up new perspectives for people by focusing their attention on the positive aspects of life. Moreover, they facilitate the socialization of addicts, thereby accelerating their treatment. An integrated approach that takes into account many elements is always more effective than a one-sided.

References

Drucker, E., Anderson, K., Haemmig, R., Heimer, R., Small, D., Walley, A., Wood, E. & van Beek, I. (2016). Treating addictions: Harm reduction in clinical care and prevention. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 13(2), 239-249.

MacKillop, J., & Ray, L. A. (2018). The etiology of addiction: A contemporary biopsychosocial approach. In J. MacKillop, G. A. Kenna, L. Leggio, & L. A. Ray (Eds.), Integrating psychological and pharmacological treatments for addictive disorders: An evidence-based guide (pp. 32–53). Routledge.

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StudyCorgi. "Treating Addictions: Harm Reduction in Clinical Care and Prevention." February 13, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/treating-addictions-harm-reduction-in-clinical-care-and-prevention/.

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StudyCorgi. 2022. "Treating Addictions: Harm Reduction in Clinical Care and Prevention." February 13, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/treating-addictions-harm-reduction-in-clinical-care-and-prevention/.

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