Abstinence-Based Treatment Isn’t Dead…Yet

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

NOT AFTER 89 YEARS –  

Jan. 26, 2024 – The SUD treatment industry is beginning to move away from an abstinence-only approach to care and towards harm-reduction and medication-assisted treatment approaches. Research demonstrates that abstinence-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment is deadlier than no treatment at all.

Despite shifts in the industry away from a concept of recovery that involves strict abstinence, providers say that more traditional approaches will remain an essential part of the treatment spectrum.

The abstinence-only treatment industry is heavily influenced by the 12-step program model popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). AA involves group meetings and 12 “spiritual principles” designed to lead participants to sobriety. 

The 12-step model is still widely used today, with 65% of SUD facilities reporting using it in 2020, according to SAMHSA’s National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services. 

Methods of recovery besides the 12-step model are becoming more popular, however.

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