Compassion and Recovery

Recent Study Shows Importance of Compassionate Help When Treating Addiction

The University of Washington School of Medicine recently released a study showing how important supportive care is in treating those afflicted by Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).  The study conducted in Seattle looked at 168 homeless people who suffered from AUD.  According to the press release, results from the study indicated that those with “compassionate help” were “significantly more likely to make positive changes in their alcohol use.”

The study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy found that abstinence-based treatment may not be the best approach, particularly for homeless people affected by AUD.  Instead, a focus on harm-reduction treatment with supportive care seemed to have the greatest and long-lasting effect.  Harm-reduction treatment is based on “compassionate and pragmatic strategies … that aim to minimize substance-related harm and enhance quality of life without requiring or advising abstinence or use reduction.”  The results were staggering.  Of the homeless patients in the study that were treated with a harm-reduction approach significantly reduced their overall alcohol use, alcohol-related problems and alcohol-use disorder symptoms.

Recovery is not a one-size fit all solution.  Recovery and treatment for alcohol-use disorder must be based on the individual.  The more that we can understand an individual’s goals and support those choices, the more likely they will stick with their treatment.  Hopefully more studies about the effectiveness of different types of treatment options will continue to be conducted giving hope to millions of people across the world and removing some of the stigma around addiction and recovery.