Drug Addiction Treatments

Drug addiction is a complex illness which requires care and medical drug addiction treatments for those suffering from chemical dependency and substance abuse.

It is characterized by compulsive, at times uncontrollable drug craving, seeking, and use that persist even in the face of extremely negative consequences. For many people, drug addiction becomes chronic, with relapses possible even after long periods of abstinence.

The path to drug addiction begins with the act of taking drugs. Over time, a person's ability to choose not to take drugs can be compromised. Drug seeking becomes compulsive, in large part as a result of the effects of prolonged drug use on brain functioning and requires medical drug addiction treatment.

The compulsion to use drugs can take over the individual's life. Addiction often involves not only compulsive drug taking but also a wide range of dysfunctional behaviors that can interfere with normal functioning in the family, the workplace, and the broader Dallas community.

Addiction also can place people at increased risk for a wide variety of other illnesses (such as Hepatitus C). These illnesses can be brought on by behaviors, such as poor living and health habits, that often accompany life as an addict, or because of toxic effects of the drugs themselves.

Because addiction has so many dimensions and disrupts so many aspects of an individual's life, treatment for this illness is never simple. Drug addiction treatment must help the individual stop using drugs and maintain a drug-free lifestyle, while achieving productive functioning in the family, at work, and in Dallas society.

Effective drug addiction treatment programs typically incorporate many components, each directed to a particular aspect of the illness and its consequences.

Three decades of scientific research and clinical practice have yielded a variety of effective approaches to drug addiction treatment. Extensive data document that drug addiction treatment is as effective as are treatments for most other similarly chronic medical conditions.

In spite of scientific evidence that establishes the effectiveness of drug abuse treatment, many people avoid medical care of this condition.

The ultimate goal of long-term abstinence often requires sustained and repeated treatment episodes because addiction is a chronic disorder.

Of course, not all drug abuse treatment is equally effective. Research also has revealed a set of principles that characterize the most effective drug abuse and addiction treatments and their implementation in drug treatment centers.

Dr. Candace McDaniel
8021 East R.L. Thornton Fwy, Suite A
Dallas, Texas 75228

Call (214) 328-4848 or  for more information