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Treatment

Brief Description

Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by compulsive, or uncontrollable, drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences and changes in the brain, which can be long lasting. These changes in the brain can lead to the harmful behaviors seen in people who use drugs. Drug addiction is also a relapsing disease. Relapse is the return to drug use after an attempt to stop. Learn more

Also more about:

  • Naloxone - a medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose

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Related Publications

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Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition)

Published October 1999. Revised December 2012. Presents research-based principles of addiction treatment for a variety of drugs, including nicotine, alcohol, and illicit and prescription drugs, that can inform drug treatment programs and services. En Español

Therapeutic Communities publication cover

Therapeutic Communities

Revised July 2015. Describes a type of long-term residential treatment for substance use disorders called therapeutic communities, including how they treat populations with special needs and how they can be incorporated into the criminal justice system.

Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction

Revised July 2016. Describes research findings on effective medication and behavioral treatment approaches for drug addiction and discusses special considerations for the criminal justice setting. En Español

Drug-Related Hospital Emergency Room Visits

Revised May 2011. Provides national estimates on drug-related visits to hospital emergency departments and makes comparisons with previous years’ data. Discusses illicit drugs, alcohol and other drugs, and prescription drugs. En Español

Treatment Statistics

Revised March 2011. Reports data on the number of people in need of drug abuse treatment and characteristics of admissions to substance abuse treatment facilities. En Español

View all related publications

Related Resources

Resources to Help Curb Adolescent Drug Use:

Therapy Manuals For Cocaine Addiction (Archives):

Other Resources

Past information on many drugs of abuse is available on our Archives site.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies in human volunteers conducted to answer specific health questions. Learn about the NIH-sponsored clinical trials available to you.

Other Clinical Trials information sources:

This page was last updated June 2014

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