Rehabilitation from Drugs and Alcohol Dependence - Essay Example

There is an element to different forms of dependencies and illnesses, such as drug dependence and alcohol dependence, that is chronic and not easily treatable, and this implies that in many cases the focus and commitment of patients undergoing rehabilitation play a role in treatment outcomes.

That the dependencies and illnesses are chronic and long-term also implies that those who are being treated must match the interest and dedication of those offering help. This might be where general society, friends, and family may fall short, because of the costs and the emotional and psychological consistency that is required for patients to become better over time. This may also be why treatments sometimes fail, as evidenced by the relapses observed in the medical and academic literature.

Some patients become better for a time in relapse cases, but they sooner or later go back to old habits, whether those be dependencies or psychological and emotional dysfunctions. The relapses may be partly due to the lack of dedication on the part of the patients. This is recognized to such an extent that relapses are included as a necessary component of rehabilitation programs, and relapses are considered in all-inclusive treatment protocols that take into consideration the willingness of the patients to be treated.

Recognizing that relapses are common and that patient attitudes factor into the success or failure of treatments also is an admission that dependencies, emotional and physical traumas, and other conditions that require rehabilitation are complex, and that many factors need to be considered in devising rehabilitation treatments and protocols that work. The reality of relapses points to human factors and patient attitudes and inclinations as outlying factors that affect treatment outcomes (NIH; Mayo Clinic Staff; McLellan et al.; WebMD). To be sure, there are aspects of various illnesses, such as drug dependence and the emotional and psychological traumas experienced by soldiers returning from war, that are physiological, and in a way, those who are seeking rehabilitation are those who admit that they don’t have total control of their will.

They easily succumb to the temptations of their addictions, for instance, or they have no willpower to get out of the psychological and emotional traumas that haunt them in the case of soldiers returning from war. This is recognized, and the literature suggests that science and medicine have progressed over the years to provide medications and other related interventions that treat those physical dependencies and allow patients to get over the physical aspects of their conditions.