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"If a plant is wilting and starting to die, you can't simply treat the flowers, the leaves, or the stem.  While those visible areas may be where the problem manifests itself and is most visible, where the problem really lies is deeper down, in the roots - the part that's not immediately visible.  In this sense, plant care and addiction treatment have something in common.  Until you begin working at the "root level," any type of treatment you're providing is purely topical and cosmetic.  Treating surface issues on plants and people might make both of them "appear" to be better, but until you treat the "root" issues, the problem just keeps coming back."

The Philosophy Of All Positive Options.com

Meth Requires Re-Thinking The Whole Concept of Treatment

Any community that thinks treating meth addiction is just like treating other addictions is grossly underestimating the task at hand.  There are a host of issues with meth addiction treatment that not only affect how the formal treatment is administered, but also the aftercare component of treatment - an important area in any drug or alcohol treatment program, but nothing less than critical when it comes to meth treatment. We believe you'll come away from this section understanding that like all other aspects of meth, treatment considerations for it are going to take re-training and re-thinking.

The Ideal

At All Positive Options, we don't live in a vacuum, and we're fully aware that the treatment someone receives for their addiction in any given area or region of North America is dictated and limited by a number of "real-world" factors, not the least of which is available funding.  So the challenge (as always) is to convince decision and policy makers that by spending more up front, it will cost drastically less in the long-term.

If we were to develop what we felt was an "ideal" treatment model for methamphetamine, it would include, but not be limited to the following principles:

• Every region or jurisdiction would develop a consistent, standardized, and validated method for assessing the exact nature and severity of a person’s chemical dependency problem.  Over and above such basic issues as polydrug use, this would also be made more effective by clear communication channels between the various responsible agencies.

• Once the assessment has been completed, an "action plan" or "case plan" is developed that addresses the individual's treatment needs within the context of their individual circumstances.  (This would require looking at the individual in a very "holistic" manner, taking into account their family obligations, level of education, legal constraints, vocational needs, psychological issues, pre-existing disorders, etc.)

• The "action plan" is then acted on in a timely fashion, by providing the necessary treatment on the basis it's required by the responsible agencies.

• There would be implementation of recovery and relapse prevention services.  In addition to operating within an overall "continuum of care," they would also recognize that recovery from substance abuse is an ongoing, life-long process that doesn't end at the conclusion of formal treatment, but actually begins at that point.

Well, that's a few of the components of what we'd see as an ideal type of approach to meth treatment.  But unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world.  On the next page, we'll look at the real world of meth treatment in many areas today.  And as you'll see, it's far from "ideal."

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