Treatment Approaches That Work
No two recoveries look the same. These thirteen treatment methods — from FDA-approved medication to talk therapy to peer-led groups — are the building blocks programs draw from. Read the ones that sound relevant, then look up where they're offered.
What This Page Is Good For
Medical & Medication Care
FDA-approved medications, prescribed under medical supervision
Medication-assisted treatment brings FDA-approved medications together with counseling and behavioral therapy to support people recovering from opioid and alcohol use disorders.
Learn MoreSuboxone pairs buprenorphine with naloxone to quiet opioid cravings and ease withdrawal so daily life feels possible again.
Learn MoreMedical detox is supervised withdrawal care that uses 24/7 monitoring and FDA-approved medications to keep people safe as alcohol or drugs leave the body.
Learn MoreMethadone is a long-acting full opioid agonist dispensed through federally certified opioid treatment programs (OTPs) for opioid use disorder.
Learn MoreVivitrol is a once-monthly extended-release naltrexone injection that blocks opioid receptors and reduces alcohol cravings without producing any opioid effects of its own.
Learn MoreEvidence-Based Therapies
Treatments tested in formal studies, with measurable outcomes behind them
Trauma-focused therapy is the umbrella for evidence-based, phased protocols — CPT, Prolonged Exposure, TF-CBT, and Seeking Safety — that treat PTSD and co-occurring addiction in one integrated plan.
Learn MoreCBT is the foundational, APA-recommended talk therapy for substance use — it teaches you to map the thought-feeling-behavior loop behind cravings and rebuild it with new coping skills and relapse-prevention tools.
Learn MoreDBT is a third-wave behavioral therapy that teaches a four-module skills curriculum — mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness — so the urges that drive substance use can be ridden out without acting on them.
Learn MoreEMDR pairs bilateral stimulation with focused recall to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories that often sit beneath addiction.
Learn MoreFamily therapy treats addiction inside the family system — using evidence-based protocols like CRAFT, MDFT, and Behavioral Couples Therapy to engage loved ones, rebuild trust, and protect long-term recovery.
Learn MoreThe Matrix Model is a manualized 16-week intensive outpatient curriculum that combines CBT, family education, 12-step facilitation, and weekly urine testing to support recovery from cocaine and methamphetamine use disorder.
Learn MoreContingency management is a manualized operant-conditioning protocol that pays out small, escalating vouchers or fishbowl-draw prizes for each verified-negative drug test, with the strongest evidence base of any behavioral treatment for stimulant use disorder.
Learn MorePeer & Community Support
Mutual-aid groups and the long quiet work of recovering alongside others
12-step programs are free, peer-led fellowships that work the same 12 steps and Twelve Traditions Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith laid down in Akron, Ohio in 1935.
Learn MoreFrequently Asked Questions
Three Things Sustained Recovery Tends to Need
Mind
Therapy that reshapes thought patterns, builds coping skills, and gives shape to the reasons substance use took hold in the first place.
Body
Medical care, FDA-approved medications when they fit, sleep, food, and the slow physical work of feeling like yourself again.
Community
People who get it — peers, family, faith communities, sponsors — and a sense of purpose that gives the next sober day a point.
Finding the Right Fit
Things That Shape the Treatment Plan
- • The substance: Different addictions respond to different therapies
- • The history: What's been tried before tells the next clinician a lot
- • Other health pieces: Co-occurring conditions need integrated care, not parallel care
- • Personal values: Faith-based, secular, harm-reduction — pick what you'll actually engage with
- • The shape of life: Childcare, work, school, and family logistics matter as much as clinical fit
Most Plans Mix Several Methods
You almost never have to pick one approach. Reputable programs assemble a plan that braids clinical therapy with peer support and complementary practices, and adjust as the weeks pass.