NOT AFTER 89 YEARS –
Jan. 26, 2024 – The SUD treatment industry is beginning to move away from an abstinence-only approach to care and towards harm-reduction and medication-assisted treatment approaches. Research demonstrates that abstinence-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment is deadlier than no treatment at all.
Despite shifts in the industry away from a concept of recovery that involves strict abstinence, providers say that more traditional approaches will remain an essential part of the treatment spectrum.
The abstinence-only treatment industry is heavily influenced by the 12-step program model popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). AA involves group meetings and 12 “spiritual principles” designed to lead participants to sobriety.
The 12-step model is still widely used today, with 65% of SUD facilities reporting using it in 2020, according to SAMHSA’s National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services.
Methods of recovery besides the 12-step model are becoming more popular, however.
