When you are considering marijuana rehab, you should know the types of treatment available to you. While some treatments are still unavailable, there are choices to be made and a person should choose the treatment best suited to them.
Medication
According to the NIDA, “Currently, no medications are available to treat marijuana abuse, but research is active in this area.” There are current clinical trials where drugs are being tested for their effectiveness at treating marijuana addiction and withdrawal. Most clinical trials are focused on the withdrawal symptoms caused by marijuana dependence and the drugs which may be able to treat this. According to a study from the NCBI, “Buspirone is the only medication to date that has shown efficacy for cannabis dependence in a controlled clinical trial.”
However, just because there is no official medication to treat marijuana addiction does not mean that you will be denied medication if it would be beneficial. Certain clinics treat the depressive symptoms that result from withdrawal with antidepressants and other pharmacological treatments may be prescribed depending on the needs of the patient and the severity of their symptoms.
Behavioral Therapy
Behavioral therapy is the most commonly used treatment for drug addiction and recovery, and marijuana abuse is not exception. CBT, or cognitive-behavioral therapy, is one of the most commonly used behavioral treatments when it comes to marijuana rehab. According to the NIDA, “Individuals in CBT learn to identify and correct problematic behaviors by applying a range of different skills that can be used to stop drug abuse and to address a range of other problems that often co-occur with it.”
Behavioral therapy is a common method of marijuana rehab.
CBT entails the teaching of patients to look at their drug abuse in a different way, to cope with stressors in a way that is not destructive and does not require the use of marijuana, and to self-monitor and be able to recognize triggers and cravings when they occur and even beforehand. Other behavioral therapy options in marijuana rehab are:
- Contingency management- patients are given rewards for abstinence in order to retrain the reward pathway of their brains
- Family therapy- patients are able to learn what their families think and how they can work together to diminish drug abuse (a very beneficial treatment with adolescents)
- Group therapy- patients meet other patients like themselves and work through their treatment as a group
Support Groups
Support groups, while different from group therapy, are another integral part of marijuana rehab for many individuals. Often, people who attend support groups after formal addiction treatment claim that they help them just as much as the latter.
Support groups provide:
- Role models in sponsors
- A less strict environment for addiction recovery
- A treatment option for those who have just finished or cannot attend formal rehab
- A support system for those who do not have one
- A place for patients to share their feelings with other individuals who are experiencing the same issues
There are several different types of treatment for marijuana rehab and, over the years, there will likely be more. The most important aspect of choosing a treatment type is that the patient’s needs are met and the treatment serves them.