Addiction Treatments Integrate Medication and Counseling
Addictive behavior seems to come very easily for some, while others are able to avoid certain vices in their lives. At this time of the New Year arriving, a number of individuals struggling with addictions will pledge to overcome their addictions in favor of a healthier lifestyle.
In this New Britain Herald report, the addictive habit of smoking was explored and how medical professionals at the UConn Health Center expect to see a wide variety of smokers register for cessation programs this month.
Dr. William White highlighted that January is resolution time and that generally means a busy time for the Center. And, a number of ongoing health center smoking studies have shown that the programs in place are yielding impressive results.
One individual joined White’s yearlong program, inspired by the fact that the program offered counseling two times a week. The accountability included in the program helped the individual to achieve success. He also had the help of round-the-clock monitoring on a device not much larger than an iPod.
Programs implemented by White examine how smoking and smoking cessation affect blood pressure, as well as the impact counseling can have on helping people to stay away from cigarettes altogether.
All participants receive 24-hour blood pressure monitoring to identify fluctuations before and after they stop smoking. The study also randomly divides participants into two treatment groups.
Both groups receive Chantix, an FDA-approved smoking cessation medication. Studies have shown Chantix can more than double the change of successfully quitting, compared with other types of treatments.
The success of these programs raises awareness of such treatments, suggesting there may be alternative methods that can be applied for other addictions.
