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Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2017, 19, N2 (pages: 69 - 74)

How to Improve a Poorly Running Agonist Opioid Treatment. Part 3: realistic Goals

Ulmer A., and Meinhold C.

Summary: Background: Each treatment needs a goal. Patients have often reported that unrealistic goals were being pursued, when the treatment of an addiction disease was running poorly. Methods: In response to that situation, we conducted a survey involving 53 Agonist Opioid Treatment (AOT) patients from our practice: “Do you too experience this problem in our treatment?” Results: At least 32.1% of the interviewees answered in the affirmative, predominantly by referring to their past experiences. They most frequently had to do with the consumption of alcohol and the dosage, but also dealt with benzodiazepines, employment, education and other topics. The most interesting aspect was that many answers were much more extensive. Common goals require cooperation in a partnership, while experiencing a feeling of dignity. Several patients went as far as to use the term ‘trust'. Conclusions: We should always be aware that single patients are a personal responsibility for us, as should be true of all other patients, not just being perceived as a number in a programme.