Is the treatment individual, group, or family-based? Can I choose? In UniAdic The patient may begin different treatment approaches, whether individual, group, and/or family-based. These are not mutually exclusive; rather, after making a preliminary diagnosis and evaluating the case, the team of professionals recommends different treatment plans to the patient depending on the specific situation. Here are some examples we have encountered:

  1. Does that mean I can't choose whether I want individual, group, or family therapy?. In short, we believe that while the patient may have some understanding or knowledge of their condition, they “should not” be the one to decide on the most appropriate treatment. Just as in the case of surgery or any other medical specialty, we believe that we, as the professional team, are best qualified to evaluate the patient’s condition and recommend treatment; and if the patient does not consider our approach appropriate, they have the opportunity and freedom to choose other alternatives.
  2. I've already tried individual, group, or family therapy (or a combination of all three), and it didn't work. I just want to try something different.  It is common for patients dealing with an addictive disorder to have undergone various treatments and hospitalizations, with little or no success. Unfortunately, this is a reality, since the only way we professionals can guarantee abstinence is through a 24-hour, 7-day residential program with external supervision. And we do not consider control or coercion as criteria for admission; rather, admission must follow strict medical and psychological criteria. To summarize, from the patient’s perspective, we understand their frustration and demands, but we cannot and should not tailor treatments to the patients’ specific requests, not because we are unable to do so, but because often, due to the nature of the addiction itself, neither the patient nor the family (who are also affected) can view the situation from an outside perspective; and frequently, the well-intentioned solutions proposed by the family and the patient only further reinforce the problem and perpetuate it.
  3. If I don't want to involve my family or start a group, do I have to? Absolutely NOT. We prioritize individual psychotherapy with patients because we believe that, although it is more demanding for the professional team (fewer psychoeducational interventions and more psychotherapy are conducted), it is more effective for the patients. We don’t force anything or anyone; the most important aspect of the motivational model is to support patients, not to force them to change. Change will occur and be sustained in this way—not by coercion, but by persuasion.