What Is the Most Common Treatment for Substance Use Disorder?

When a person is diagnosed with a substance use disorder, the single most common treatment approach recommended by clinicians is medication-assisted treatment combined with behavioral therapy. This integrated strategy addresses both the biological grip of addiction and the behavioral patterns that sustain it. Research consistently shows that combining these methods produces better outcomes than either one alone.

Medication-Assisted Treatment: The Clinical Standard

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) uses FDA-approved medications alongside counseling and behavioral therapies to treat substance use disorders. For opioid use disorders, three primary medications are available: methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Each works differently on brain chemistry, but all help reduce cravings, prevent withdrawal symptoms, and stabilize a person's day-to-day functioning.

Alcohol use disorders have their own set of approved medications. Naltrexone blocks the pleasurable effects of alcohol, acamprosate helps restore chemical balance in the brain after prolonged drinking, and disulfiram causes unpleasant physical reactions when alcohol is consumed. The choice of medication depends on individual health factors, substance use history, and patient preference.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, MAT reduces opioid overdose deaths by roughly half. That statistic alone makes it the most significant advancement in addiction treatment over the past two decades.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Addiction Treatment

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches people to recognize the thought patterns and situations that lead to substance use. A therapist works with the individual to identify high-risk triggers, challenge distorted thinking about drugs or alcohol, and build practical coping strategies. Sessions are structured and goal-oriented, typically running 12 to 16 weeks in outpatient settings.

What makes CBT particularly valuable for substance use disorders is its durability. Skills learned during treatment continue to protect against relapse long after sessions end. People learn to interrupt the automatic connection between a stressful situation and reaching for a substance. Over time, these new patterns become second nature.

Motivational Interviewing: Building Readiness for Change

Not everyone who enters treatment is fully ready to stop using substances. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a counseling technique designed for exactly that situation. Rather than confronting a person about their use, the counselor explores ambivalence through open-ended questions and reflective listening. The goal is to help the individual find their own reasons for change.

MI works well as an early intervention or as a complement to other therapies. Research shows it is effective even in brief sessions, making it accessible in primary care, emergency rooms, and community health settings. For many people in Western Colorado, motivational interviewing is the first therapeutic experience that feels collaborative rather than judgmental.

Twelve-Step Facilitation and Mutual Support Groups

Twelve-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous remain among the most widely available recovery supports in the United States. Twelve-step facilitation therapy is a structured clinical approach that helps individuals engage with these community groups. It emphasizes acceptance of addiction as a chronic condition, surrender of the illusion of control over substance use, and active participation in a recovery fellowship.

Mutual support groups offer something that clinical treatment cannot fully replicate: ongoing peer connection with others who share the experience of recovery. Meeting attendance has been linked to sustained abstinence across multiple studies. For people living in rural areas where formal treatment services may require significant travel, weekly group meetings provide a vital lifeline between appointments.

Group Therapy and Skills-Based Programs

Group therapy provides a structured environment where individuals work on recovery skills alongside peers. Sessions typically focus on relapse prevention, communication skills, emotional regulation, and building healthy relationships. The group setting normalizes the recovery experience and reduces the isolation that many people with substance use disorders face.

Skills-based programs like the Matrix Model combine group sessions with individual counseling, family education, and drug testing into a comprehensive outpatient framework. Originally developed for stimulant use disorders, these structured programs have been adapted for other substances as well.

Why Combined Treatment Works Best

No single treatment method works for every person. The most effective programs recognize this reality by combining multiple approaches tailored to individual needs. Medication stabilizes brain chemistry while behavioral therapy addresses the psychological and social dimensions of addiction. Peer support fills the gaps between clinical visits with community and accountability.

Matching treatment intensity to the severity of a person's condition also matters. Someone with a mild use disorder may respond well to outpatient counseling and support groups. A person with severe dependence, co-occurring mental health conditions, or unstable housing may need residential treatment or intensive outpatient programming. Assessment guides these decisions, and treatment plans evolve as a person progresses through recovery.

For more on how different treatment approaches compare in effectiveness, our companion guide breaks down the research. You can also explore the scientific evidence behind modern treatment methods for a deeper look at clinical outcomes.