Electronic Health Reporter

Technology has been slowly making its way through almost everything in our lives. From simple daily chores, to entertainment, shopping, education and even to medicine, it is everywhere. Not only does it make things more convenient but more accessible as well.

One of the many things that it has revolutionized for the better is addiction treatment!

Yes, that’s right, addiction treatment. From sobriety tracker apps to online counselling assistance, treatment is now easy and more accessible than it ever was. Especially in the time of a pandemic, when a lot of people might not have access to a treatment facility on hand. Here are a few reasons why you need to put your faith in technology for addiction treatment:

Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous is one of the best things to come out of the digitization of addiction treatment. AA is an international forum of people who have faced drinking problems. Anyone can join and seek help from people who have been through alcoholism and can act as a mentor. The book Alcoholics Anonymous first published in 1939 was a collection of stories from people who have been through addiction and later on it was turned into an online platform, making it the world’s largest self-help platforms for alcoholism treatment. It is free of cost and anyone can join it to get help or to be a mentor. They have a large collection of online resources on treatment and self help, that provide help with all stages of alcoholism.

Sobriety Tracker Apps

Sobriety tracker apps also known as sobriety clocks helps recovering addicts track their progress. It alerts them of their goals and achievement, reminding them how long they have been sober and provides them access to online resources in time of need. There are many free of cost sobriety clocks available, some come with smart gadgets to keep a record of the patient’s health as well.

Interactive Treatment Apps

Interactive addiction treatment apps can only be accessed upon prescription from a clinician. They are helpful for people who don’t have access to addiction treatment facilities or can’t stay in one for any reason, providing them a 12 week course of treatment which can be tailored to a person’s need. Remote assistance is great to seek guidance even after a person has left rehab. According to a study, people who use interactive treatment apps are 70% less likely to relapse.

Digital Sober Companion

Having someone you can talk to about your feelings, or readjusting to life always helps. This is why sober companions are really important. People who have been through the same experience as us can relate and connect to us better. Now you can connect to a person from all over the over through sober companion apps. These apps also serve as motivational apps and help the recovering addicts connect with someone with the same interests as themselves, along with helping them find helpful resources and ways to cope with triggers.

Telemedicine

At this point we have all googled our symptoms for various things and sought treatments for self diagnosed diseases. But telemedicine now provides expert help people get remote access to whatever help they need. As for addiction treatment, telemedicine has enabled people to attend recovery therapy remotely. This is encouraging more and more people to do it, who could not attend sessions otherwise due to distance, or lack of financial resources. 

Now comes a really important question:

Can Technology Replace Rehab?

Not anytime soon! Online help is great for people who don’t have access to treatment facilities for the time being, but it cannot replace the interactive sessions and the professional guidance of a licensed counsellor or therapist. Online resources provide crucial support that is needed to stay motivated through recovery. People can join online training programs that are user friendly and easy to understand. They are designed by professionals to help people stay in touch with a healthy alternative in times like these when physical treatment is not a very feasible option.

Technology has changed a lot of things for the better, addiction treatment being one of them. With sober apps to help fight addiction and telemedicine to access immediate help, the future of rehabs and treatment centers has been revolutionized, making it easy to seek treatment and having free access to helping material and resources is just the cherry on the top!