Treatment for drug addiction: it won't work if they don't receive it.

Treatment won’t work if it is not administered. Penicillin will not effectively treat streptococcal pneumonia if patients don’t take it, and take it as prescribed. Insulin won’t help a diabetic if it is not used. Cognitive therapy for panic disorder won’t work if all the therapy sessions are missed. And treatment for drug addiction will not work if the addict is not engaged and retained in treatment. Although engagement, retention, and compliance are problems for the treatment of virtually every medical and mental disorder, these issues are especially problematic for drug addiction treatment.