Tens of thousands of families in America probably want to know just how they can intervene in their  loved one’s addiction.  I would say do it fast and early.  The more time wasted; the harder it becomes.   There are so many factors that can lead to failure; why add rehab itself as one of the reasons?  Should rehab facilities should be held more accountable to a workable recovery path?   A July 2010 piece called Does Teen Drug Rehab Cure Addiction of Create it, puts this question in an useful perspective.  This article can also be viewed in the Media Awareness Project.   Another piece called Stigma Hinders Drug Users Recovery explores yet another factor of failure.   Addiction is a difficult subject that we are always looking for clarity.  Failure to make a transition to sobriety is a often a failure to find a safe context in which to succeed.  The first year is  a tough one for many.  Education is important because the  more we know about addiction, the more we can accept it for what it is, possibly accepting it as a medical condition.  Save from the courage of a willful addict to come to terms with his own addiction, there is no magic bullet cure.  Anything close to a cure, like methadone or suboxone is only a diversion to another dependence with different challenges.   Harm reduction plays a big role in those choices.   The Blog “drug addiction treatment” asks the question”  Can We Cure Addiction, but doesn’t leave the reader with a “cure”  So far we know that addiction is not cured.  The cravings remain a threat to relapse.   A fair amount of addicts eventually will quit (often with help) and just don’t use “one day at a time”.  Success is gauged on vigilance and a safe context or surroundings.   links by Mary.