I try to keep abreast of research within the substance abuse treatment field. it’s important that I keep on top of the latest and greatest evidence. But sometimes, the research is kind of dumb. The methods may be sound and do lead to the presented conclusions, but the study shows what is probably already understood. For example, I read a study that showed that life skills training coupled with peer support had better outcomes than just standard outpatient treatment. Duh. The researchers must think that people who need recovery have access to all kinds of opportunities to these life skills workshops and peers who can guide them. They seem to thing that someone with psychosis who’s addicted to heroin can just go to wal-mart and pick up a life skill and a peer supporter along with a gallon of milk. doesn’t happen.
As a substance abuse treatment provider, it’s really obvious that if I can teach life skills and then find a peer support system for a client, he will have better chances of sustained recovery. I don’t need research to tell me that; heck, 12-step programs have been advocating relationship skills and peer support for years. They work. The steps themselves are life skills, really. They teach a person to have a better relationship with self, God, and others. Plus, sponsors are the archtypical peer support workers. The problem isn’t that we don’t know like skills and peer support work. The problem is that most people with co-occuring psychois and substance abuse don’t want to learn life skills. Nor do they really want to talk with peers, unless those peers can help them score.
I wouldn’t be surprised if research comes out that’s titled, “People who eat live longer than people who don’t.” what I really want to learn is how to sell a healthier life. I want the ability to teach people to want recovery. What researchers should study are ways people can learn to want to give up their substances. Recovery isn’t easy, but it seems like researchers think it is. One day, maybe they’ll tell me something that I don’t know. Until then, maybe i’ll read a study that conclusively proves that water is, in fact, wet.
