Recovery from addiction is a journey. There’s no one-and-done solution

The atmosphere inside the Allen House is easygoing as residents circulate freely through the hallways, meet in group sessions, or gather on a large outdoor patio that features a dirt volleyball court with an oversize net. At a time when drug use is among the nation's gravest public health crises, a visit to the Allen House offers key lessons: Addiction is a chronic illness requiring constant vigilance, there's no one-and-done solution, and relapses are part of the journey to recovery. "If we talked about treating other chronic illnesses like diabetes or asthma in the same way we often approach treating substance use, people would think we were crazy" A page on the website of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration allows you to find practitioners in your area who treat patients with buprenorphine. "If we talked about treating other chronic illnesses like diabetes or asthma in the same way we often approach treating substance use, people would think we were crazy or would sue the doctor for malpractice," says Bradley Stein, a psychiatrist and senior physician policy researcher at the Rand Corp. Finding the treatment that is right for you or a loved one will take legwork. People who need to be shielded from exposure to a dealer or a toxic domestic situation, require detox, or have mental health or medical conditions on top of their drug use generally are better off in a residential setting, says Randolph Holmes, medical director of the Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse.