What does “harm reduction” mean in addiction therapy?
Harm reduction is basically a model that has just recently been brought to the field of addictions. Harm reduction is the standard orientation or philosophy of relating to clients or people with addictions. The goal is not necessarily abstinence. The goal with someone with an addiction and going through a harm-reduction approach is that they reduce the harm that it’s causing them. For example, we get in our car and we put on our seatbelt not because there’s no danger out there, but rather we’re going to minimize the danger by putting on our seatbelt so we don’t get hurt that bad if there should be an accident. That’s the orientation in general medicine. That’s brand new or fairly new to the field of addiction because the addiction field has been very biased in that moral, bad-person, sort of philosophy. To suggest anything other than 100 percent abstinence implies that there may be something else going on other than the biological or disease component. So, harm reduction is very progressive, and very provocative, but it is the cutting edge, I believe, of how addictions will be worked with in the future.
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I am glad to see that the harm reduction model is getting more advertising. I am a firm believer in harm reduction. I am also an advocate/activist. I am opening a needle exchange in South Eastern Nebraska. I wish you the very best in your busness and I hope you will help many.
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