What is success?

And at what price?

Finding answers to these questions is a challenge for people trying to decide where to seek treatment for addiction to alcohol and other drugs. Complicating the effort is the emotion of the crisis that usually precedes a decision. And misperceptions and expectations about treatment often exacerbate the process.

"We are such a 'fix' and 'cure' culture that we often get confused about the goal of addiction treatment," said Ron Hunsicker, the president and CEO of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. "It is important to remember that addiction is a chronic disease which is never cured. Treatment is successful if it helps an individual and their family to begin the journey of recovery and transformation and if it provides the individual with resources and information to assist them along the way."

Dear Mr. Moyers: Desperate and at the end of our rope, our family spent much time and even more money to get Mom into treatment back in April. Mom's drinking got to the point that her doctor said she would die of cirrhosis if she didn't quit for good. She was actually yellow; that's how bad it was. The treatment center was very expensive (almost $40,000), but it claimed to cure the problem with 60 percent of the people there. After 50 days, she got out and promptly got drunk. Now we're left with credit card debt to pay for a treatment that failed. Mom's worse than ever before, too! It's not fair. We're frustrated and angry. Now what should we do? — Deidre N. in Lexington, Ky.

Dear Deidre: Don't second-guess yourself. It's not easy to decide where to turn for help, especially when it's your mother. The facility in question has been around for four decades and does good work with most of its patients. It doesn't claim to "cure" the problem. (That's your term.) It promises to assist patients to manage their addictions, just like diabetes. Success is possible as long as the patient is a willing participant in the process both during the treatment and afterward. Otherwise it won't work. Clearly, there is something in the way of your mother's ability to recover. Her treatment isn't for naught, though, provided she follows the aftercare recommendations. Encourage her not to give up. But only she can do it.

Dear Mr. Moyers: Can methamphetamine addiction be treated? Our 25-year-old daughter's been hooked on meth for two years now. Her teeth have fallen out. She's been arrested twice and beaten and robbed more than we care to know. Lord knows what else she's done or had done to her on the streets. At this moment, she's in the hospital with pneumonia. The doctor and nurses say she's an addict. But they tell us there's not much hope because there's not much success treating meth addicts. Supposedly, the treatment that's offered costs $100,000. Getting her help is priceless to us, but that's a price we simply cannot afford. Is there any hope? — Carl G. in Tucson, Ariz.

Dear Carl: Yes, there is hope. The widespread belief that methamphetamine treatment isn't effective is false. It's the same thing that happened when the crack-cocaine epidemic exploded. There are effective treatments, but they're not as available as they should be. The treatment shouldn't cost six figures, either. A high price tag doesn't guarantee a better outcome. For inspiration, read David Sheff's new book, "Beautiful Boy," about his son's meth addiction and recovery. For treatment options, go to the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers Web site (www.naatp.org). Keep the faith.

William C. Moyers is the vice president of external affairs for the Hazelden Foundation and the author of "Broken," a best-selling memoir. The paperback edition was released in August 2007. Please send your questions to William Moyers at William@WilliamMoyers.com. To find out more about William Moyers and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.