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Speaking of Psychology · August 20, 2025 · 34m
A Behavioral Treatment That Works for Stimulant Addiction
University of Michigan addiction researcher Lara Coughlin discusses contingency management — the most effective behavioral treatment for stimulant addiction (cocaine, methamphetamine). Why offering tangible, immediate rewards for abstinence works better than traditional talk therapy.
This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.
Canon
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Coughlin: addiction is present bias in its most extreme form. Drug use provides immediate reward; recovery provides delayed reward. Every treatment that relies on delayed benefits (therapy, social support, health improvement) is fighting against the brain's temporal discounting system.
Highlights
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Contingency management — offering immediate rewards for abstinence — is the most effective behavioral treatment for stimulant addiction
Coughlin: contingency management (CM) provides tangible, immediate rewards (gift cards, vouchers, prizes) for negative drug tests. It's the only behavioral intervention with robust evidence for treating stimulant addiction, which has no approved pharmacological treatment.Was this useful?