So what are we dealing with? It is often the mindset of those who have problems with substance abuse that they are a minority and somehow alone. The fact is many people struggle with this same thing and many also overcome to live happy productive lives. You are not alone. Approximately 22.1 million Americans 12 years and older need specialized treatment for a substance abuse problem; that’s roughly 7.5% of the U.S. population. Of these Americans only 2.6 million or 11.2% actually receive treatment in one form or another. That leaves 19.5 million Americans in need of substance abuse treatment; some currently searching.
If we take a closer look at what these Americans are dealing with, it is found that 15 million (68%) are troubled by alcohol alone, 4.2 million (19%) by illicit drugs alone, and 2.9 million (13%) by both alcohol and drugs. This correlates into over 30% of Americans suffering from alcohol abuse. So you are looking for treatment; probably for yourself or someone very close to you. Either way I am sure you want to find something effective while also being logistically reasonable. Data from 2009 showed that only 47% of individuals that started treatment completed while 25% dropped out and 14% transferred to a different treatment median. This author believes that many of these cases are due to the lack of quality and individuality common to many programs.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that ideal treatment should reflect the following ideas; that a quality program understands addiction to be a disease; utilizes multiple avenue of treatment to include medical, psychiatric, and counseling; maintains a continuum of care that is adaptive to the needs of the individual both initially and throughout the duration of treatment; utilizes medications as a tool combined with other therapies shown to be effective; and provides some kind of continuing support as duration of treatment is directly related to benefits to the client.
So what would a quality program look like? A quality treatment program would include medication combined with counseling and psychiatric care. It would individualize the program so as not to "cookie cut" treatment. It would offer aftercare or some sort of support groups that the client could utilize even after the completion of their primary program. It would adapt to each client, not only upon the initiation of treatment, but also throughout the program; rapidly adapting to the needs of each client. It would constantly monitor toxicology as relapse is often a part of this process. And most importantly is would be genuine and caring to its clients.
It is this author’s beliefs that while searching for a quality program that will go the "extra distance" in providing effective treatment the ideas discussed here should be addressed. Of these ideas an ability to adapt to client’s needs both initially and throughout a program seems to be lost some of the time. Whether this is due to an organizations size or structure it is vital that this entity be malleable to one’s care. The idea that anyone is doing you a favor by "allowing" you into their program is a misconception; an idea that plagues the substance abuse treatment field. Most programs have an initial consultation; this is your chance to interview your provider. You deserve the best care possible but ultimately it is your responsibility to make the best choice. Ask questions and find out what programs are all about, you will be glad you did.
www.midwestinstituteforaddiction.org
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