Break Down The Barriers To Getting The Addiction Treatment You Need
There are currently more than 21 million people with an addiction in the US, representing one in 12 individuals in need of treatment for drug addiction. There is no hard and fast profile of an addict, despite generalized misconceptions. In fact, anybody of any age or walk of life can be concealing addiction issues without realizing they need drug addiction treatment. Because of this difficulty in identifying addiction and the fact that many sufferers will also be in denial of their issues, there are considerable barriers in the way of drug rehab addiction treatment for many people.
Whether the obstacles to treatment are perceived or resulting from social stigma towards addiction, it is a significant issue in the United States, where an estimated 90% of addicts fail to seek specialist help.
Here we take a look at some of the obstacles to drug addiction treatment and how they can be overcome.
Addicts Can Be In Denial
Although it might be more likely to think that people don’t pursue professional drug addiction treatment because of affordability issues, it is, in fact, less likely to be the case. The majority of people with addictions who fail to seek treatment – 95% to be exact – don’t see the need for it, despite the wreckage caused in their personal lives and the significant financial and emotional costs.
Being in denial usually coincides with an addict becoming isolated and withdrawn from those close to them, driving their issues further underground and removing treatment from their agenda. It is not uncommon for addicts to be completely oblivious to the damage being done to others because of the disease, and they often have no regard for the consequences of their behavior. Until such times as they are prepared to confront and face the consequences of their illness, treatment remains the farthest thing from their minds.
They Are Not Ready To Stop Using
Coming to the point of abstinence can be like an extreme version of someone going on a weight loss diet. Starting the diet or stopping using become things that are scheduled to start ‘as from Monday’ or ‘next month’, with the commencement date constantly being shifted forward as each deadline passes. However, this is a much more dangerous state of mind for addicts because by telling themselves they’ll be getting help at some point in the future, it allows for over-indulgence until that date.
Around 40% of addicts are not prepared to seek drug rehab addiction treatment because they don’t feel ready to stop using or they just don’t want to. Addiction can become almost like a comfort zone for many sufferers and combined with a natural resistance to change that we all have, can lead to them retreating further into the disease. Often, when addicts begin to withdraw from family and friends, this can signal their addiction has deepened and they need to be pulled out from their isolation in order to get the help they need. Sometimes, an addict can reach this point of their own volition but in most cases, it takes a third party, a traumatic incident or a significant loss to motivate them to check into a drug addiction treatment center.
They Are Concerned With What Others Think
There is undoubtedly stigma surrounding addiction, even today. This can weigh very heavily on the shoulders of addicts whether they have completed treatment or not and can represent a big obstacle to receiving drug and alcohol treatment. Humans have a natural propensity to want to ‘fit in’ with others around them and people with addiction feel their issues make them stand out. Fear of being misunderstood or harshly judged is a very real issue for someone with the disease and can lead to a sense of isolation and even depression. Around 10% of addicts are concerned about social stigma to such a degree that they avoid treatment.
Statistics show that there are currently too many people with addiction disease who are suffering in silence, including 1 in 20 adolescents. Despite society’s better understanding of addiction being a clinical issue rather than a lifestyle choice, there is still an overwhelming bias in favor of these outdated attitudes. Unfortunately, the responsibility falls on the shoulders of close friends and families of sufferers to play their part in checking them into a drug addiction treatment center if they are unable to do so themselves.
His House Rehab offers industry leading Addiction Treatment Programs. We were founded in 1994 and we base our Drug and Alcohol Treatment programs on five key principles: commitment, honesty, integrity, respect, and service. These five principles guide us in all that we do and all the care we provide. Contact us today to see how we can help you or your loved one.
