The truth about addiction
Every week parents, spouses, siblings and friends call our office about relatives addicted to prescription and illegal drugs. Many are desperate to secure help for their loved one.
Most are frustrated by the inability to secure the help needed. Most callers have limited resources. The majority of addicts have no insurance and treatment facilities for addicts are limited. Many are frustrated by the refusal of a majority of addicts to accept help or enter treatment.
The addiction problem is growing. Both adolescents and adults are experimenting with all types of drugs. Adolescents are drinking alcohol and don’t realize they are damaging their brain and physical health. Many are smoking marijuana and have bought into the lie that marijuana is harmless when in fact marijuana causes the most damage to the brains of adolescents. Add to this other dangerous drugs that cause serious neurological damage and you begin to see the true picture. Far too many individuals have died prematurely and unnecessarily because they were chasing a better high. The majority were uninformed or misinformed about the effects of drugs on the brain and body.
What is the answer to this problem? First, the public needs to be educated on the effects and dangers involved in drug experimentation and use. Forums on addiction and drugs need to be held throughout the County.
Secondly, we must provide more inpatient and outpatient programs modeled on the Drug Court. One of the most successful inpatient treatment programs I know requires addicts to complete two years of treatment. Their success rate of those completing the program is more than 85 percent. The vast majority of addicts completing this program are court ordered.
Third, citizens, churches, civic organizations and businesses need to become more involved. Unfortunately, some have the attitude the drug problem doesn’t affect them. The truth is, drug problems affect all of us. Thefts, accidents and violence require more law enforcement personnel and increase taxes. It is estimated that all costs related to alcohol and drug abuse cost taxpayers more than 450 billion dollars a year.
When it comes to addiction, society needs to get smart. Studies show that treatment saves money. For example, every dollar spent on treatment saves six to eight dollars in court costs, incarceration costs and health related costs. Also, the cost of addiction to society in general is growing in the loss of life and productivity.
The solution is for all of us to become involved in the formation of a workable solution. John L Bledsoe, DMin, PhD Certified Substance Abuse Professional Diplomate Co-Occurring Disorders Professional