Addiction Treatment
HomeDid You Know?
Substance abuse costs our nation more than $484 Billion/year
The costs of drug abuse are as substantial as that of other chronic conditions:
- Diabetes costs society $131.7 billion annually
- Cancer costs society $171.6 billion annually
This includes health care expenditures, lost earnings, and costs associated with crime and accidents. This is an enormous burden that affects all of society - those who abuse these substances, and those who don't.
(Source: NIDA)
Community:
- Homelessness: 31% of America's homeless suffer from drug abuse or alcoholism.
- Crime: As many as 60% of adults in Federal prisons are there for drug-related crimes.
- Education: Children with prenatal cocaine exposure are more likely (1.5 times) to need special education services in school. Special education costs for this population are estimated at $23 million per year.
- The Workplace: In 1997, illicit drug users were more likely than others to have missed 2 or more days of work in the past month and to have worked for three or more employers in the past year.
Illicit drugs and alcohol are addictive. Statistics show that the younger you are when you experiment with illicit drugs or alcohol the more likely you are to become an addict in later life. Addiction runs in families. It is a risk when you do illicit drugs or alcohol. You play with your life, with your personality, with your future and with addiction.
It is not only illicit drugs and alcohol that are problems. There are other ways of getting high that don't technically fall into either category. Legal substances used in illegal ways. When misused, prescription drugs can be just as addictive and just as destructive as illicit drugs. Inhalants are becoming a big problem. Inhalants are otherwise legal substances used in a manner that causes them to get you high. Some substances used in this fashion include; aerosol cleaners, gasoline, cleaning fluids, butane, and acetone. These things are not illegal to sell or buy, they are not controlled substances and they are relatively cheap when compared with drugs or alcohol.
Just what is addiction?
Addiction begins with drug abuse when an individual makes a conscious choice to use drugs, but addiction is not just "a lot of drug use." Recent scientific research provides overwhelming evidence that not only do drugs interfere with normal brain functioning creating powerful feelings of pleasure, but they also have long-term effects on brain metabolism and activity. At some point, changes occur in the brain that can turn drug abuse into addiction, a chronic, relapsing illness. The two most important factors in determining addiction are tolerance and physical dependency. Those addicted to drugs suffer from a compulsive drug craving and usage and cannot quit by themselves. When you are addicted you need whatever it is that feeds that addiction. Addiction is terribly destructive. It hurts you and those who care about you. It’s not easy to overcome but you can get help once you have acknowledged that it is a problem. Treatment is necessary to end the compulsive behavior.
An addict’s brain is an altered brain. The brain cells change chemically, physically and genetically. An addict’s brain has been taken over by a substance and can no longer feel normal without using. When the substance is removed the patient feels the intolerable pain of withdrawal. Acute withdrawal and protracted withdrawal symptoms can last for days, weeks, months or years depending upon the substance and the length of use.
The good news is 90% of addicts who go through the Keystone program of recovery stay clean and sober. “Working a program” means that they get honest, go to recovery group meetings, and get on a journey to a higher power of their own understanding. This is not hard to do but many patients cannot stop using long enough to enter treatment. These patients need inpatient treatment so they can withdraw from their drug of choice safely and then learn a program of recovery. Some addicts will need a halfway house for years after their last use to stay clean and sober.
If you think someone you know or love is addicted, please call 877.762.3740 or click here for a free assessment.
Chat With Us Now
