GivingMatters.com - Addiction
The Issue
For
every $1 spent on addiction treatment, $12 are saved on future social,
medical and criminal justice costs. Yet addiction services for poor
and uninsured people are provided mostly by nonprofits that are dependent
on funding through competitive grants, private donations and modest
payment by patients. These centers are always busy, and patient waiting
lists are long.
Treatment providers agree that gender-specific treatment is needed for women. Special treatment models are also more effective in meeting the needs of adolescents and dual diagnosed (mental health and addiction diagnosis) individuals. Additionally, distinctive treatment options are needed for addictions including gambling, pornography, nicotine, and some eating disorders.
Exacerbating the issue, negative public attitudes about substance abuse frequently keep addicts from seeking the treatment they so desperately need. Women are especially vulnerable to the social stigma of addiction. For example, the “disease concept” of addiction is largely shared by treatment professionals, but many in the community still consider addiction an emotional weakness or moral failing.
Facts
- Drug abuse and addiction contribute to crime, domestic violence, child abuse, school dropout rates, homelessness, loss of employment, and risky sexual behavior.
- Tobacco is a key gateway drug for teens.
- An estimated 6% of Tennesseans are dependent on alcohol, and another 2.8% are dependent on drugs based on figures from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
- Davidson County has an estimated 50,000 uninsured persons. Of those, 11,000 need treatment for mental health disorders and 5,000-7,500 need treatment for substance abuse, according to a study by the University of Tennessee.
- Sixty-five percent of children ages 10 and up in the juvenile detention center in Nashville admit to substance abuse. As many as 90% of them have mental health problems.
Faces
Samantha graduated from a prestigious college and found her first
job in the financial sector. Not long after securing the position
she began arriving late, calling in sick and having trouble with
anxiety. She was referred to the Employee Assistance Program but
never went and soon lost her job.
It did not take long for Samantha to hit rock bottom due to her addiction. Samantha stole from her mother’s home, woke up in filthy places and lost her car.
In-patient treatment was not available without insurance, so Samantha went to a women’s out-patient treatment center. After repeated relapses, she was admitted to a long-term residential treatment center and then rented an apartment in a recovery community where everyone was trying to stay clean and sober.
Samantha finally found an employer willing to take a chance and is putting her life back together with the serenity of recovery living.
How you can help
- Support area treatment centers and prevention programs so they can offer sliding-scale fees to low-income and uninsured people needing help.
- Help change attitudes about addiction in your community so addicts will ask for help and enter treatment.
- Remove barriers to treatment including transportation, child care and fear of losing employment.
- Help an area youth steer clear of addiction by becoming a mentor or by supporting neighborhood-based after-school programs or youth centers.
- Support tobacco prevention and smoking cessation programs.
Return
to GivingMatters.com to learn about nonprofits addressing this issue.
