Drug Addiction Treatment Blog

Alcohol Rehab; Getting Sober and Staying Sober

Various alcohol treatment approaches work differently for different people. Like any chronic disease, however, there are varying degrees of success when it comes to alcohol treatment. Before alcohol rehab can even take place, however, people not only need to admit that they have a drinking problem, but they also need to want to quit drinking and learn how to get sober. Getting sober is obviously an important step in overcoming alcoholism and restoring an individual’s life. Everyone with a drinking problem, however, needs to keep in mind that getting sober is only half the battle. The other half is staying sober.

Although most alcoholics need help to recover from their disease, research has shown that with support, alcohol treatment, and effective alcohol rehab, many people are able to stop drinking, learn how to get sober, remain safe and sober, and restore their lives. In short, abstaining from alcohol is the route to smart and sober living. You can call the national alcohol abuse helpline at 1-800-99-DETOX for help.

Alcohol Rehab and Living Sober

Research studies demonstrate persuasive evidence that quality alcoholism treatment approaches, effective alcoholism intervention, and alcohol dependency prevention attempts not only lead to sobriety, but they also lead to incontrovertible reductions in cancer, hearth disease, child abuse, strokes, traffic fatalities, crime, unwanted pregnancy, HIV, and child abuse.

Effective treatment for alcoholism and drug abuse improves an individual’s quality of life, health, and job performance while at the same time minimizing drug abuse, family dysfunction, and involvement with the criminal justice system. The bottom line: getting sober and staying sober are probably the key factors in alcoholics becoming healthier and reclaiming their lives. You can call the national alcohol abuse helpline at 1-800-99-DETOX for help.

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When it came time for me to enter rehab I never knew there were so many choices. I thought that all drug rehabs in New York would be basically the same. What a shock that was. I went on the internet to check out New York drug rehab and began calling. Much to my surprise, it seemed like every New York drug rehab had their own philosophy and while most seemed to follow the 12 step approach, they all had differences. Rather than try and figure this out, I got frustrated and continued to use for another three or four months.

Addiction Helpline 1-800-99-DETOX

When I finally had had enough, instead of calling a New York rehab, I called one of those addiction helplines. This time I had a professional evaluating my needs and recommending a rehab that could help me. The funny thing was that the drug rehab happened to be a Florida rehab and it was the best thing I ever did. They key though, was calling the addiction helpline and having someone walk me through the process. It made a complicated process simple. Kind of like I keep my recovery program today……..simple.

The addiction helplines I called were 1-800-511-9225 and 1-800-99-DETOX. Both were free and very helpful.

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Roadblocks to Seeking Addiction Treatment

In 2003, about 6 million persons with drug addiction or drug abuse problems did not receive specialty addiction treatment for their drug problem. Among these untreated drug abusers, only 6 percent perceived an unmet need for substance abuse treatment. In 2003, an estimated 17 million persons with alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse did not receive specialty substance abuse treatment for their alcohol problem. Among these untreated alcohol abusers, only 4.5 percent perceived an unmet need for alcohol rehab. Among those who perceived an unmet need for rehab, the most common reasons reported for not receiving rehab were not being ready to stop using the substance and the cost of addiction treatment.

Respondents were also asked whether they had received treatment for a substance abuse problem. In these analysis, an individual was defined as receiving treatment only if he or she reported receiving specialty treatment for alcohol or illicit drugs in the past year. Specialty substance abuse treatment is delivered at alcohol rehab or drug rehabilitation facilities (inpatient or outpatient), hospitals (inpatient only), and mental health centers. Persons are classified as needing treatment for a substance problem if they were dependent on or abused a substance or received specialty substance treatment in the past 12 months.

Respondents who had not received specialty addiction treatment were asked whether there was any time during the past 12 months when they felt they needed treatment or counseling for their alcohol or drug use but did not receive it. Those who answered that they felt they needed treatment (”perceived unmet treatment need”) were then asked to identify the reasons they did not receive treatment.

Illicit Drug Treatment Need

In 2002, about 7.7 million persons aged 12 or older were classified as needing treatment for an illicit drug problem. Of these, 1.4 million (about 18 percent) received specialty treatment in the past year. The rate of treatment need for an illicit drug problem was approximately twice as high for males as for females. The rate was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25. Among racial/ethnic groups, American Indians or Alaska Natives and blacks had the highest rate of treatment need. Among the approximately 6 million persons with untreated illicit drug dependence or abuse, only 6 percent (362,000) reported perceived unmet treatment need.

Alcohol Rehab Need

In 2002, almost 18.6 million persons aged 12 or older were classified as needing treatment for an alcohol problem. Of these, 1.5 million (about 8 percent) received specialty treatment in the past year. The rate of treatment need for alcohol problems was approximately twice as high for males as for females, and the rate of treatment need for young adults aged 18 to 25 was approximately three times higher than in other age groups. Among racial/ethnic groups, American Indians or Alaska Natives had the highest rate of treatment need. Among the 17 million persons with untreated alcohol dependence or abuse, only 4.5 percent (761,000) reported perceived unmet treatment need.

Reasons for Not Receiving Addiction Treatment

Among the 362,000 persons who perceived an unmet substance abuse treatment need for an illicit drug use problem in the past year, the most common reasons given for not receiving rehab treatment were not being ready to stop using illicit drugs (39 percent) and thinking the cost of rehab would be too high (37 percent). Twenty-six percent reported that the stigma associated with receiving rehab was a reason for not receiving treatment, and 20 percent reported that they did not know where to get substance abuse treatment.

Among the 761,000 persons who perceived an unmet need for alcohol rehab in the past year, nearly half (49 percent) reported that they were not ready to stop using alcohol. Approximately 40 percent reported that the cost of treatment contributed to their not receiving rehab. Twenty-four percent reported concerns regarding stigma associated with seeking treatment, and 12 percent reported they did not know where to receive addiction treatment.

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Most people when confronted with what to do about drug addiction really do not know where to go for help. They don’t ask friends or neighbors due to their shame or embarrassment and their physician may not be intimately acquainted with an addiction treatment center. The thing is that addiction help is just a call away.

Quality addiction help can be found through calling one of several nationally addiction helplines. These helplines have the ability to do more than just refer you to an addiction treatment center. Their staff have been trained to evaluate you actual rehab needs and match them with a rehab center capable of meeting them. Not everyone will be in need of a rehab center but the helpline staff have a rehab network that works.

The addiction helpline numbers that are toll free and have a rehab network throughout the United States are 1-800-99-DETOX and 1-800-511-9225. Both of these numbers have staff available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and are also available if you just need information or need someone t speak with.

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