Over the last five years, there have been many figures released that show that while there are a vast number of Americans that require treatment for substance abuse disorder, there is a very small number that receive any treatment at all.
In fact, the figures are rather shocking, while it’s estimated that over 20 million people over the age of 12 were in need of some type of substance abuse treatment, it seems that around 18% of the people that needed it actually managed to gain access to the treatment that was required.
Now, of course, we understand that not all of these people tried to seek treatment; in fact, it’s quite viable that some people just had no access to the treatments for many reasons. While there are now things being put into place with the hope of improving the number of people who have access to treatments, today, we are going to be looking at some of the hurdles that may be in the way when it comes to getting access to treatment for a substance abuse disorder.
Types Of Addiction Treatment
Inpatient Treatment
When it comes to inpatient treatment, the main thing that stands out is that the patient undergoing the treatment would stay at the facility. An inpatient treatment center or residential rehab will monitor patients 24 hours a day, and it’s an ideal setting for somebody who needs to find a new structure and path in life.
Outpatient Rehab
Outpatient rehab is slowly becoming more popular with people that have manageable addictions. Outpatient rehab will be able to provide any patient with counseling or group meetings. With a program like this, it’s still possible to manage your everyday life, and you will not live at a center.
Barriers To Effective Rehabilitation
Amount Of Available Addiction Treatment Programs
The first thing we are going to be looking at is the number of programs available in the United States, and when you see the numbers, you will soon conclude this plays a huge role in why so many people are missing out.
If we take a look at group programs available on an outpatient basis, it seems that there are just over 14,000 facilities in the US that can provide a service to around 1.1 million people. Now, if you remember the beginning of this post, we stated that over 20 million people needed help.
It seems that one of the biggest barriers out there is that there is simply just not enough in the way of facilities.
Addiction Treatment Locations
The second barrier we are going to talk about is location. It seems that if you live in one of the states with a concentrated population like California or New York, you may be lucky. If, on the other hand, you find yourself in a smaller state, your options will be extremely limited.
Cost Of Treatment
The final barrier we are going to be looking at is the most prominent, and that is cost. It seems that there are a huge number of people in the United States without insurance, around 27 million in fact.
Now, health insurance is something that will help cover the cost of substance abuse disorder treatment, and if it’s something you do not have, then as you can imagine, you may be left out in the rain.
Taking Addiction Treatment Seriously
Of course, these barriers do not have to be the end of the line, when it comes down to it, one of the best things you can do is talk to your local treatment center. Once you contact a trusted and respected center, you will find that they will help you in every way possible to overcome the barriers you may have had before you.
The final thing to remember is this, the number one barrier you have is the one you put up yourself. Once you get over that one, things will start to get easier.