The end of September wraps up National Recover Awareness Month, and with 15% of American adults having a negative relationship with substances, it is definitely important for all of us to be more aware of the problem. Media outlets tend to cover alcoholism and opioid addiction, but often do not cover how best to intervene to help their friends and family who are fighting these or other substance addictions. Because it is such an overwhelming topic, knowing how to help is important, and why a month is dedicated to raising awareness. The full article includes questions and answers with two advocates to help educate people on what they could do for loved ones with a substance abuse issue. They are both members of CLEAN Cause, a company dedicated to fighting addiction.
One of the barriers identified for recovery is the cost of trying to get professional help. Insurance usually only covers 30 days, but it takes most people with substance addiction much longer to establish a foundation that will help them avoid those substances in the future. The advocates discuss the ways it is a problem that affects everyone. Tax dollars are used to help treat addicts; substance abuse causes loss of income and productivity, and users may become homeless. It is like having someone with a major medical disease like cancer; when a substance abuser dies, it affects their family, friends, and acquaintances, causing depression and anxiety. People may be callous, thinking that a person with addiction created their own problem, but helping addicts to recover benefits everyone. If someone breaks their leg having fun, we tend to give them sympathy, not blame them and tell them to deal with their problem on their own. One of the experts said they have noticed that more people have been dying over the most recent years, making it a more of a crisis now.
The advocates final takeaway is that a person doesn’t really recover from addiction. It is something that they will need to work on their entire lives. What rehab gives them is a foundation to get through the rest of their lives, but it is much easier if they have people supporting and helping them to remain addiction free and keep from returning to their addiction.
If you would like to learn more about the fight against addiction, you can read the full article at It’s National Recovery Awareness Month. Meet Two Advocates Who Are Fighting Against Addiction Year-Round.