The Addiction Problem

If you’re looking for help for an addicted loved one, you are not alone by any means. Addiction is one of the most widespread social ills in this country at this time.

In 2005, an estimated 22.2 million people aged 12 or older were dependent on or addicted to either drugs or alcohol. For every addicted person, there may be a spouse, mother, father, children, siblings and friends. Thus the effects of addiction ripple out through out society, leaving few individuals who are not touched by addiction in their immediate family or close circle of friends.

Only about 4 million of those addicted sought and were able to find an addiction treatment facility. However, even of those, few were able to find lasting sobriety. Addiction treatment centers that publish their success rates usually state rates between 5% and 20% at best.

This means that individuals who are determined to find sobriety may enter drug addiction treatment three, four, five or even a dozen times. Some people refer to this phenomenon as the “revolving door” of addiction treatment.

The estimated cost of addiction in this country tops $200 billion dollars a year, resulting from low productivity, disability, welfare, fires and other kinds of damage, losses from crime, costs of the criminal justice system and incarceration, child abuse, addiction treatment, health care and other costs.

The solution is addiction treatment that works, that ends the revolving door for good. But how do you find it? Who do you listen to?