So as of recent I stumbled upon a very interesting topic, addiction. When I first think of addiction I personaly think of drugs and crime, along with medical issues and the $600 billion price tag accompanying it. The reality though is quite different...
According to the American Psychological Association (APA) one of the most popular topics discussed on their site is addiction. I personally believe that as a society we like to think that we left our “drug culture” behind some time ago, the fact of the matter is though statistics are showing quite the contrary. Addiction correlates directly with mental health, so closely in-fact that it is noted in the DSM-IV as a disorder (Substance-Related & Addictive Disorders).
Around 8.9% of the US population [23.1 million] is in-need of treatment, with 1% [2.5 million] receiving treatment at a specialty facility.[1] These stats are not quite the disturbing truth though. The disturbing truth is that out of 20.2 million that require treatment only 1.6% even made an effort to seek help, and another 2.9% felt they need help but didn't seek any. The other 95.5% in the study did not seek help, and also felt that they did not need any, contrary to the fact of them requiring medical help.[2]
SAMHSA.gov Figure 7.10 pg.94 [2]
These statistics provide a great deal of insight on the issue. I have personally had the ability to observe drug assistance programs that try to coax individuals to seek help by explaining how effective therapy and rehab are. While this style of program is never a bad thing as I am sure some individuals who were on the fence about seeking help likely now will; it is statistically speaking; improperly modeled towards a very small number of individuals suffering from addiction in a fashion that with a little shove can get started on the right track. This is not going to be effective against the other 95.5% that don't even think they have a real problem in the first place! I encourage anyone running, participating, or planning to do either to take these statistics into account. Regardless I hope all of you reading found this post insightful and interesting! :)
-- Suicide/ Mental Health Group
There is also a population of addicts who know they need help and want help, but can't afford treatment. A lot of rehab facilities are marketing themselves as more of a spa vacation for those who can afford the price tag.
ReplyDeleteThat is most definitely correct, and thank for your input on the "spa vacation" some facilities are marketing themselves as.
DeleteIf I could add though, one of the reasons why they do that is to bring a sense of calm and relaxation to their advertisements, which from a business aspect (which is what most of them are) is a smart market tactic.
Also, the individuals who can't get treatment but look for it are listed in that stats provided. I was possibly thinking of doing an article on them as well in the near future.