Many times, people who need treatment for substance abuse do not look for help. Several barriers get in the way, discouraging them from going to rehab centers. Most people battling addiction have to seek treatment to recover. Others manage to quit abusing with the help of friends, family, or support groups. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, several barriers prevent people from getting treatment. Some of them have been discussed below.
They Do Not Think They Have a Problem
It is common to hear most people with substance use disorder say, “I do not have a problem” or “I can easily quit on my own.” In most cases, they do not feel motivated to quit abusing drugs, and neither do they see its effect in their lives. When individuals realize the importance of treatment in their recovery journey, that is when they choose to seek it. According to a study journal published in 1996 on alcohol, people who sought treatment did so because they felt they could not deal with the issue independently.
Treatment Cost
In 2013, around 316,000 persons addicted to substance use made an effort to get treatment willingly. However, not all got the help they wanted because they could not afford the cost. According to the Affordable Care Act, you can get insurance plans that cover substance use disorders. However, the challenge is that inpatient care for over 30 days is not always covered in insurance plans. Experts in addiction and recovery recommend 90 days of inpatient treatment, especially for severe cases. However, there are rehab centers that the government sponsors, and some factor in the patient’s income before coming up with the cost.
They Are Not Ready to Stop Using
It is not that some users do not see the need for treatment; some refuse because they are not yet ready to stop using. They do not participate in any conversation related to Drug and Alcohol Rehab centers because they will have to face their choices. So, they let addiction control their lives, making their lives and those of their loved ones difficult.
Stigma
Addiction unarguably comes with a stigma. Most people who do not seek treatment are worried about what people will think of them. According to National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the opinion of community members is a crucial contribution to most addicts not getting help. There are drug abusers who have admitted to not seeking treatment because they wanted to keep it away from their friends and family. Seeing that most addicts want to fit in with other members of society, they will suffer in silence, hiding the fact they are struggling.
Poor Treatment Availability
Demand for rehab facilities is growing at a faster rate than the rehab industry. Users in rural areas have to travel long distances to find a rehab facility and get treatment. Even in urban centers, there is the challenge of waitlists. All this can hinder one from getting treatment.
There is a lot of miscommunication when it comes to substance use disorder and recovery centers. It is vital for the community to have the right information and for any drug abuser to have support from friends and family so that getting treatment becomes easier.
