Treatment Works to Combat Drug Use
By Robert D. Grupe, Prevention Coordinator
When I am asked about prevention, everyone assumes that I deal with alcoholics and drug addicts. In the field of prevention, I very rarely work with these populations. My position deals with the youth of the community and trying to stop them from beginning on the path to drug and alcohol use through skill building, informational lines, and promotion of healthy environments and choices. The average first use of alcohol in children is 13 years of age. Prevention reaches some but for various reasons some persons experience alcoholism and other addictions. What do you do when prevention is too late and treatment becomes needed?
There are four stages of care to address substance abuse problems, known as the continuum of care. Prevention is the first and foremost meaning that if you can keep someone from starting then there will be no problem. Intervention is next. This occurs early on after the use has begun. Friends, family, teachers, and other caring individuals intervene to help the individual to see that they have a problem. This step also includes linkage to appropriate agencies for help. Treatment and aftercare might become necessary after intervention. The third stage is treatment provided by trained professionals in the substance abuse field with courses in addiction, specific training, degrees and experience in treating substance and alcohol addiction. Finally, relapse prevention and aftercare is the process of the addict working with these professionals to maintain a drug free lifestyle. Relapse prevention also includes an introduction to 12 step programs, which are not affiliated with treatment centers. Twelve step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are self-run, self-supported groups of people with alcoholism or other addictions. They provide support for recovery for all of the addict's life. Once people begin to use drugs, prevention is ineffective so intervention, treatment, and aftercare become the lines of defense.
In this world there are so many people that need relief from substance abuse. Newspapers talk every day of people involved in drug-related accidents, arrests, or other problems. There just are not enough treatment people to combat this huge problem. Denial of a problem by the addict also plays a large part in making sure that treatment does not always take place. What can we as citizens do to help those who are in need of help? Sometimes just lending an ear or giving a little bit of your time to show that you care is the best medicine.
An active alcoholic or addict is in many cases a difficult person to help. They are operating under the influence of something that they cannot control and it changes their personality for the worse. They feel that they are alone and that alcohol or other drugs take the pain and loneliness away. Even addicts that are in treatment run the risk of falling off the wagon so to speak. Many people look at addicts and think they use drugs and I do not want anything to do with them. People in the treatment and aftercare field see these addicts as people in need and look past the substance use. It would be a much better world if more of us could approach them with tolerance, love, and consistency.
September is designated as Treatment Works month by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Through a variety of services and counseling sessions it is possible to come to grips with addiction. A 1995 outcome study of Heartland Human Services clients revealed that 67% were sober a year after treatment and near the same amount experienced improvement in 14 life areas (i.e., work, relationships, mood, etc.) Heartland Human Services has many trained professionals on staff that are dedicated to helping people overcome addictions. We believe that we can make a difference and hope that you feel the same.