Substance Abuse

 A big problem that is happening in the United States and America is substance abuse and the lack of support that is provided for those that struggle with substance abuse. Across the globe, about 35 million people suffer from some form of substance abuse, yet usually only 1 in 7 receive treatment. The opioid epidemic takes around 100,000 lives a year, and fentanyl use, and overdoses/deaths are also on the rise. Sadly, even with all these numbers being so high, access to treatment that is effective, affordable, and happens in a timely manner remains inadequate. This paper will outline the issues that go on with substance abuse and how broken the system is and bring awareness to it. 

Substance abuse can start anywhere, and at any age. The hard truth about substance abuse is that it doesn’t discriminate. Substance use disorder can affect people of all races, ages, and social/economic status. There are certain populations where some people are more impacted than others are. Some of those populations are veterans, low-income people, those whose family are full of addicts (genetics can play a massive role in substance abuse) and those with mental health issues. If substance abuse goes untreated, the effects can be detrimental. Some of the effects for untreated substance abuse are- charges from the justice system, loss of housing or employment, family issues/complications, diseases, health problems, and losing housing. 

The biggest and most significant problem when it comes to substance abuse is the lack of resources and lack of funding. A lot of treatment centers are understaffed, overwhelmed, or not easily accessible (especially if they are in rural areas). People trying to get into treatment centers can be waiting weeks or months even to get into treatment. Weeks and months are something that people that are struggling with their addiction don’t have. Sometimes, it can be a matter of a day that stands between someone getting the help they need and becoming sober, or someone overdosing and/or passing away. 

Another significant issue that people trying to get help with substance abuse face is the cost of the treatment or insurance not wanting to pay, or insurance only wanting to pay for a certain amount of days. The sad and unfortunate truth of the insurance world is that if you have private pay insurance or PPI, you will likely get better care and a longer treatment option. Whereas if you have a state-funded insurance plan or Medicaid, they sometimes only want to pay for a week of treatment or 28 days at max. Getting them to approved treatment for someone is sometimes harder than you can imagine. Another issue that people can run into with insurance is that if you have Medicare as your insurance, a lot of places don’t take that for substance abuse treatment and then you’re stuck with the whole bill. Insurance shouldn’t have as big of a say as it does on things medical and substance abuse wise, but sadly it does. Insurance companies think they know what is best for you and what you need, when that couldn’t be further from the truth. Coverage for people with insurance is limited and few and far between, which makes it to be successful in your recovery and sustain it. Substance use also goes hand in hand with mental health. 

Another issue that people face regarding their substance abuse disorder is the stigma and discrimination that comes from it. People think if you ask for help, it makes you weak and you will be looked at as less than you are. Asking for help may be the hardest step in the whole treatment process, but it’s also the most important and takes a lot of strength to surrender and state that you can’t do this alone and that you need help. Society looks at people who have substance abuse issues, present and past as less than them. People who go to a hospital for help and have a history of substance use, they always have a permanent mark on them after. They are often labeled as drug seeking, attention seeking, or just weak and not able to handle pain. Being treated this way also steers people away from getting medical attention when they need it. 

To try to combat and address substance use there are a few things that could be done to help the ever-growing problem of drugs. One of the things to help could be diversion programs, such as drug court where they can plead in and as long as they follow certain rules and stay sober, their charges can get dropped. The only downfall is funding for this isn’t always there in places. Another option to help with substance abuse is that when people come in for substance abuse treatment, to combine it with mental health treatment as a lot of times, those two hold hands with each other and grab at the person. Another way to help is to provide a lot of education about drugs and reducing the stigma of it to schools. I remember when I was in elementary school, there was the program called DARE and Say No to Drugs. I’m not sure how many of those programs still exist today, as I haven’t heard much. Another option, and one of the best ones in my opinion, is to expand people’s access to evidence-based treatment. Evidence based treatment are programs like medication assisted treatment, and counseling. Medication assisted treatment is something that they can get weekly or monthly to help them combat their cravings and reduce their risk for relapse. The final thing that I think can help with substance abuse is harm reduction. Harm reduction consists of needle exchange programs, and naloxone being handed out to help combat an overdose. 

In conclusion, there is a lot that needs to be changed and implemented in the United States to help with substance abuse. Substance abuse does more harm than to the individual that is using. Families get torn apart and broken, lives are lost that don’t need to be lost from an overdose, and people struggle in silence and don’t have the ability to get the care that they need so desperately. Individuals that are struggling with substance abuse, having a lack of support, isn’t just a healthcare system failure, it’s also a moral and society failure. It’s time to quit trying to combat the substance abuse problem halfway, it’s time to take it head on. People’s lives depend on it.