Imbibing alcohol in copious amounts is a type of substance abuse.
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is a condition in which an individual begins to use drugs, alcohol or other controlled substances excessively. Rehabilitation facilities treat individuals for substance abuse problems through comprehensive detoxification and therapy programs. These facilities can be funded through tax dollars or privately. While substance abuse treatment often helps an individual with his substance abuse issues, there are problems associated with substance abuse treatment.
Substance Abuse
Substance abuse is believed to be a long-term illness such as diabetes, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Individuals with a substance abuse problem cannot control how much of a substance they consume. For instance, while most people find that it is easy to stop drinking after a few glasses of wine, someone with a substance abuse issue would not be able to stop himself. This kind of behavior is compulsive but uncontrollable in an individual with substance abuse.
Rehabilitation Programs
Many different types of treatment programs exist for substance abusers. Most treatment programs are managed by specially-trained and certified professionals such as therapists or counselors, another positive aspect of treatment programs. Interestingly, about half of counselors in substance abuse treatment centers are recovering substance abusers themselves. Programs can be in or out-patient, simply meaning that the substance abuser will either live in a rehabilitation center for a number of weeks or months or will make daily or weekly visits for treatment, depending on the severity of the case. Each substance abuse treatment program centers around a treatment plan in which an individual is clinically assessed and prescribed a method of treatment depending on the results of the test. Treatment plans often include medically-supervised withdraw from the substance, counseling sessions, behavior modification and education about substance abuse.
Considerations
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the longer an individual stays in a treatment program, the more likely he or she will remain drug and alcohol free. In fact, about half the people that complete a treatment plan recover from a substance abuse disorder completely. Relapsing, or abusing substances after attending a rehabilitation program, is fairly common, especially for adolescents. Although relapses can be discouraging, especially after going through the rehabilitation process, many rehabilitation programs offer relapse prevention plans for a substance abuser, another pro of substance abuse treatment. Relapse prevention programs educate family and friends on the symptoms to recognize in a relapsing abuser and minimize triggering behaviors that may cause a recovering substance abuser to relapse.
Cost
Many people would agree that the biggest con for substance abuse treatment is the cost. Substance abuse treatment can be extremely costly, depending on the type of treatment necessary to cure the abuser. In-patient programs can cost upwards of $1,000 per day as of March 2011. Even out-patient programs can cost several hundred dollars per month. Treatment programs that are funded through tax dollars can be slightly less costly, but are often crowded and understaffed.
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