All People Entering Treatment Are Different Too

There are a few very broad generalizations you can make about people entering an addiction treatment facility, but that's about it - a few.  A good facility will recognize that different people have different motivations for entering treatment, they have different needs and issues within treatment, and they even have different motivations for wanting to complete a program in its entirety.  From the research gathered in a fairly recent study by researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, here are what seem to be a few "predictors" of a one year treatment scenario, first for men, then for women.

For Men:

• The threat of losing their jobs was a main motivator for men to complete a one-year program, while family influences were the main motivation for women to remain a full year.  So what we learn from this is that since the job plays such a big role for men, if they are given an intervention prior to treatment, perhaps the employer should be involved.

• For men, having a goal of completely giving up drugs or alcohol also increased their chances of remaining in treatment for the full duration.  In other words, those who were in treatment just so they could "cut back" or moderate their drinking, drug use, or compulsive behavior were much less likely to remain in the program a full year.  Frankly, this finding is something that is already known to several million members of the " Anonymous" type groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, etc.

• Men older than 40 years of age were more likely to complete treatment than younger men, perhaps owing to the fact that they possess a little less of that "I'm invincible" type of attitude that comes with youth.

• Shorter stays were also more common among men and women who were in treatment for their dependence on stimulants or cocaine.  What this should teach us is that when sending someone like this for treatment, completing the program should be emphasized with them even more.

For Women:

• Women were more likely to stay in treatment if they were married and living with their spouse.  This study also found that African-American women were more likely to drop out than were women of other ethnic categories.

• Being unemployed contributed to women remaining in treatment longer.

• Belonging to ethnic categories other than African American also helped.

• Having lower levels of psychiatric severity, or less psychiatric issues also helps.

• As we said above, family, specifically children, are a big factor for women in treatment.  How the family is integrated into the treatment program is then obviously important.

The point is, "treatment" is not just "treatment."  It's a combination of things that should result in an approach that's at least somewhat tailored to the individual in question.

 

What Happens When You're Ready For Treatment?

Most will agree that addiction treatment is most effective when the individual in question is personally ready for it.  People who go into treatment only because they want to get their friends and family off their back, or have been court-ordered to treatment have, (in our opinion) a smaller chance of long-term success.  That doesn't mean they can't succeed, but it sure helps if your heart is in it.

And as most people in recovery will tell you, there comes a time in everyone's drinking or drugging "career" where they have a "moment of clarity."  And while the circumstances of that "moment" are different for everybody, the common factor is that suddenly (and temporarily) you can see through the haze and distortion of your addiction and realize that you cannot go on like this.

And despite the fact that everyone has been telling you this very thing for years, it's not until you have that personal moment of clarity that you are truly ready for recovery.  However, as stated, it's a temporary state of mind and it has to be acted on immediately.  And if treatment isn't readily available at the time that you have your "moment of clarity," it may be years until you have another one - maybe never.

Access

Access to treatment is a problem in both Canada and the U.S.  It would be nice if it was just like how it's depicted on television, where the plane is gassed up on the runway ready to whisk the addict away to treatment once they agree to go.  But that's not the reality for 99.9% of the population.  There are financial barriers to treatment, (more so in the U.S.) there are administrative barriers in both countries, and there are typically massive waiting lists.  Recently, an investigative journalist in Canada called ten treatment facilities to inquire when they could get in.  Eight had waiting lists and two never even answered their phone!  (That wouldn't be quite so frustrating if every treatment facility had a working email address but believe it or not, many don't.)  And with other facilities, you have to fill out an online form that's just a few words shorter than "War And Peace."

So this is the first thing you have to think about depending on where you are.  Once the time is right, and the person is ready, what facilities are available for them?  Like many, you may find that the more expensive the facility, the more "available" they are.  And as we said previously, you may also find that the length of the treatment program is in direct proportion to the insurance coverage applicable.

.   

Top Of Page

| 1 |Previous Page<<<                                                          >>>Next Page (3)