In most cases, society shuns and looks down upon people battling addiction or substance abuse. There is a general assumption that drug abuse is a personal problem, and victims are simply hurting themselves. However, this is a narrow-minded view of a large-scale societal problem.
Drug addiction isn’t just an urge but an actual disease that requires compassion and adequate treatment, often in an in-house treatment facility, just like other chronic health conditions. Most importantly, substance addiction affects countless people, not just the addicts alone.
The ugly truth is that drug abuse touches several facets of society, hence the need to take urgent action. It is important to note that drug addiction is costly to the individual and society at large.
Substance Abuse in America
Whether it’s a problem with alcohol, opioids, cocaine or any other substance, addiction kills thousands of Americans every year and impacts millions of lives. Addiction, or substance use disorder (SUD), is a chronic mental health condition that often requires intervention from an in-house treatment facility.
SUD affects the normal functions of the brain as it compels the individual to engage in behaviors or repeatedly use substances that may have harmful outcomes. Addiction has destroyed marriages, ruined friendships and stalled promising careers. Worse still, it threatens the basic safety and health of the person until they take steps toward in-house treatment for drug addiction.
There are several reasons why a person can choose to use drugs or drink. However, regardless of the reason for indulging in drugs or alcohol, it is undeniable that this problem has had a massive impact on our society. Drinking and increasing drug use comes with severe risk and terrible consequences.
An estimated 25 million Americans are affected by substance abuse. In addition, 40 million people are indirectly affected, including the abuser’s families and those killed or injured by drunk drivers.
That’s not all, the monetary cost to the economy and society due to property damage, reduced productivity, health care and accidents are shocking. Alcoholism affects 16 million adults and an estimated 300 thousand children yearly. In addition, about 21.6 million Americans from the age of 12 and above are addicted to drugs like barbiturates or sedative-hypnotics, sedatives, opiates, psychostimulants and hallucinogens.
According to data from the National Institute of Drug Abuse, addiction to substances like cocaine, opioids, alcohol or related substances kills thousands of Americans every year. Also, millions of lives are directly or indirectly impacted negatively.
How Drug Addiction Affects Relationships
It has been established that drug abuse can be detrimental to relationships. It overtakes the person’s life, as they are not capable of maintaining healthy relationships with family members, friends, or acquaintances. That’s not all, addicts often disappear for extended periods with no one knowing their whereabouts.
In some cases, the person tries to cover up their drug use by lying, which leads to people losing trust in them. Also, there are instances where the drug user, with the help of a partner, sibling, or child, enters into an enabling or co-dependent relationship that’s unhealthy for everyone involved. Often, the only way the relationship can be saved is through an in-house treatment facility.
Drug addiction can also erode a person’s sense of value and self-esteem. It affects job performance if the person makes an effort to show up for work. It often gets so bad that the addict is no longer interested in pursuing things they used to enjoy. In the euphoria of drug use, basic life functions are lost as the person loses their sense of self. They simply cease to be a valuable member of the community if they don’t get in-house treatment for drug addiction.
How Addiction Affects the Community
The community also suffers from the effects of addiction. Generally, the United States loses an estimated $740 billion yearly to substance abuse in terms of crime, health care, and work productivity.
The impact of substance abuse is staggering and wide-ranging. For example, many crimes related to substance abuse will lead to the community funding more police officers. In addition, jails and prisons have to increase their personnel because of a rise in new inmate intake. Courts are not exempt either, as they may become overwhelmed with drug cases and their victims.
If a community starts seeing a surge in drug-related crimes, it becomes known as a “bad neighborhood.” In no time, it suffers a loss in the value of properties, and sales tax revenue drops because families begin moving out. Some people will avoid such areas by all means.
Without a doubt, drug abuse is a generational issue that costs society dearly. According to the Centre on Addiction, 70 percent of abused or neglected children come from homes where the parent is battling alcohol or drug problems. Social service child welfare programs for families like this cost about $23 billion yearly. Moreover, children of addicts are at a higher risk of substance abuse as well as social, behavioral or emotional issues.
How Addiction Affects the Economy
When workers abuse drugs, productivity takes a nosedive. An employee that’s under the influence of drugs can make expensive errors. Sometimes, they may not show up for work, and as a result, the company may require a short-term substitute which is an additional expense.
Other times, it affects the business’s insurance plan by racking up healthcare costs. Drug addiction costs are astronomical. In 2006, a division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Drug Intelligence Center, disclosed that nearly 1.75 million visits to the emergency room were connected to drug use. Also, the National Institute on Drug Abuse also disclosed that illicit drug use costs $11 billion in annual health care costs, while prescription opioid abuse costs $26 billion.
How do You Diagnose Substance Use Disorder?
The first step to diagnosing drug addiction is to recognize that there is a problem and seek help. This step often starts with an intervention from loved ones, family or friends. As luck would have it, this is where Harris House comes in, one of the best in-house treatment facilities with a high success rate of in-house treatments for drug addiction
Harris House is a top-rated non-profit in-house treatment facility located in St Louis, Missouri. The center has helped countless numbers of people recover from substance abuse in over 50 years of operation. The facility uses a responsibility program that puts the recovery process and treatment in the hands of the clients. They have licensed counselors that create unique recovery plans for each client to heal their body, mind, and spirit in their in-house treatment facility.
Harris House offers in-house treatment for drug addictions like alcohol, Xanax, ecstasy, meth, LSD acid, illicit drugs, prescription drugs, heroin, hallucinogens, benzodiazepine, sleeping pills, stimulants, cocaine and marijuana; among others.
Remarkably, Harrison House understands that the recovery process comes in different stages for different people, so any client can join at any stage. They offer 28-day individualized treatment, which could either be inpatient or outpatient. After this, the client can choose the several options at their disposal which are solely dependent on their needs. With several care options and continuous support, the majority of clients overcome their drug dependency after completing their program at the in-house treatment facility.
Treatments Offered At Harris House
Intensive Inpatient / Detox Program
Harris House offers an Intensive Inpatient Program/Detox Program for people aged 18 and above suffering from alcohol or substance abuse problems at their in-house treatment facility. The center offers unique treatment plans for every client as each client’s needs differ. Their intensive in-house treatment for drug addiction includes individual counseling sessions and 2 group meetings every morning together with 3 sessions in the afternoon and evening.
The group sessions are either process-oriented or educational. Some of the topics covered in the process group sessions are: how to have sober fun, how to deal with feelings in a healthy way, anger management, family dynamics and reunification basics, stress management and spirituality. On the other hand, educational groups cover topics like Alcoholics Anonymous steps, physiological damage of addiction to the body, trigger identification, disease theory and relapse avoidance.
Weekly counseling sessions consist of the client undergoing the substance abuse treatment plan together with the family. Clients are kept busy with detox program activities each day. However, things are not as structured on Sundays, when they have a more relaxed schedule with more free time compared to regular days.
The in-house treatment for drug addiction program offered by Harris House is in an ultramodern facility in a safe and secure urban area, and the entire perimeter is completely fenced. In addition, the rooms given to the clients are semi-private to enable staff closely monitor each client without making it look like they’re intruding on their space.
Clients outside St. Louis are provided with airport pickup to ease movement down to the facility. If a client graduates from the program, care simply doesn’t end. They’re encouraged to keep attending the Intensive Outpatient Program and weekly aftercare groups as needed for a minimum of one year after finishing their stay at the in-house treatment facility.
Partial Hospitalization Program
Day Treatment, Partial Hospitalization Program or PHP as it’s called, is the next step in the client’s continuum of care offered by Harris House. You’ll go through this stage after completing the Intensive Inpatient Program at the in-house treatment facility.
Partial Hospitalization Program sessions are done for 6 hours every day, 5 days a week. The approved number of days depends on the client’s progress in reaching their individual treatment plan objectives following their in-house treatment for drug addiction.
Day Treatment offers evidence-based CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) groups. Also, clients get individual process-oriented and educational sessions.
Topics discussed in the process-oriented groups are:
- Trauma-informed care
- Healthy ways to cope with feelings
- Family dynamics
- Mindfulness
- Stress reduction
- Recognizing distorted thinking
- Self-care and Wellness
Topics discussed in the educational groups include:
- Introduction to 12 step recovery
- Addressing the physical impact of addiction on the body
- Trigger identification
- Disease concept of chemical dependency
- Craving Management
- Aftercare Planning/Relapse Prevention
- Biofeedback
- Anxiety management and depression
To help the family in the partial hospitalization program, Harris House offers weekly family and friend educational groups. In addition, the client’s partner and family are involved in the client’s treatment and assessment as they are included in both individual and group counseling sessions.
The facility also has arrangements for sober housing when taking part in day treatment. Assessments are highly confidential and free, and most insurance plans are allowed.
Intensive Outpatient Program
Intensive Outpatient Programs, or IOP as it’s sometimes called, recognize that people need different levels of care during their recovery process. In that regard, Harris House offers an Intensive Outpatient program for people with drug and alcohol problems, but their case isn’t as severe as those that need intensive in-house treatment for their addiction.
Intensive Outpatient Treatment is a potential substitute for the in-house treatment facility. It’s a suitable option for working adults. In addition, the Intensive Outpatient treatment allows clients that leave the residential treatment program to keep enjoying the continuum of care.
Group sessions consist of both process and psycho-educational groups on essential recovery topics. Each client has to work with an assigned counselor to create a personalized treatment plan in addition to the group sessions.
The aim of the treatment plan is to identify each client’s unique problem and the time needed to actualize the action plans. The Intense Outpatient Program takes about 4 to 12 weeks – sometimes it takes longer – depending on the client’s need.
Counselors use an all-encompassing approach of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy), 12 step orientation, psychoeducation, and family therapy, to help their clients:
- Control impulses
- Understand addiction as a disease
- Prevent relapses
- Improve self-care
- Increase self-esteem
- Set healthy boundaries
- Identify triggers
- Identify and manage depression, anger, and anxiety
- Cope with stress
- Address cravings
- Improve communication skills
The Harris House Intensive outpatient program dedicates an hour every week to family groups as they recognize that substance dependency and abuse is a family disease. Also, clients of intensive outpatient programs are encouraged to attend 12-step Narcotic Anonymous, and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings held onsite. Most importantly, MSW, LCSW, and LPC, Missouri State Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors deliver the required clinical services.
Transitional Housing
This program was previously known as the long-term residential program before it was renamed to The Transitional Housing Level 1 program. It was designed for people that want to try independent sober living rather than in-house treatment for their drug addictions.
It offers ongoing substance abuse and alcohol treatment. Classes give clients a deeper understanding of issues that could lead to relapse triggers, including trauma recovery, anger management, parenting skills, family reunification and stress management. In addition, employment skills are prioritized as clients learn about preparing resumes, targeting jobs and practicing for interviews.
Most clients in the Transitional Housing Level 1 Program often have dual diagnoses. That is, they’re battling a mental illness like anxiety disorder, depression, or bipolar disorder, together with addiction to alcohol or drugs. The program also includes weekly individual counseling sessions and about 8 hours of group or classwork.
Also, the Transitional Housing Level 1 program comes with nutritional meals, subsidized housing, and group and individual counseling that lasts for a year. A client that is a graduate of the intensive inpatient substance abuse program at Harris House will get priority admission.
The admission process for new entrants is a little different. First, they need to book an appointment for a screening interview. This interview will determine if the program is appropriate for both parties before proceeding. Once the client is accepted and they’re placed on a waiting list and are required to call the center daily to maintain their place on the list.
There is also a Transitional Housing Level 2 Program that offers subsidized housing. Here, the male and female residents are separate, and there are no meals included. Instead, clients learn how to prepare their meals in the residential kitchen. In addition, clients have to be employed to enter the program. They also need to meet with their counselor once every month.
Family group
This group was created as a focal point to help family members get the needed support while their loved one is undergoing treatment. The moment a client starts treatment, they are connected to an extensive support network of psychiatrists, counselors, housing, community resources, peer support and medical care. In actual fact, family members often need support, too, and joining this group helps them take the first step to change to help them through the process.
The group has three primary goals. The first is to educate the members about addiction and its treatment. This is done through videos and handouts. They also share stories with each other and ask pertinent questions. A certified Harris House counselor leads each group and sometimes, other people are brought in to talk about how they got support in the community.
