‌Top 3 Barriers To Addiction Treatment And How To Overcome Those

There is no better guide than the addicts themselves who can give us first-hand information regarding the barrier they experience when it comes to seeking drug abuse treatment.

Substance abuse treatment is associated with many personal and social stigmas. This social stigmatization and tough time from family and friends is another barrier and when they are willing to go alone, the fear of treatment, the inability to share the problem, and the aversion to a bad treatment experience can be a major hurdle. At times the validity of treatment is unreliable, the time constraints, the privacy concerns, the economic restrictions are the barriers that keep them from carrying on with the therapy. 

Although the problems are unnumbered in seeking substance abuse treatment, we will be discussing the three major barriers that keep addicts from the treatment. 

1. Lack Of Realization

In this situation, the addict is unable to see his addiction as a problem, even his family and social group fail to measure the intensity of the problem. When it’s highlighted, they go into denial and assure that they can handle the usage, or the treatment will be of no good, or this amount of intake could never become an addiction, or it’s not causing any problem to their well-being or of others. 

As they don’t believe it and no one from their social circle has told them about the issue, seeking treatment is never an option for them. Meanwhile, the addiction kept getting stronger. It’s their defense mechanism in which they will hide, blame, make false promises or even rationalize their addiction. All you can do is plan a good time with them in a sober condition with affection and care, tell them about the issue, and give them treatment options like outpatient treatment and one-on-one therapy sessions. Avoid any accusations and see what they feel about the change. Do not push them to the verge and inform them of the channels when they can get help. 

2. Fear of Treatment & Relapse 

When an addict enters rehab for treatment, he is at the loss of many of his friends, maybe family members as well, he may have lost his job and he is all dependent on professional help to get back to life. The treatment may include many aversive routines that he endures, he detoxes there, goes through serious withdrawal symptoms, mental and physical pain to curb the addiction, spends thousands of dollars and gets sober, and regains his life.

And when he is trying hard to get back to normal and recover his identity,  there always stands a chance of relapse. To minimize any chances of regression, ensure follow-up care from your rehab centers, join support groups to share your experience of recovery, accept help and take support from well-wishers, and learn to cope with any anxiety or withdrawal symptoms. Also, you may have red light therapy at home to help lessen the anxiety and other mental and physical related concerns.

This process is complex, and the fear of relapse is always present. Many individuals find it difficult to cope with the challenges of dealing with substance abuse addiction and find themselves in a state of fear and uncertainty. To tackle the fear, they must be equipped with the necessary guidance from professionals and support to help them stay on track and overcome their addiction.

3. Anonymity & Privacy Concerns

The drug abuse treatment differs with every addict. Based on the psychological health of addicts, their lifestyles, the level of addiction, and the treatment system, all these factors are associated with the outcomes. There is one thing the rehab centers swore by, and also keeping with the law to avoid any stigmatization, is the protection of its patient’s names and privacy while receiving the abuse treatment. Even then the addicts are fearful of their identity being tarnished by society and that includes the rehab staff and other addicts and are not pleased with the idea of opening themselves up in the public. The fear of ruining their name in society takes a heavy toll on their mind, thus making it a serious barrier in seeking help. That brings us to one mandatory subject that is crucial while seeking treatment and that is:

During the treatment process, an addict has to go through several rigorous exercises that would help him break the cycle of addiction. Although there will be numerous medications that could provide relief to his body, the only thing that could be encouraging for his mind to revert the addiction condition is the mental health services. A therapist in recovery support is the most crucial figure who can shape their mind to a normal life again. Without a healthy mind, even a sober person is prone to lose himself again in the vicious cycle of addiction. 

Addiction treatment is only possible when it is deemed as a problem that requires immediate rehab and therapy. The reason why seeking treatment for addiction seems so difficult is because substance abuse affects the brain which ultimately ceases its ability to stop the urge. 

Any kind of substance abuse requires professional help when friends, family, or support groups are unable to convince the addict to discourage the practice.  But that is not the difficult part. When an addict is willing to seek treatment for drug addiction, he is faced with numerous barriers as discussed above. As a family, friends, and health care staff, it is our duty to make their transition from dark to light easier and support them to regain control of their lives.