Treatment and Prevention of Substance Abuse

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Drug and alcohol abuse affects men and women of all colors, religions, backgrounds, and ages in every corner of our country. We will cover the statistics on drugs and alcohol addictions and how certain drugs affect a person. Additionally we will cover how substance abuse affects a person’s family and community. Most importantly we will cover the treatment and prevention of substance abuse.

Statistics on Drug and Alcohol Addiction

In the United States, 2,500 youths between the ages of 12 to 17 will try a prescription drug for the first time. In the United States, more than 15 million people abuse prescription drugs, which is more than the combined number who reported abusing cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants and heroin. Prescription drug abuse causes the largest percentage of deaths from drug overdosing. Opioid painkillers were the most common drug, accounting for 38.2% of deaths in relation to overdosing. (World, 2006-2013)
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug use and Health, 23.5 million people 12 years of age and older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol abuse problem in 2009.In the year of 2009, it was reported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey that the illicit drug addiction rate has risen its highest level in the past eight years in the United States. (Centers, 2013)
In America, since 1980, the number of deaths related to drug overdoses has risen over 540 percent. Baltimore, Maryland has more individuals per capita living with a heroin addiction than any other state in the United States. Since 1990, the number of individuals who take prescription drugs illegally is believed to have risen by over 50...

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...also being designed to accommodate the needs of women who are pregnant or have children. The primary goal of the therapeutic communities is to focus on the re-socialization of the patient to a drug free, crime free lifestyle.
Individual’s progress through drug addiction treatment at various rates prohibiting creating a specified length of time for how long a client must stay in treatment. An appropriate time varies depending on the severity of the addiction. The steps to recovery are a long-term process and can take more than one attempt in seeking help. Within a treatment program, successful clinicians can establish a positive, therapeutic relationship with their patients. The clinician should ensure that a treatment plan is developed cooperatively with the person seeking treatment that the plan is followed, and that treatment expectations are clearly understood.

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