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Only 4 million people received treatment, or about 19% of those who needed it. 1 In 2017, of the more than 18 million people who needed but did not receive treatment for substance use, only 1 million, or 5.7%, of those people felt they needed treatment. 1
How many people receive addiction treatment each year?
American Addiction Centers provides 24-hour medical detox, premium treatment, and ongoing care. If you’re struggling with an AUD or SUD and are looking for a solution, reach out to one of our admissions navigators at or get a text for information on various treatment options.
Why choose American Addiction Centers?
What is drug addiction? Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by compulsive, or uncontrollable, drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences and changes in the brain, which can be long-lasting. These changes in the brain can lead to the harmful behaviors seen in people who use drugs.
What is drug addiction and how can it be treated?
While most people have a general awareness of the risks of drug abuse, many of those risks are frequently underestimated. Drug abuse statistics can be helpful in revealing the true extent of the damage. They show where we need to direct our focus and open our eyes to the dangers of drug abuse.
Why are drug abuse statistics so important?

What are the most important factors for a person seeking recovery from an addiction?
Maintenance of Psychological and Emotional Wellness. There's a strong link that binds addiction, anxiety, and depression. Research shows that mental and emotional wellness are essential to a solid recovery program. Addressing the addiction without attending to any other dimensions of mental health is ineffective.
What are the steps usually involved in the treatment of drug abuse?
Successful treatment has several steps:detoxification.behavioral counseling.medication (for opioid, tobacco, or alcohol addiction)evaluation and treatment for co-occurring mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.long-term follow-up to prevent relapse.
What advice would you give to a person who are addicted?
Don't preach or lecture to the addict. They are usually unable to hear what you are saying. Continue to hold them accountable to expectations and offer help to direct them to the treatment they need. Don't expect addicts to keep promises, they are not able to do so while in the process of their disease.
What are 3 strategies often used to treat addiction?
Some of the most common forms of modern addiction treatment include behavioral therapies delivered as individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy.
What is the first step in treating a drug abuse problem?
Detoxification is normally the first step in treatment. This involves clearing a substance from the body and limiting withdrawal reactions. In 80 percent of cases, a treatment clinic will use medications to reduce withdrawal symptoms, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
What are the four stages of treatment?
Various models exist describing the overall phases of treatment, but most have elements in common. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) describes four stages of treatment: initiation, early abstinence, maintenance of abstinence, and advanced recovery.
What are 5 things you can say if someone offers you drugs?
In a firm voice, tell the person you don't want to drink or use drugs. Say something like: "No, I'm sorry, but I don't use...." "No, I'm really trying to stay clean."...Say something like:"It's bad for my health.""I could lose my housing.""I have trouble when I use...."
Why is it important to stop drug abuse?
Drug abuse can have many short- and long-term negative effects including physical and mental health problems, legal consequences, and impairment in many areas of a person's life, from school to work and interpersonal functioning.
How can we prevent drug abuse?
Here are the top five ways to prevent substance abuse:Understand how substance abuse develops. ... Avoid Temptation and Peer Pressure. ... Seek help for mental illness. ... Examine the risk factors. ... Keep a well-balanced life.More items...•
What is the most effective in treating addiction?
According to American Addiction Centers, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a valuable treatment tool because it can be used for many different types of addiction including, but not limited to, food addiction, alcohol addiction, and prescription drug addiction.
What is the purpose of drug therapy?
Treatment with any substance, other than food, that is used to prevent, diagnose, treat, or relieve symptoms of a disease or abnormal condition.
What is a treatment plan for substance abuse?
A substance abuse treatment plan is an individualized, written document that details a client's goals and objectives, the steps need to achieve those, and a timeline for treatment. These plans are mutually agreed upon with the client and the clinician.
What are the statistics on drug use?
Statistics on Drug Addiction 1 According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 19.7 million American adults (aged 12 and older) battled a substance use disorder in 2017. 1 2 Almost 74% of adults suffering from a substance use disorder in 2017 struggled with an alcohol use disorder. 1 3 About 38% of adults in 2017 battled an illicit drug use disorder. 1 4 That same year, 1 out of every 8 adults struggled with both alcohol and drug use disorders simultaneously. 1 5 In 2017, 8.5 million American adults suffered from both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder, or co-occurring disorders. 1 6 Drug abuse and addiction cost American society more than $740 billion annually in lost workplace productivity, healthcare expenses, and crime-related costs. 2
How many people have substance use disorder in 2017?
In 2017, about 9.4% of men and 5.2% of women age 12 and older had a substance use disorder. 7. Men may be more likely to abuse illicit drugs than women, but women may be just as prone to addiction as men when they do abuse them. 8.
What were the most common prescription drugs used in 2017?
The most common types of prescription drugs abused in 2017 were pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives. 7. In 2017, about 1.7 million people age 12 and older had a pain reliever use disorder, or about 0.6% of this population. 1.
What are the factors that increase the risk of addiction?
Environmental factors that may increase a person’s risk of addiction include a chaotic home environment and abuse, parent’s drug use and attitude toward drugs, peer influences, community attitudes toward drugs, and poor academic achievement. 3.
How many adolescents have alcoholism in 2017?
About 443,000 adolescents age 12 to 17 had an alcohol use disorder in 2017, or 1.8% of adolescents. 1. An estimated 741,000 adolescents suffered from an illicit drug use disorder in 2017, or about 3% of this population. 1. Young adults aged 18-25:
Is addiction a treatable disease?
Addiction is considered a highly treatable disease, and recovery is attainable. About 10% of American adults who are at least 18 years old say they are in recovery from an alcohol or drug abuse issue. 20. Statistics on Addiction Treatment.
Is drug abuse scary?
Drug and alcohol abuse can be scary. What’s more frightening is when you’re the one battling a substance use disorder (SUD) or an alcohol use disorder (AUD), and you don’t have a solution to the problem. American Addiction Centers provides 24-hour medical detox, premium treatment, and ongoing care.
Why is it so hard to put down addictive substances?
Well, addictive substances are so hard to put down because using them gives your brain a shot of dopamine, a chemical messenger and neurotransmitter that can affect mood . The front portion of the brain houses the reward center, and this area is electrically stimulated by dopamine.
How much genetics is responsible for addiction?
The general consensus is that genetics are roughly 50% responsible for addiction to environmental factors and lifestyle also playing a significant role. Dr. Olsen has urged the government and medical community to continue aggressively investigating addiction as a disease.
How long does a Krokodil addict live?
Tolerance builds rapidly and, for a Krokodil addict, life expectancy is as little as two years. Before that point, though, the addict undergoes unimaginable horrors. Injecting the drug first causes blood vessels to burst then the surrounding tissue withers and dies.
How does addiction affect the brain?
3) Addiction Can Alter Your Brain Structure. As well as the obvious financial costs of addiction, the cost to anyone addicted to a substance can be more dangerous still. Systematically abusing any substance can change the way your brain is structured.
How many people died from prescription drugs in 2012?
In 2012, 16,000 deaths occurred in the US at the hands of prescription drugs in total. None of this is to suggest that illegal drugs are not a destructive force, but the menace of opioids should be given more weight when considering addiction.
What is the name of the drug that falls off in chunks?
In the worst scenario, flesh starts falling off in chunks exposing bone and muscle leading to its nickname “the zombie drug.”. Unfortunately, Krokodil made its way to the US with the first confirmed cases of the drug back in 2013.
How many people drink alcohol in 2015?
The 2015 NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) reported over 86% of all adults having consumed alcohol at some point with 56% of these drinking during the month leading up to the survey.
How to help someone with addiction?
Diet and exercise are important in addiction recovery. Taking care of your overall physical health will lower your chances for relapse. A healthy mind and body goes a long way in addiction recovery.
How to recover from addiction?
11. Work on mastering one positive change at a time. Addiction recovery requires change — this is clear. However, the amount of change necessary can be overwhelming. Focus on mastering one positive change at a time, as slowly or as quickly as you can handle. 12.
How to move forward in addiction recovery?
Positive affirmations and intentions can be helpful, but addiction recovery requires actions. Taking small daily actions to improve your lifestyle and work towards your goals, such as walking for 15 minutes, or signing up for a new class to keep yourself busy is the only way to move forward. 8.
What to expect after finishing rehab?
After finishing alcohol or drug rehab, hopefully you feel prepared to start your road to long-term recovery. However, no matter how prepared you feel there are many aspects to addiction recovery that many addicts do not expect, and these can throw them off balance.
What is the first step to living sober?
Getting sober, or stopping the use of drugs and alcohol, is only the first step to living sober. Living sober requires making lifestyle changes that promote personal growth and long-term addiction recovery.
Why is complete abstinence recommended?
If you attended an addiction treatment centre then you are probably aware of the dangers of substituting alcohol for another drug of choice or vice versa — which is why complete abstinence from all substances is recommended. As well, it is important to be aware of the less talked about process addictions such as gambling, food, shopping, sex, or love that can also be used to fulfil the void of your previous addiction.
Can you relapse after 10 years?
Stagnation can be the first step towards relapse. While the longer you are in recovery the lower your risk for relapse, some people do relapse even after 10+ years sober. If you are not working on personal growth on a regular basis, you could be headed towards relapse.
Why Drug Abuse Rehab May Be a Necessity
Most drugs have the ability to affect a person’s thinking and judgment, potentially damage health, and cause addiction or dependency. While most people have a general awareness of the risks of drug abuse, many of those risks are frequently underestimated. Drug abuse statistics can be helpful in revealing the true extent of the damage.
Five Numbers You Need to Know About Substance Abuse
Prevalence More than 40 million Americans 12 years old and older are struggling with addiction to a substance. That is more than the number of Americans with either heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. Often we think of addiction as a relatively small problem affecting only a handful of people—these statistics tell us otherwise.
What age group has the highest rate of drug overdose deaths?
Adults aged 25–34, 35–44, and 45–54 had the highest rates of drug overdose deaths in 2016. Data from the CDC reveals a broad range of adults ages 25 to 54 are killed by drug overdose. 10 Clearly, the drug problem isn’t just one that plagues young people, it’s an epidemic that affects adults in all stages of life.
How many drug deaths were there in 2015?
1 In 2015, the estimated number of drug-related deaths in North America was 55,300.
Why do people overdose on opioids?
People dependent on opioids are the group most likely to suffer an overdose. Opioid dependency is highly associated with overdose due to the tolerance people develop and the potency of opioid drugs, especially synthetic opioids like fentanyl and carfentanil, which can be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.
How many drug deaths in the Caribbean in 2017?
In comparison, Latin America and the Caribbean had an estimated 5,000 drug-related deaths, Oceana had 2,600, and Western and Central Europe had 8,400. 2. Drug overdoses killed about 72,000 Americans in 2017. 2017 preliminary estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are higher than ever, ...
How long does it take for a drug overdose to set in?
Harmful or deadly overdose effects may take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours to set in, so you have time to do the following things to help. 11.
What are the side effects of drug overdose?
One of the lesser-talked-about, yet serious side effects of drug overdose is permanent brain damage. 14 Brain damage can cause: Problems with balance, coordination, and movement. Impairment of the senses. Difficulty speaking or writing. Problems concentrating or thinking clearly. Memory loss.
What are the causes of death from opioids?
Most of these overdose deaths can be attributed to opioid drugs. 9 Other leading causes of death in the U.S. are heart disease, cancer, and chronic lower respiratory diseases.
