Quality drug and alcohol rehab centers offer the best and most effective care for those suffering from addiction, yet an alarming number of people who need help do not seek it.
This is especially true of women suffering from alcoholism and substance abuse disorders. It is estimated that 70 percent of those who need treatment do not seek it, and for women it is a much higher rate at 93 percent.
Perception and lack of knowledge are often some of the biggest things holding women back from seeking treatment from drug and alcohol rehab centers. Some recent changes in the educational field for addiction treatment may help to change that.
Medical Community Acknowledges Addiction as a Disease
It has long been a common agreement amongst medical and mental health professionals that addiction is a disease. This is based in a great deal on studies done 15 years ago, which show that addiction physically changes the brain, on top of any other physical effects it may cause.
Despite this knowledge and the extensive amount of medical treatment available at drug and alcohol rehab centers, most facilities’ clinical staff is comprised of general psychologists, rather than addictionologists or certified addiction professionals. While many consider addiction a mental health disorder, it is a complicated disease with physical components that are best treated by an addiction specialist.
As part of the progression of adding legitimacy to the physical diagnosis and treatment of addiction, 10 medical institutions recently became the first to offer accredited residency programs in addiction medicine.
This step is a big one on the way to the larger goal of getting accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, which would allow medical students to study addiction medicine as their primary residency program. One of the biggest requirements for that accreditation is for a minimum of 20 schools to offer accredited programs.
This further legitimizes that alcohol rehab centers are not just treatment for moral issues, but rather medical illness that requires professional treatment. By offering accredited medical programs, perhaps more people will become aware of the complexity and severity of addiction and see it as the disease that it is.
Hopefully, it will raise public awareness. Public perception and education are important for drug and alcohol rehab centers because the better people understand addiction and its treatment, the more likely they are to go to drug and alcohol rehab centers to get the help that they need.
Destination Hope is a drug and alcohol rehab center that understands the disease of addiction. Our staff is comprised of addiction specialists, including addiction psychiatrists and certified addiction professionals.
They recognize that it is a complicated disease and offer the best care available for both the psychological side and the medical side of addiction. Our programs are specifically designed for women with their specific needs and physical comfort kept in mind. If you or someone you care about is suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction, please call our counselors today. We are here to help 24 hours a day.
