GULF BREEZE, Fla. (PRWEB) January 04, 2018 -- The Overwhelming Cost of Addiction Compared to Rehabilitation
Let’s face it: quality treatment for substance abuse can be costly. The exact expense varies based upon insurance, length of stay, the quality of care, the location of the facility and various other factors. But, then again, in addition to robbing you of your quality of life, how much does your addiction cost? So, let’s cut to the chase.
Is it worth it?
The Price of Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol addiction is one of the most common substance dependencies in the United States. It is widely reported that nearly 18 million people in the United States suffer from some form of alcohol abuse or dependence. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol use resulted in approximately 88,000 deaths from 2006 to 2010 and excessive drinking was responsible for 1 in 10 deaths among working-age adults in the same time period.
Health risks from alcohol use are substantial and can range from immediate harm to serious, long-term health risks. These risks include:
- Alcohol poisoning,
- Miscarriage and stillbirth,
- High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease and digestive complications,
- Various cancers including mouth, liver, colon and more.
In addition to the toll alcohol addiction takes on a person’s health, the financial burden can be substantial. Depending on the individual’s drink of choice, average daily expenses can range from about $ 9.00 to $100.00 a day. Over the course of a year, that results in a cost of around $3,300 to $37,000.
That’s $37,000 just in the cost of the alcohol alone and doesn’t take into consideration ancillary costs associated with the complications from alcohol addiction, which often include:
- Medical expenses,
- Job loss and insecurity,
- Accidents and damage to property, and more.
For those most vulnerable to economic instability and perpetual hardship, alcohol addiction can be one of the most devastating factors resulting in long-term, generational poverty. Many children experience detrimental behavior at home that stems from alcohol dependence. They learn the patterns and behaviors of their addicted parent(s), setting the stage for repeating that behavior in their own lives as they grow older.
The Price of Opioid Addiction
In November, the White House stated that opioid addiction cost the United States roughly $504 billion and CNBC reported that in 2016 over 64,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, the majority of which were related to painkillers or illicit opioids. On a personal level, the costs of opioid addiction to individuals are just as devastating - and they are growing rapidly.
One way researchers have found to assess the price of opioid addiction is to evaluate the amounts paid by insurances companies for those identified as opioid addicts. A report from Optum, a healthcare data analytics agency, found that insurance costs for patients suffering from opioid addiction are consistently five to six times higher than those for individuals not suffering from opioid addiction.
These costs can result from the injuries commonly associated with opioid addiction and overdose, including:
- Nerve damage,
- Liver and internal organ damage,
- Kidney failure,
- Pneumonia,
- Cognitive impairment,
- Brain damage associated with repeat overdose, and more.
The Price of Heroin Addiction
“I spent $10,000 in four months.”
The above quote is from Rick Sproule who was interviewed by Vice a s part of their report on the cost of addiction in Canada. His is one of countless stories that showcase the extreme costs that can be associated with heroin addiction. Financially, heroin addiction can be devastating and medically it can be just as destructive, if not more so.
Average estimates find that heroin costs moderate users around $30 per day with extreme use ranging from $150 to $200 per day. This would mean that heroin users can expect to spend around as much as $11,000 to 73,000 per year on their addiction.
The most serious consequences of heroin addiction, however, are often much less obvious and much more deadly. Medical complications and health risks associated with heroin use result in an estimated death rate as high as 11,000 people per year. Those who survive overdose or avoid experiencing one are still at risk of suffering a number of complications associated with heroin addiction, including:
- Extreme weight loss,
- Infections and abscesses at injection sites,
- Cardiovascular complications, including heart infections,
- Chronic Pneumonia,
- Tissue death,
- Liver disease,
- Nerve damage, and more.
The Value of Quality Addiction Rehabilitation Services
Quality addiction rehabilitation services can make the difference between overcoming an addiction and continuing a cycle of relapse and substance abuse; however, quality rehabilitation does have financial costs associated with it. These costs can vary greatly depending on the type of program, the treatments offered, and the amenities available.
Drug and alcohol treatment programs can range from hundreds of dollars for outpatient detoxification to tens of thousands of dollars for inpatient programs that provide extended stays. One often overlooked factor is the quality of care, for which the value is unquantifiable. The program that is right for you may not be right for someone else.
One thing is overwhelmingly clear, when considering the cost of rehabilitation compared to the cost of continuing an addiction, rehabilitation is the better choice.
Continuing to engage in addictive behaviors and substance abuse will cost you or your loved one dearly. The costs associated with addiction are devastating to a person’s health, finances, and relationships. Lives can be destroyed or, in the worst of all outcomes, lost.
Quality rehabilitation can help you or your loved one find a new path that is free from the damaging effects of addiction.
At Gulf Breeze Recovery, we employ a holistic rehabilitation strategy that treats each person as a whole. Our facility provides a comfortable and enriching environment to ease the process of detoxification and recovery. Residents participating in our program work one-on-one with therapists and engage in daily educational classes to better understand the relationship to their addiction, their thinking concerning the addiction and their ability to make a different choice in responding to addictive thoughts.
If you would like more information about our program and the services we offer, please contact us and learn more.
About Gulf Breeze Recovery: Gulf Breeze Recovery is changing the future of addiction treatment with the THRIVE® program focused on overcoming chronic relapse. Gulf Breeze Recovery’s THRIVE® program is designed for those who are looking for a drug and alcohol treatment program to produce a different and positive result. This non-12 step program allows you to drive beyond your addictions and promotes a new outlook on life. Gulf Breeze Recovery is now accepting select insurance policies as a full or partial payment for all program costs. The exciting news is that people can now attend one of the most highly regarded drug treatment centers in the country at little to no cost to them. For more information about our program or to speak with an Admissions Counselor, please call 855-973-3551 or contact us.
Barnett Gilmer, Gulf Breeze Recovery, https://www.gulfbreezerecovery.com, +1 (855) 973-3551, [email protected]
SOURCE Gulf Breeze Recovery
Share this article