Drug And Alcohol Services: An Overview Of Available Help

Private and public drug and alcohol services are offered in most states as the government acknowledges the fact that this is a problem that does not affect the user alone. Rather, it is a concern that the whole family and the community carries. Everyone suffers from the problems drug dependency and alcohol abuse bring. They can affect and destroy so many lives.

Drug and alcohol are linked to many of society’s ills, like depression, violence and the decline of health. People from many sectors of society must therefore play an active role in order to keep the problem from worsening. Of course, a person suffering from either of these problems can always get specialised alcohol abuse treatment or drug abuse treatment. Non profit services make these more widely available.

There are plenty of drug and alcohol services that an individual can get help from. It’s also worth remembering that you can make a contribution to these institutions or groups through financial means or by volunteering your time and expertise. Every person can help and be part of the effort to rid society of this social problem.

Drug and alcohol services include the following 3 elements:

EDUCATION. Education is the best weapon in thwarting drug and alcohol problems. Many schools, civic organizations and private institutions spearhead campaigns with the help of the media to get the message across.

Education is a preventative service. The more people learn what the dangers are, the better they become aware of its ill-effects, and the more they will know to avoid it. Children as early as nine or ten years old may already be given information they can process in order to understand what this crisis is about and hopefully pick up lessons they can remember when they are older.

Many institutions accept volunteers in order to keep their education and information projects in motion. The government, through the National Institute on Drug Abuse and civic groups like The Partnership for Drug Free America or Parents: The Anti-Drug are just some of these active institutions.

PROTECTION. Protection pertains not only to the addict’s safety but also to those family members and loved-ones who may be affected by their substance use. Protection comes in the form of medical, emotional and mental care.

  • Help hotlines, whether government initiated or established by a civic organization, such as the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counsellors or Chrysalis, address concerns for those who may need counselling or immediate attention by authorities, whether they are the victims or the user.
  • Special agencies, like the Women’s Shelter in San Luis Obispo California, focus on woman and child care against abusive drug dependent or alcoholic partners. They provide temporary shelter in these trying situations.
  • Drug and alcohol service may also be in the form of temporary detention of the addict by a court, while his or her case is being assessed by authorities. The local police or sheriff is mandated to do this. While in detention, they may also be subjected to short-term treatment programs, if necessary to help kick off their process of recovery.

Many of these entities provide services for free and rely on the help of sponsors, donors and benefactors to keep their operation going.

TREATMENT. Treatment programs are the essence of many drug and alcohol services. In fact, an abundance of treatment centers have been established in the last decade to specifically address this problem.

Some treatment programs are very exclusive and are privately funded business enterprises --- Narconon, The Camp Recovery Center and Harmony Place to name a few. There are centers that are government subsidized or handled by civic organizations such as the Alcohol and Drug Services in North Carolina or the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) that cater to those not capable of paying for highly expensive treatment facilities.

Treatment programs provide education, detoxification and counselling. Many take place in two months, six months or twelve months, depending on how long the person has been subjected to his or her addiction. Treatment programs are highly sensitive and only experts and qualified individuals can work in this environment.

Alcoholism Treatment