Addicts Need to be Empowered, not Told They are Powerless

It's no secret that our health care system is broken, while insurance costs keep rising, yet a major problem that continues to be overlooked is the addiction treatment system and its deteriorization of success.

Gone are the days where people are responsible for their own condition, only to be replaced with "it's not your fault, here's a pill to treat your symptoms". The notion that addiction is an incurable brain disease and that relapse is a part of recovery is driven by people who profit from not getting results, such as ineffective treatments and pharmaceutical companies.

While this may not be a very popular viewpoint, it is truth. In fact, there has never been a single study or test to prove that addiction is an incurable disease and millions of people permanently recover every day without further symptoms or relapses. Meanwhile, drug companies are making billions off individuals, health insurance companies and our own government by marketing their drugs to treat addiction. These include anything from mood stabilizers to antidepressants and of course drug replacement therapies such as methadone or buprenorphine for opiate addicts. Medicaid is a big target and the budget deficits as a result are staggering while the costs continue to increase.

Our drug rehab system is currently set up for failure. Treatment programs are not required to prove they work and addicts are given excuses as to why they relapse and are given drugs that can even cause relapse. What is truly needed is a graduating scale of success rate benchmarking and accountability for addiction treatment providers. There also must be a shift in agreement that addicts need to be given the tools to be responsible for their actions and be empowered instead of being told they are powerless.

This will result in more people becoming permanently sober and returning to work and their families with less reliance on governmental support. It will also greatly reduce the costs in addiction treatment spending as well as law enforcement and corrections department costs. By lessening the budgetary burdens we will free up more money for infrastructure, education, economic development and other societal needs.

This is a basic outline of what The New Face of Recovery is about. It is a treatment and recovery advocacy group working to redefine accepted norms while improving the rehabilitation field. Since September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month and the health care and economic problems are at the center of current political debates, there is no better time than now to re-examine this field. It is time to stop feeding the problem and start implementing real solutions.