It often takes years of struggling with an addiction before someone is ready to reach out for help.
“I know there is a big stigma (with addiction) but there doesn’t need to be. There is no shame in being sick. Asking for help is one the most courageous things I have done,” a recovering alcoholic with 13 years of sobriety wrote to me in a letter recently.
When an individual reaches the point of asking for help, it is an added heartbreak when there are no readily-accessible treatment options. An estimated 23.5 million Americans are currently addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs and need treatment and other supportive services to overcome their addiction, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. One million of them are over the age of 65.
Unfortunately, only one in 10 receive the recovery treatment they need. The result: a treatment gap for more than 20 million Americans. Lack of insurance, inadequate insurance coverage, insufficient public funds and an inadequate supply of addiction recovery professionals are primary reasons for this treatment gap.
Beyond financial and provider shortages issues, the fear and stigma associated with addictions and substance use disorder often deter individuals from seeking treatment.
For the gentleman who wrote me the letter, Alcoholics Anonymous was what helped him feel less alone.
“Like survivors of the same tragic event, people understand what you are going through,” he wrote.
Both Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Celebrate Recovery (CR), a faith-based twelve step recovery program, offer online and in-person recovery group meetings. You can find a local CR or AA program at CelebrateRecovery.com or AA.org.
While there are support groups like AA, gaps in access to formal treatment exist in our community. Luckily people in Southwest Michigan who struggle with an addiction have access to Carol’s Hope, a Community Healing Center.
Open to anyone 18 years of age and older, with or without insurance, Carol’s Hope provides 24-hour crisis intervention in a supervised, supportive setting. As an alternative to emergency room care, Carol’s Hope provides clients a welcoming environment where individuals can develop a recovery plan and connect to services free from the barriers of stigma or lack of ability to pay for care.
Carol’s Hope staff help clients make a recovery plan that addresses the client’s substance use disorder, as well as other identified social needs such as housing, food, clothing and medical and mental health care. Clients receive assistance in obtaining treatment funding and referrals, as well as linkages to other recovery resources. If you, a family member or friend need help overcoming a substance use disorder, you can reach the professionals at Carol’s Hope by calling 5561526.
Riverwood Center’s 24-hour crisis line is another local addiction recovery resource, 800-336-0341. Riverwood staff help clients understand treatment options, get referrals to other community agencies and resources and access emergency services.
For older adults struggling with substance use disorder, Area Agency on Aging provides in-home counseling services for people aged 60 and older through its Integrated Care at Home program. This service is not a crisis intervention, but on-going, in-home counseling to help clients address the underlining issues that can lead to substance use and abuse.
Counselors work with the clients to identify individual strengths and growth areas, build skills and connect clients to community resources.
To learn more about AAA’s in-home counseling service, call 932-7859.
Below is more of the letter I referenced above. The gentleman who wrote it is hopeful it will encourage others to set aside any fear of getting help or the stigma associated with addiction.
“My intent in writing this is done with kindness and a desire to pay it forward. I doubt I would be here today if it weren’t for wonderful people doing the same for me. … The following are just a few of the lessons and treasures I have learned and gained from the steps and people in AA:
- The opinions of others do not define my self-worth.
- I will never be able to control my drinking or using.
- I can’t use ‘just a little.’ It will always destroy the relationships I value the most.
- Serving others and being honest will reduce the urge to drink and escape.
- No one is perfect at any of this. I am going to make mistakes; I can restart my day at any point and try to do better.
- The road to happy destiny is paved with effort, compassion, service, fellowship, honesty and forgiveness. It’s not always easy, but doable when you are not alone.
“In the beginning, I had to break my sobriety down to a day at a time, sometimes an hour at a time. At first, I was amazed that I went a week without drugs or drink.
This turned into months then years. … Now I don’t even notice the liquor store as I drive by. It happens slowly, but I can promise that the desire to drink does fade, then leave. I think of it sometimes, not often. But I’m not willing to trade this life I love for a moment of drunkenness.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope it may have been of service to you.”
If you would like to read the full letter, request a copy by emailing: info@areaagencyonaging.org.
Christine Vanlandingham is CEO of Region IV Area Agency on Aging in Southwest Michigan. Questions on age or independence services?
Call the Info-Line for Aging & Disability at 800-654-2810 or visit areaagencyonaging.org. The Generations column appears each weekend in The Herald-Palladium.