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Common Barriers to Opioid Addiction Treatment

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Although millions of Americans suffer from substance use disorder from coast to coast, only about 10% of those people receive proper addiction treatment. The causes behind this statistic are complex and often overlap. Still, the challenges these people face need to be addressed in order to lower the rates of preventable overdose deaths in the country.

Denial

Many people who grapple with addiction have a hard time coming to terms that their drug misuse is a serious problem. Denial is a very fundamental part of the process of understanding people with substance use disorder because it shines a light on their difficulty understanding just how much their drug use impacts every other aspect of their lives. It also becomes a major hurdle to get over in regards to seeking treatment. Someone can’t seek out help until they admit they have a problem.

Misinformation

Some people with substance use disorder have played around with the idea of getting treatment and have possibly googled their options, while some haven’t even considered the idea. Those who are unaware of convenient office-based medication-assisted treatment may think that getting help means setting off for a 90-day stint at an inpatient facility, many states away.
fear;
Fear

Even people with the most functional addictions are afraid of what may happen to them if they decide to seek treatment. Will they lose their job and ability to pay bills? Will their coworkers shame them? Will they get fired? How will their in-laws react? Dozens of worries immediately come to mind preventing them from taking the first step and inquiring about treatment options available to them. The stigma around addiction is still very prominent to the point that some people are even afraid to tell their doctor that they have a problem with substance misuse.
time, hourglass, time passingTime

The commitment to life-long recovery doesn’t have a time limit. Those with substance use disorder have conditioned themselves to base their time around obtaining and ingesting their substance of choice and may have difficulty conceptualizing the timeline of addiction treatment. Time getting better can also mean time away from their loved ones, responsibilities, and places they feel comfortable, especially if they’re not informed about outpatient treatment options.
cost; money; price; cash;
Cost

In the past, people who wanted to treat their addiction had to do so out-of-pocket because substance use disorder was not yet classified as a disease. Thankfully, advancements in addiction science have helped push policy to include drug treatment along with other healthcare, although there is still a long way to go to make it more accessible. Most insurance policies will cover addiction treatment, and for those without any coverage, many clinics operate on a sliding pay scale based on the patient’s situation.
Middlesex Recovery wants to combat the stigma…

…and various barriers to affordable and accessible addiction treatment for all those who need help. The most common factors that prevent people from seeking out help can be defeated with information, so give our friendly and knowledgeable staff a call today to learn more about our treatment services or check out our quick guide.

― BayMark