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There is More to Treatment than Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is a dark mistress that does not care about age, race, gender or religion, digging her claws deep into anyone willing to give her a passing wink. The devastation of addiction has cast a heavy shadow over America, affecting 19.7 million people and costing society 740 billion dollars in lost productivity, crime, and healthcare annually. When glancing at substance abuse statistics you may think “ what is this new plague, or infectious disease” that can claim 1 out of 7 people. The vicious demons of addiction infiltrate workplaces, communities and relationships, robbing individuals of their family, health, sanity, and soul. The depth of this issue is illustrated to the right, showing a steady increase in drug overdose deaths from 16,849 in 1999 to 70,237 in 2017.
 
The issue is clear, but where do we go from here? If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse, consider seeking help from one of the 14,000+ treatment facilities in the United States. To narrow down treatment providers try using findtreatment.samhsa.gov/locator or findtreatment.gov or search on your own by state, insurance coverage, and/or specialized services. There is not a single treatment that is appropriate for everyone, the personal nature of substance abuse should be reflected in recovery.

For the greatest chance of success look for programs that are client-centered, provide evidence-based practices and takes into consideration an individual’s age, gender, language, ethnicity, culture, drug use, lifestyle and/or behavioral needs. Principal for effective treatment should go beyond substance abuse to address individual needs of medication, medical services, family therapy, parenting instruction, vocational rehabilitation, and/or social and legal services. Further, addiction internally affects the body and mind by altering digestion, absorption, metabolism, and hormones. Nutrition plays a key role in substance abuse recovery by healing the body from the inside out.

For more information, check out the National Institute on Drug Abuse resources:

Comments

  1. I definitely agree that substance abuse recovery deserves a strong nutrition-focus. More health care providers should be aware of the importance of nutrition in relation to substance abuse recovery. What are some ways that health care facilities can become more aware of nutrition-focused care when helping individuals in recovery?

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    1. Ideally, healthcare provides, along with social services, correction centers, and mental health facilities would have open lines of communication with treatment centers. This would allow for streamline the transfer of patient documents and reduce barriers to patient intake. Open communication would also capitalize on connecting patients seeking recovery get connected with a treatment provider and minimize lost opportunities. Further, if treatment centers knew of patients past medial conditions such as dysphagia, they could better accommodate them in the healing process.

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  2. Good job. I enjoyed reading your blog post about substance abuse and the strong connection with nutrition therapy.

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  3. Nutrition therapy is so important in the recovery process! How can pre-rehab facilities (eg., hospitals) better utilize nutrition therapy (MNT) for this population?

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    1. Honestly, hospitals usually see these patients for such a brief period of time that correcting metabolic abnormalities, deficiencies, or low nutrient intake is of the utmost importance. Taking time to find out what the individual’s drug of choice, method used, and length of use can provide further insight into issues of concern such as difficulty swallowing, missing teeth, and GI distress. Past the initial medical concerns, patient outcomes could benefit from an alliance between hospitals and treatment center, to ensure those seeking help have access to the next level of care.

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  4. A good idea for treatment facilities would be to make a deal with a contract independent dietitian! This is what my cousin does and she loves it!

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  5. I find this topic both fascinating and sad. I enjoyed how you drew in nutrition therapy and it is vital that both currentt professional and future professionals learn how to advise and help treat this population!

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  6. I really like your writing style! I like that you give tipps and links for people in need too. From the presentation you gave I was really interested in how nutrition plays a role in treating people with addiction so I would have hoped for a little more information on that topic. But overall very good. Good structure, good writing and a very interesting topic!

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