Addiction is a far-reaching illness that affects more people than you realize. In fact, research indicates that approximately 24 million Americans over the age of 11 struggle with alcoholism and drug dependence. Of those, only two million are receiving treatment for their substance abuse. That leaves 24 million families across the country trying to cope with the realities of substance use disorder.
Even among the two million who seek help and agree to treatment for their alcohol and drug addiction, many of them will relapse at some point. For drug misuse, the relapse rate is between 40 and 60 percent. The problem of drug use is complex and there are no easy solutions.
However, a unified family engaged in addiction treatment is one of the most important tools you can put to work to address the substance abuse issue. Drug use interventions can be instrumental in encouraging your loved one to get the help they need to successfully recover from drug addiction as well as other mental health conditions.