Barriers to Treatment: What to do when you feel stuck
You often see in many news headlines about the overdose rates affecting various areas within our country. Why is it then, that more people are not seeking help? The roadblocks that some may face in beginning their road to recovery are real. We have identified some of those areas, and how we, at BTG, address them.
So before identifying what barriers or roadblock an individual may face seeking treatment, we must first define barrier. A barrier, refers to any one thing or cause that challenges one’s ability to go and seek treatment or help. It can refer to emotional barriers, financial barriers, or environment barriers.
We will now explore some of the barriers that we work at finding solutions for at BTG:
- May Not Recognize The Severity Of Disease
Some individuals may not be ready to stop drinking or using drugs because they may feel that they could quit at any time or that their lives are not unmanageable yet. Others may feel as though there is not a way out. Often, families or close ones can see a need before the clients’ un-manageability is enough for them to feel the pain and want something different. Often it is difficult to fully help someone who does not yet want the help. This is where seeking outside help is vital. The help of a professional to help one understand the disease and other co-occurring issues is instrumental in acknowledging the severity of addiction. It allows a person to develop a working knowledge of their disease so that they can better help themselves.
- Not Knowing Where To Go
Finding a treatment center can be overwhelming. There are many to choose from that offer an array of services and treatment modalities. It is sometimes difficult to see what approach may work best. Finding a resource that is a good match for an individual’s unique needs will set them up for the greatest success. A client needing to remove people places and things from using, can find connecting with a human or personalized service is extremely important. Here at BTG, our initial steps with you are to complete an assessment. This assists us in providing you with the level of care to best aid your recovery. Connection to other resources within the area or surrounding areas can also be extremely beneficial. Seeing treatment as a short term situation, community resources for classes, support within the community such as AA, keeping the goal in view of long term sobriety and better healthier relationships and care for children and family. Some examples of these additional resources include VA Workforce, Community college, and ARE.
- Possible Complications With Job and Other Responsibilities
The demands of holding a commitment to a job may interfere with one's ability to seek help, for the fear of becoming unemployed or stigmatized. This is why we offer varied levels of treatment to help in meeting someone where they are. This provides someone with the ability to focus on one’s self to work towards the future. Medical leave from job, FMLA, additional family help, may be supportive options to help remove this barrier.
- Stigma
Perceived stigma may lead to one to feel embarrassment or “misunderstood”. This can result is someone being more hesitate to express the need for help. This is why we educate clients on the disease of addiction so that they can become more comfortable. It is also important to get the tools you need, support, and be open to a community in sobriety like N/A or AA.
- Affordability
The cost associated with treatment can be high to those who do not have the appropriate insurance coverage for it. Some do have insurance, but their insurance provider may not cover the treatment center that they are looking into. Whatever is the case, there are other resources out there that can help. Community Service Board, Department of Social Security, just places we work with to name a few of the. One needs to focus in on the resources that are available to them and what their options are.
There is hope and there is help available. The road to recovery and back to health is not easy, but it can be done. Even with some roadblocks in the way, support and resources are just a step away. If you or a loved one are caught in the ties of addiction, and unsure about your next steps, contact us. We are available 24/7, and we welcome you with open arms. We are here to support you on this journey no matter the barriers you may face.