Very few people who pay attention to the news or engage in social media are aware of the enormous crisis we face with the abuse of opiates and opioid drugs. But many may not know that alcoholism is still by far the number one addiction epidemic in the United States, and the growing concern around alcoholism during the opioid crisis has been grossly overlooked.
While Desert Cove Recovery, a premier rehab in Arizona, believes it’s important to work toward ending the opioid crisis, the fact that alcohol abuse and alcoholism contribute to more than 88,000 deaths a year[1] is quite alarming. In fact, The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism[2] claims that the deaths due to the use of all other drugs combined are only 30,000 in number per year. Unfortunately, too many people underestimate the dangers that alcoholism can bring.
Not only can an alcohol overdose kill a person just as a drug overdose can, but the continued abuse of alcohol slowly and undoubtedly adds to the deterioration of one’s body and relationships. With so much focus on today’s opioid crisis, the alcoholism epidemic continues to grow quietly but steadily, destroying lives in the process.
During The Opioid Crisis, Alcoholism Concerns Rise
According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence[3], it’s estimated that almost 16 million people over the age of 12 have an alcohol addiction. That number is 50% higher than the figures reported just a decade before and the numbers keep growing. A 2017 report from The National Institute on Drug Abuse[4] estimates that of the 19.7 million Americans over the age of 12 with a substance abuse disorder, almost 74% of them are addicted to alcohol, compared to those who suffer from drug addiction.
With statistics that show alcoholism to be more than twice as big a problem, alcoholism is clearly still a deadly issue for Americans. It’s the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States, but it’s a backseat killer as press and awareness for the dangers of opioid abuse and addiction seem to be at a historic high.
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Taking Priority: Lumping Substance Abuse Together and Ranking Unequally
Even though there is still an alcoholism epidemic during the opioid crisis America is facing, a quick Google search will show that there is far more current news and initiative happening to address the opioid crisis. Or, what is often seen in studies is the lumping together of alcohol abuse and addiction with drug abuse, even though opioid abuse is often separate from ‘illicit drug’ use and abuse.
While President Trump has shared his concern about alcoholism because of his brother’s death due to alcoholism in 1981 and even donated $100,000 for alcoholism research, there have been no executive campaigns to end alcohol addiction or bring awareness to the alcoholism epidemic. Yet, at a 2019 Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit[5], the President reiterated his commitment to ending the opioid crisis once and for all.
While the efforts to end opioid abuse and addiction are needed and worthy, there is just as much need to address the alcoholism epidemic during the opioid crisis as well.
Rehab in Arizona Discusses Different Epidemics Need Different Solutions
One of the most critical factors in ending the alcoholism epidemic and preventing needless deaths and destruction of relationships comes in the form of treatment and recovery. While today’s society views drug addiction as severe and more often than not, requiring professional help, alcohol abuse and addiction are often overlooked as issues that ‘people can stop on their own.’
That’s just not always the case. At Desert Cove Recovery, our knowledgeable staff understands that overcoming alcohol addiction is not easy. With so much focus on the opioid crisis, it’s easy for alcohol abuse to go under the radar, especially considering it’s easy and legal to obtain and relatively inexpensive to buy. We know that to battle the alcoholism epidemic during the opioid crisis, we need to take unique approaches that consider the seriousness of alcoholism.
Get Help Today from Desert Cove Recovery, Rehab in Arizona
Desert Cove Recovery also knows that not only is alcohol abuse often overlooked, but instead glamorized in entertainment and advertisements. As a premier rehab in Arizona, we understand that treatment and recovery begin with compassionate and concerned care that is committed to helping you live your best life—without dependence upon alcohol. More, our staff knows that statistically, those who abuse alcohol are also more inclined to abuse other damaging substances as well, and we work to create individualized treatment plans that are geared toward your full recovery, health, and happiness—substance abuse-free.
Desert Cove Recovery believes in the holistic treatment of alcohol addiction and integrates 12-steps of recovery with cutting-edge techniques that were designed by clinicians and experts who know how to help you retake control of your life. We specialize in treating addictions by looking at and focusing on the underlying conditions that lay behind the addictive behaviors and habits. We offer a safe and nurturing environment that takes alcoholism seriously and commit ourselves to help you find the freedom and health you deserve.
The alcoholism epidemic is just as real and dangerous as the opioid crisis is, and we want to be sure your recovery and road to long-term health and happiness are taken just as seriously. Call us today to get your life back.
Sources:
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm [2] https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics [3] https://www.ncadd.org/index.php/blogs/in-the-news/alcohol-america-s-1-addiction-problem [4] https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics [5] https://www.rx-summit.com/
