Addiction Treatment Services - Short Term Expense For Long Term Benefit

Inpatient or outpatient? That one simple question determines the amount of money that is spent on addiction treatment. Inpatient programs cost more. Doctors believe, and research backs them, that an inpatient program is much more likely to be successful. The cost of inpatient can range to $40,000. The average cost of treatment estimated by the National Substance Abuse Treatment Services Survey (N-SATSS) is a mere $7,000 monthly. Inpatient programs regularly last more than a single month. Public funding pays a large part of all spending in the area of substance abuse treatment. Its estimated 80 percent of the money for these programs comes from the public treasury.

Regimentation is the largest benefit of inpatient programs. Patients are put through a program of detoxification. The withdrawal symptoms and associated discomfort is best managed within a hospital environment. The inability of the patient to quit when the detox gets tough is a major benefit for inpatient therapy. Medication can be used in the hospital environment to help patients through the withdrawal symptoms. Psychotherapy can help speed the process of understanding the addiction and triggers to use on the part of the patient.

Inpatient therapy stops the "leak in the system" that has been associated with outpatient programs. Getting the patient to stop using an addictive substance in an outpatient basis can be a large problem. Normal outpatient treatment includes social support, like the 12 step programs. Medication to reduce dependency and psychotherapy are also used in outpatient programs.

The length of treatment with an inpatient program can be 30 to 60 days of intense treatment. Research shows the recovery rate for a biophysical drug rehab program, a long way of describing inpatient detoxification, often is three times higher than most other drug addiction treatments.

Outpatient programs last typically from six to eight weeks, with regular long term follow up efforts to help the patient stay clean.

A Florida study shows the need for these addiction treatment services is growing. More drug related deaths occurred in Florida in 2007 from prescription drug abuse, than from the street drugs we normally associate with addictions. Over-the-counter drugs, like cough medicines, are becoming a problem also.

The benefits of living drug free, and the health and well being of the recovered addict, while expensive are worth the expense. The biggest problem is not the money. Its the number of hospital beds that are needed to help.