Drug addiction is an insidious disease. The individual entrenched in the throes of drug dependence often feels hopeless and doomed. Attempting to escape the cycle of drug addiction can be a daunting process, but no one needs to go it alone. Numerous resources exist that can provide information about recovery options, guide the individual to an appropriate treatment facility, or provide him with a support group of peers who've successfully undergone the same difficult transition.
Government Agencies
When addiction is widespread, the repercussions are felt throughout the community. Government agencies have been established In order to address the societal implications of addiction.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse, or NIDA, is a government agency that funds research dealing with issues of addiction. It also serves to distribute the information gained through such research with the goal being to improve drug treatment methods and legislation. The NIDA website is a comprehensive source of information that is of interest to parents, teachers, health care professionals and anyone else seeking to learn about addiction and recovery.
In addition to NIDA, each state in the U.S. has its own agency to address the issue of addiction. The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, provides a list of contact information for each state agency on its website.
Treatment Facility Locator
People who have made the decision to seek treatment may feel discouraged when they don't know where to turn. SAMHSA has made the search for a treatment facility easier by creating an online Substance Abuse Treatment Locator.
To use this service, an individual simply goes to the website, enters her location, and chooses the radius of the area she wants to search. The search engine will produce a map showing all of the treatment facilities within that area, By clicking on one of the points on the map, the user can find the name, address and telephone number of that particular treatment facility. The user is then encouraged to phone the facility for more information about the specific programs offered there.
12-Step Programs
Twelve-step programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA, and Narcotics Anonymous, or NA, offer people addicted to alcohol and drugs a supportive fellowship of recovering peers whose knowledge and experience they can draw from.
The 12 steps offer a guided method for addressing the emotional turmoil and life-changing challenges that arise during recovery. AA and NA groups hold weekly meetings where individuals share their stories of recovery and explain how they use the 12 steps in their daily lives.
Members of these fellowships also find guidance through a mentoring system wherein they choose a "sponsor," someone who has been in the program longer and who has successfully followed the 12 steps. The sponsor helps to guide the recovering individual through the 12 steps and also provides him with someone to turn to when the drug cravings get too difficult.
It costs nothing to join a 12-step program, and meetings take place in just about every city in the U.S. Information about finding a meeting can be found on the AA and NA websites.
