Is Rehab Worth the Cost?

The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimated that, in 1992, the total cost of alcohol and drug abuse to society was $245.7 billion; this includes the cost of law enforcement, health care, and lost work-related productivity.  Clearly, substance abuse is a significant national problem with a large economic footprint, which is why the government has funded research on prevention and treatment.  

The cost of rehab facilities is one of the biggest barriers to treatment.  Because few people plan and budget for needing a rehab facility, they have a hard time justifying the financial burden that they anticipate treatment will represent. However, like the ripple effect that addiction has on society, many people who ask if rehab is worth the cost have not fully realized how far-reaching the problem of addiction can be.

• Addiction damages relationships.  As an addict’s priorities shift and acquiring more of the substance becomes their number one goal, everyone in the life of the addict suffers.  A family’s financial resources are often redirected to the substance; wouldn’t you rather put the same money that is being spent on the substance toward getting your loved one on the path to recovery?

• The children of alcoholics and addicts are deeply affected by the disease in both the short term and long term.   They develop unhealthy ways of relating to others, and they are more likely to choose a life partner who is an addict than is the general population.  They may also have low self-esteem, problems in school, difficulty developing and maintaining healthy social relationships.

• Addiction is associated with other mental health problems: these include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideations.

• Addiction is associated with numerous health problems: depending on the substance, these can include tooth decay, malnutrition, deafness, seizures, stroke, and many others.

• Substance abuse & addiction are associated with social problems: numerous crimes – from domestic violence to child abuse to theft – are committed while the perpetrator is under the influence of a substance.  This can create additional legal problems for families who are already overwhelmed by the other problems that the addiction has created.

There are many ways to fund treatment at a rehab facility (Read Will My Insurance Pay for Rehab?).  Because addiction affects so many people in such deeply negative ways, it is almost hard to find a reason not to seek treatment.  Many rehab facilities will work with you to find a way to make it possible.