Evidence in the same study supported the idea that prescription medication was actually useful in helping people to overcome substance use disorders, but the problem was that these types of medications were underutilized.

Moreover, the FDA (the US Food and Drug Administration) had given their approval for several forms of prescription drugs that would be used to help people suffering from addictions to opioids and alcohol use disorders.

However, this was hindered by the fact that there was a lack of healthcare professionals available who could prescribe these medications, and there was also a lack of programs for treatment available too.

Post Pandemic Studies

Statistics released by the government in early January 2022, indicated that over 101,000 US citizens had died as a result of drug overdoses within a period of 12 months. It was suggested that this was due to a combination of factors, including the pandemic, the resulting disruptions to the access to healthcare, and an increasing use of drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamines (which has been increasing since the early 2010s).

From the mental health side of things, more recent studies conducted by organizations such as the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have found that during the height of the pandemic, at least 13% of people in the US had reported that they had been using drugs as a way to help them to cope with feelings of stress and their emotions in general, which had been exacerbated by how Covid-19 had impacted their lives.

The researchers behind this study had suggested that there should be a movement to create a response to these findings by improving the measures that are taken to prevent people from falling into the addiction cycle, as well as staging interventions, and working on community-led initiatives for public health.

By introducing all of the above, this could potentially help to improve people’s chances of recovery, as well as preventing people from feeling that they need to take the path of drugs in order to cope with the trials and tribulations of life.

The US and Addiction

Ultimately, there are forms of treatment for people facing a battle with addiction, but the US has an issue with factors such as getting more people the treatment they need through community-led healthcare initiatives, as well as a general state-by-state push to get people access to the healthcare that they need.

The pandemic had a dramatic effect on the nation’s mental health, and as a result, some people turned to drugs as a way of coping with issues such as social isolation, as well as the development of mental health disorders, such as depression.

Elsewhere, the introduction of remote-working on a much-wider scale to many people who had potentially never engaged in this style of work introduced new challenges too. Some studies even found that several workplaces had reported that their staff had developed drug addictions or dependencies on substances during the pandemic, as they were not adjusting well to the new work-from-home lifestyle.

So with new challenges faced - an increase in recreational drug use in the US and an increase in the number of drug-related overdoses - it appears that there needs to be an increased push to spread awareness about the importance of getting help with addiction. They also need to make sure that people are aware of the help that is available for them, and where they can find this help.

What Methods Are Available For Treating Addiction?

There are several different methods of treatment available that can help people to overcome alcohol use disorders, substance use disorders, and other forms of addiction such as gambling.

Treatment can come in the form of care options such as medical detoxification processes, which involve the use of prescription medication, as well as continual supervision by addiction treatment specialists who monitor the entire process.

These healthcare professionals help people who are attempting to overcome an addiction by offering them a method that enables them to face the withdrawal symptoms associated with the substance. They can thereby overcome the physiological dependence their body has on the drug.

Once this part of the recovery process is complete, people can then move onto the more long-term forms of care that address the psychological aspects of the addiction. For example, therapy and counseling can help people to understand what things trigger their addiction, and what things can influence them. They learn what adjustments they can make to their lives that will strengthen their resistance to cravings, as well as generally avoiding behaviors that will lead them to substance abuse.

Elsewhere, people taking part in the addiction treatment process may decide that they would benefit more from a structured, step-by-step program that they can follow in order to track their progress.

For instance, 12-step and 4-step programs are quite common forms of treatment for alcohol use disorders and substance use disorders, and these treatment programs can help people with their recovery journey, as well as with their overall mental well-being.

Therapy, counseling, and programs in general are beneficial for people struggling with substance use disorders and other forms of addiction. They can offer people the emotional support, advice, and resources that they might need which can help them to overcome their addiction, to build coping mechanisms which they can use to overcome cravings and difficult times, as well as confidence within themselves to not give up and to not relapse in the future.