The opioid crisis in the United States is spiraling out of control, and there are people across the country who have developed addictions due to being prescribed opioid painkillers. Unfortunately, many of those people go on to start using illegal alternatives, such as heroin.

The current situation in Afghanistan means that heroin supplies worldwide are likely to dry up, leaving many addicts with serious withdrawal symptoms. If handled correctly, this could be an opportunity to encourage more people into recovery. However, there are certain barriers that addicts face during the recovery process and, unless these are addressed, the opioid crisis could become even more serious. These are some of the key obstacles to addiction recovery in the United States that must be dealt with. 

Access To Treatment Facilities 

If large numbers of addicts attempt to get clean simultaneously, this will put a lot of pressure on existing treatment facilities. To avoid this, addicts will have to be assessed on a case-by-case basis to have enough facilities for everyone. Although many people have become addicted to opioids through their doctor, it is often the case that they abuse alcohol or other drugs, meaning that there are more complex addiction issues to be dealt with. Unless more resources are put into creating addiction treatment facilities, there will be a significant backlog of people who cannot access the treatment they need. 

Paying For Treatment 

Even if addicts can access the treatment they need, this is only part of the problem because most people cannot afford to spend time in a recovery center. In addition, although there are united healthcare drug rehab providers available, many addicts do not have any health insurance or maybe on plans that don’t cover addictions treatments. This leaves them unable to pay for the support they need, which is a serious issue that must be addressed. 

Mental Health Support 

Mental health issues can often be a major component of drug addictions, and this needs to be taken into account when treating the addiction. Although many addicts will have been aware of their mental health problems when they started taking drugs, it is unlikely that these have gone away simply because they are no longer using them. Without proper support and treatment, these issues could prevent addicts from staying clean in the long term. 

Although physical withdrawal symptoms are likely to be manageable, emotional pain and suffering can remain even after addicts have stopped taking drugs. In addition, the lack of support that addicts get during recovery can make this worse, leaving them unable to stay clean. 

Getting Addicts Back Into Work 

The loss of income that comes with an addiction is one way in which addicts are likely to lose their place in society, so getting them back into work can be incredibly important. However, many addicts struggle to find work due to the social stigma surrounding drug use. If employers know about a person’s history of drug abuse, they may not feel that they can trust them, making it much harder to find a job. This needs to be addressed if addiction recovery rates are going to increase in the future. 

Unless these common obstacles can be addressed, it will be impossible to create a long-term solution to opioid addiction issues in the United States.