ALCOHOL/DRUG COUNCIL PROMOTES NATIONAL RECOVERY MONTH

High Country residents can join the voices for recovery this month.

September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, which
features a theme this year of "Join the Voices for Recovery: Celebrating
Health."

"With today's troubled times and global uncertainty it is understandable
that many Americans feel anxious and unsure about a world that is
increasingly unpredictable," said Lucyna Sonek, executive director of the
Alcohol/Drug Council.

"Our nation has a long history that tells us that in times of stress and
anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse may increase - often dramatically."

Sonek said this is especially true among men, women and children who are
addicted to drugs or alcohol and who also have a co-occurring mental disorder.

"In such cases trauma can trigger an increase in substance abuse and
stress-related episodes of a psychiatric problem," she said.

"This is a fitting time to dedicate ourselves to encouraging alcohol and
drug addiction treatment for all those in need, including the millions of
Americans who have co-occurring disorders. Treatment is effective, and
recovery is possible."

Millions of Americans require treatment for both substance abuse and
psychiatric conditions, but too few receive it, Sonek said.

"Unfortunately, as a nation we are ill equipped to meet the needs of men
and women with co-occurring substance abuse and mental disorders," she
said. "In fact we are unprepared to provide treatment for most people with
substance abuse disorders."

About 76 percent of those in need of treatment for a problem with illicit
drugs did not seek or receive treatment in 2001, Sonek said. The problem is
magnified among those with co-occurring disorders.

"Too often they are undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or, like the homeless
population, slip through the cracks entirely," she said.

"Half the people living in our streets have co-occurring mental and
substance abuse disorders. Their symptoms are often active and untreated,
making it extremely difficult for them to meet their basic needs for food,
shelter and safety."

Complicating matters is the inability of some doctors to detect substance
abuse in patients who also present symptoms of a mental disorder.

A study of primary care physicians and patients with substance abuse
illustrated that inability - it showed that 45 percent of patients said
their primary care physician was unaware of their substance abuse.

Other studies have shown that physicians miss or misdiagnose substance
abuse for a variety of reasons such as lack of adequate training in medical
school, skepticism about treatment effectiveness and discomfort about
discussing substance abuse with patients.

"Even among those with co-occurring disorders who are properly diagnosed,
treatment is often fragmented," Sonek said.

"In many locations there are two separate systems of treatment - one for
those with substance abuse disorders and a different system for those with
mental disorders.

"Yet good medicine and common sense tell us that treatment is most
effective when the needs of the whole person are addressed."

Substance abusers whose mental disorders go untreated are at high risk for
continued problems associated with both conditions. Similarly, anyone who
is treated for a mental disorder but whose drinking or drug use is
unchecked is unlikely to make much progress in his or her recovery, Sonek said.

In fact, failure to treat both disorders can cause even more health
problems, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration's "Report to Congress on the Prevention and Treatment of
Co-occurring Substance Abuse Disorders and Mental Disorders."

The report states, "If one of the co-occurring disorders goes untreated,
both usually get worse and additional complications arise. The combination
of disorders can result in poor response to traditional treatments and
increases the risk for other serious medical problems."

It also suggests that the mental health, substance abuse and physical
health systems need to communicate with each other and work together for
the good of the individual who has co-occurring disorders.

A study reported in the "Journal of the American Medical Association"
compared treatment for drug dependence (including alcohol) with type 2
diabetes mellitus, hypertension and asthma. The study concluded that
medical adherence and relapse rates are similar across these illnesses.

Sonek said drug dependence generally has been treated as if it were an
acute illness, but review results suggest that long-term care strategies of
medication management and continued monitoring produce lasting benefits.

"Drug dependence should be insured, treated and evaluated just like other
chronic illnesses," she said.

"Whether you are involved with the health care system or are simply a
person who is concerned about this issue, we ask you to join the voices for
recovery. This is one problem we can do something about.

"By supporting treatment for those in need we can help men, women and youth
in our own communities to find their way to recovery and join the millions
of others in recovery who are leading full, rich, productive and rewarding
lives."

For more information contact the Alcohol/Drug Council at 828-262-5051 or
send an e-mail to adcwc@apptechnc.net.