Sobering Statistics for Today’s Society

Sobering Statistics for Today’s Society

Preparing for a continuing education lecture, I came across some recent statistics on drug and alcohol use and abuse.  These statistics are derived from various studies by private and governmental organizations, repeated on an annual or bi-annual basis over decades.  For the most part, these studies reveal basically the same numbers and conclusions:  roughly 35% of the U.S. population is negatively impacted, either directly or indirectly, by substance abuse. 

What I would like to share are statistical results regarding substance abuse, treatment, and treatment resistance (denial) while highlighting some governmental definitions of “alcohol abuse” and “heavy drinking.”  Impact on the family, children, and society are also addressed.

According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), for ages 12 and older:

■       8.1% or 21.7 million people needed substance use treatment in the past year.1

■       An estimated 2.3 million people who needed substance use treatment actually received treatment at a specialty facility in the past year. 1 In other words, only 10.8% of the 21.7 million people who needed substance use treatment in the past year sought help.

■       Among the estimated 19.3 million people who were classified as needing but not receiving substance use treatment at a specialty facility, about 18.4 million or 95.4% did not think that they needed treatment in the past year for their substance use. 1

In a 2014 summary study of alcohol consumption patterns, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism finds that, for ages 18 and older:

■       24.7% of people reported that they engaged in binge drinking in the past month.2 SAMHSA defines binge drinking as drinking 5 or more alcoholic drinks on the same occasion on at least 1 day in the past 30 days.3

■       6.7% reported that they engaged in heavy drinking in the past month.2 SAMHSA defines heavy drinking as drinking 5 or more drinks on the same occasion on each of 5 or more days in the past 30 days.3

Family and societal impact of substance abuse, those who interact and depend on the addict/alcoholic:

■       According to The National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence, for every one addict/alcoholic requiring treatment, there are 3.5 persons (family, coworkers, and friendships) who are negatively impacted on a recurring basis by their behavior.4

■       In a 2012 study by SAMHSA, more than 10% of U.S. children live with a parent with alcohol problems.5

Sobering statistics for today’s society.

REFERENCES

1 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). America's Need for and Receipt of Substance Use Treatment in 2015. Available at: http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_2716/ShortReport-2716.html

2 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.  Alcohol Facts and Statistics. Available at:  http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/AlcoholFacts&Stats/AlcoholFacts&Stats.pdf  

3 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Binge Drinking: Terminology and patterns of use. Available at: http://www.samhsa.gov/capt/tools-learning-resources/binge-drinking-terminology-patterns

4 The National Counsel on Alcohol and Drug Dependence.  Available at: https://www.ncadd.org/family-friends/there-is-help/family-disease. Website: http://www.ncadd.org

5 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Data spotlight: More than 7 Million Children Live with a Parent with Alcohol Problems, 2012. Available at: http://media.samhsa.gov/data/spotlight/Spot061ChildrenOfAlcoholics2012.pdf-

Do you want "better" or "different'?

Tis’ the season for… resolutions. 

Bad habits, weight loss, career goals, new friends, money, relationship improvement – all are fair game and fodder for the resolution grist mill.  We’ve all made resolutions at one time or another and occasionally achieved some good results from a few of them while most others go by the wayside to repeat on next year’s list.

Resolutions are about “change” (“I want a better result or a better process in my life”) and "commitment" (the motivation to achieve such a change").  Desires for positive change have common threads.  We want to change in meaningful ways that “improve” our inner experiences - thinking patterns, overall feelings, and better behaviors.  An experience of inner peace and happiness. 

A sense of well-being.

Resolutions are seductive and our outcome fantasies seem wonderful, yet we somehow manage not to achieve our desired result.  Come springtime, we are back to our old habits and ways.  Change is hard to implement. Why?

A key answer lies in understanding the contrast between being better and different.

This contrast is what all therapists have to discern with every client who sits on our couches.   It is about true motivation: do I want “better” (meaning “relief”) or do I want “different” (meaning “fundamental change”).

Using the example of an alcoholic: does he/she want relief from alcohol and the unmanageability (consequences) his/her drinking incurs, or does he/she want freedom from alcohol and the peace of mind and stability that sobriety affords. This model is true for resolutions of all types:  quitting smoking, diet and exercise, relationships, and so on. 

Why not both “better” AND “different”?  Because these are two separate focuses of motivations. 

“Better” is a relief-seeking motivation stemming from accrued consequences (physical issues, relationship woes, cravings, poor self-esteem issues, etc.) while “different” is a fundamental change in lifestyle.  Resolutions based on “better” will, sooner or later, collapse under the weight of old thinking, beliefs, and habits when you start feeling better.  The momentum is lessened and unsustainable. 

Resolutions based on “different” will fundamentally change our thinking, beliefs, and habits leading to permanent changes in our lives.  This requires time and hard work in all phases of our lives:  mind, body, and spirit.  "Better," or relief, happens when become the "difference" you are working toward achieving.

Becoming "different" is freedom.

It really is up to you! So, for your New Year’s resolution, ask yourself: is my core motivation just to be “better” and gain “relief,” or to truly become “different?”

What is "good mental health?"

Good mental health.

As a therapist, I’m often asked by clients, friends, and general questioners about their personal mental health.  These questions come in many forms, mainly along the lines of, “am I crazy for thinking (or doing) this?”  Of course not, in most cases.

However, there are many good reasons for asking this question.  All of us, at times, wonder about our own mental state.  There is a wide range of good mental health, and most of us fall within this range.   In fact, there is a guide book, called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatry, Version V (DSM-V), that details abnormal psychology – thoughts, emotional states, and behaviors that fall out of the wide range of normalcy.

So, what is good mental health?

Good mental health is feeling and behaving appropriately to your current situation in life.  It IS NOT about feeling good all the time (this is called addiction).   For example, if you lose someone close to you, then feeling sad and grieving is appropriate and considered good mental health – even though you do not “feel good” at this time.  It is the right set of feelings appropriate to your current situation.

Conversely, someone who is chronically depressed or anxious – without a here-and-now event that invokes these feelings, is not exhibiting good mental health.  It is not to say one is in “poor mental health.”  However, there is a list of criteria and diagnosis in the DSM-V indicating chronic depression or anxiety is a clinical issue requiring treatment (anti-depressants are the number one prescribed medicines).

I recommend checking in with yourself, meaning at some point every day focus inward and conduct a general inventory of how you are feeling and behaving.  If you are not sure, ask another person whom you trust for their observation and opinion.  See if you are generally aligned with mood, thinking, and behaviors with current situations you are facing.

If you have an extraordinary situation you are experiencing (death of loved one, physical trauma or discomfort, loss or change of career or relationship, etc.), expect to be “off of your game.”  Prepare yourself and others you care about that you are not “going to be yourself” for a few days or weeks.  As always, give yourself a break and allow the not-so-comfortable feelings to run their course while you act appropriately.

In other words, exhibit good mental health.