The Role of Preventive Care in Substance Abuse Rehabilitation

Overcoming substance abuse can be tough, but what if it can be prevented before it even starts? That’s the aim of preventative care in substance abuse rehabilitation.

The role of preventive care in rehab can take various forms. It can apply to identifying and addressing risks in youth or refer to relapse prevention. This article will discuss both scenarios and help you find ways to reduce substance abuse in your community.

Identifying and Addressing High Risk Substance Abuse in Youth

A Public Health Ontario review reveals that classroom programs that teach skills like decision-making, refusal, coping, and life skills can significantly decrease substance abuse in youths. The following sections will review what’s involved in this approach.

Mental Health Therapies

People with poor mental health often turn to drugs and alcohol to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression. While substances can temporarily help regulate emotions, they frequently lead people on a downward slope, causing relationship problems, financial issues, and chemical imbalances in the brain.

Mental disorders may not be apparent in youth as they tend to worsen with age. However, parents, teachers, and guardians should look for signs such as low self-esteem, isolation, and a generally low mood. These characteristics can contribute to mental illness and related substance abuse.

Family Related Factors

A SAMHSA study reveals that 1 in 8 children in the United States, 17 or younger, lives with at least one parent with a substance abuse issue. These children are prone to develop dependency issues due to: 

•  Abuse and neglect: Children of parents with dependency issues may experience abuse and neglect. 
• Genetics: Breeding a proclivity for drug use and mental issues
• Poor role models: Children often copy their parents’ behavior. 
• Lack of monitoring: Parents who use drugs tend not to monitor their children, so they are not aware of drug abuse and issues that increase the risk.

Peer and School Factors

Peers and schools can contribute to addiction as follows:

• Teens may be more likely to use drugs if they feel anxiety related to school, whether it be due to a heavy workload, pressure to succeed, or bullying.
• Peer Pressure: Many kids report doing drugs because their friends do them.
• Low School Connectedness- Kids who don’t feel connected to school, through a poor system or low grades, may turn to drugs instead

Trauma

Trauma can have a significant impact on drug use and can be tied to:

• Sexual Abuse: A CDC report reveals that people who experienced sexual abuse have a 73% greater risk of developing a substance abuse problem as compared to those who have not.
• Violence: Domestic violence and combat may contribute to dependency issues.
• Family Conflict: Children of divorce and other family conflicts are vulnerable to addiction.
• Racism and Discrimination: Experiencing racism and other types of discrimination can lead to substance abuse.
• Physical Injury: A physical injury at a young age can lead to opioid and other types of addiction throughout life, as individuals seek a way to numb the pain.

Low Income

Children in low-income areas are more likely to develop addictions due to the following circumstances:

• Stress and Instability: Financial strain can lead to housing, employment, and food insecurity, increasing the risk of stress and related drug use.
• High Crime Rates: Crime rates tend to be higher in low-income areas, and many incidents are drug-related.
• Less Access to Care: Families that don’t make a lot of money may not be able to afford mental health services that reduce substance abuse risk.

Identifying Relapse Risks

Relapse occurs when people who have completed rehab programs re-engage in drug use. Factors contributing to relapse include:

Triggers and Stressors

Various triggers and stressors can cause anxiety and depression, making people more likely to use drugs. These include:

• Strained relationships
• Financial issues
• Work and school-related stress
• Illness
• Major life changes
• Environment and societal factors

People typically learn coping strategies in rehab, but things can be different when they encounter stressors in real life.

Temptations

Temptation is another factor. When people leave rehab, they see the bars they used to drink at and the people they once used with. It becomes easy for them to fall back into bad habits.

Unresolved Issues and Unmet Needs

Stress can be even more of an issue if the individual has unmet needs and unresolved problems, such as:

• Ongoing pain, which can be emotional or physical
• Housing instability
• Toxic and abusive relationships
• Untreated trauma

Gaps in Treatment

Patients are recommended to continue following their treatment plans, as interruptions can lead to relapse, which is likely to occur if they:

• Stop taking their medications
• Leave relapse early
• Don’t have access to therapy and support groups
• Are without a relapse prevention plan

What is Involved in Addiction Prevention and Rehabilitation?

Similar approaches may be used to prevent relapse in adults and drug use in teens, including the following:

• Mental Health Therapy: Mental health disorders are often at the root of substance abuse problems. Individuals must learn healthy ways to cope with their emotions to avoid dangerous behaviors. Approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and motivational enhancement (ME) are often integrated to achieve these goals.
• Social Circles: People at risk are encouraged to socialize with friends who support sobriety efforts and avoid those who will pressure them to drink and do drugs.
• Family Therapy: According to a 2020 NIH study, family-based prevention and treatment programs can lead to a 40% reduction in drug use among adolescents. It is also useful for adults in recovery, as it reduces enabling and codependent behavior.
• Skills Building: Teens and adults can build skills to keep them off the streets, build self-esteem, and make them productive members of society.
• Healthy Habits/Hobbies: Healthy habits and hobbies can reduce boredom that drives people to use. They also lower stress. Artistic activities, scrapbooking, and journaling are typically recommended.
• Raising Awareness in Teens: School and community programs raise awareness in children and teens, so they understand the impacts of drug use and know what to avoid.
• Wellness Exercises: Meditation and mindfulness are effective in reducing stress, boosting self-esteem, and promoting self-respect.
• Health & Nutrition: Individuals are encouraged to live a healthy lifestyle, as the right foods and a regular exercise routine can reduce stress. They also encourage people to take greater responsibility for their health, so they are less likely to put toxic substances into their bodies.

The Benefits of Preventive Care in Substance Abuse Rehabilitation

Preventive care offers various benefits. Here are some to consider:

• Minimizes Life Disruptions: Both addiction and recovery disrupt lives, interfering with school, work, and relationships, and achievements. Preventive care allows you to focus on your life, so you don’t miss out on the good stuff.
• Preserves Relationships: Substance abuse breeds distrust, neglect, and can put a strain on relationships. An ounce of prevention can go a long way in fostering positive relationships between friends and relatives.
• Health Risks: Drug use lowers immunity, increasing the risk of serious diseases. People who maintain sobriety enjoy better health and wellness.
• Saves Money: The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics reveals that the cost of a 3-month outpatient program can be $5,000, a significant expense for many families. People with substance abuse issues are also likely to experience financial problems.
• Saves Lives: A Trust for America’s Health shows that 105,007 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2023, establishing the role of preventative care in substance abuse rehabilitation and its potential to save lives.

 

BlueCrest Health Supports Your Recovery Efforts

BlueCrest Health is dedicated to our clients’ well-being. We provide preventive treatments, offering various therapies tailored to patients’ needs. Our team is here to help you help yourself.

Contact us when you are ready to break the ties to drugs and alcohol.

FAQs

How is preventative care different from traditional addiction treatment?

Preventative care is different from traditional addiction treatment in that it starts earlier, continues long after rehab, and targets triggers and risk factors rather than drug use.

How does family involvement help prevent relapse?

Family involvement prevents relapse by improving communication and trust, increasing support and accountability, helping families recognize early warning signs, and establishing clear and consistent boundaries around substance use.

How can healthcare providers practice preventative care with at-risk patients?

Healthcare providers can offer preventative care by regularly screening for substance use and trauma, offering brief interventions and counseling, prescribing evidence-based medications when necessary, coordinating with mental health and social services to provide comprehensive care, and scheduling regular follow-ups after rehab discharge.