| We prepared this book to provide addiction counselors—and others whose work
involves them with addicted people—with useful, easily accessible, up-to-date
information.
Since addicted clients challenge even the most highly skilled counselor, every
available skill and resource helps. How does one help a client who does not think
he needs help? Of the more than 19 million Americans who currently use illicit
drugs (8.3% of the U.S. population 12 years of age or older) and the 54 million who
are regular binge drinkers, many think they do not need help (Office of Applied Studies,
2003). According to the federal government’s Household Survey (recently renamed
the National Survey on Drug Use and Health), more than 94% of those with
substance abuse disorders thought they did not need treatment. “A denial gap of
over 94% is intolerable,” noted John Walters, White House Director of National
Drug Control Policy (http://www.hhs.gov/neews/2003pres/20030905.html, 2003,
para 4).
The federal Office of Management and Budget estimates that drug abuse costs
the United States more than $300 billion a year. Substance abuse devitalizes
American industries, where an estimated $60 billion to $100 billion is lost each
year in work productivity—absenteeism, drug-related accidents, medical claims,
and theft. Other drug-related problems include family disintegration, health care
costs, and drug-related crime. Because of the problem’s enormity, a veritable army
of personnel—some better trained than others—now make their living dealing, directly
or indirectly, with addicted people. More than 115,000 drug counselors
make up the combined membership of only two of several prominent drug-counseling
organizations. Drug counselors work in private treatment facilities (both
inpatient and outpatient), detoxification facilities, halfway houses, prisons and
jails, the courts, schools, hospitals, churches, and governmental facilities. |
