The pace of this present day is leaving many casualties in its wake. The pressures of day to day life in this hectic existence drive more and more people to seek some form of refuge. To some it is escapism, to others it is a coping mechanism. Either way, their refuge from reality is found in some mind altering substance or experience.
Whether it is alcohol or pornography, the mechanism they use for their escape is eventually addictive. The use becomes part of their neural pathways, actually rewiring the hardwired ways in which humans respond to stimuli.
The Range of the Problem
According to DrugAbuse.gov:
Nearly one-quarter (23.1%) of the U.S. population aged 12 or older participated in binge drinking during past 30 days. This is about 58.6 million people. The rate in 2010 was similar to the estimate in 2009. The survey defined binge drinking as having five or more drinks at least one day in the 30 days before the survey.
Approximately 6.7% of the U.S. population over the age of 12, or 16.9 million people, reported heavy drinking. This rate was similar to the rate of heavy drinking in 2009. The survey defined heavy drinking as binge drinking on at least five days in the past 30 days.
Then, 40.6% of young adults in the U.S. (age18 to 25) participated in binge drinking, and the rate of heavy drinking was 13.6%. These rates were similar to the rates in 2009.
12.0% of persons aged 12 or older drove under the influence of alcohol at least once in the past year. The rate of driving under the influence of alcohol was highest among persons aged 21 to 25 (23.4%).
Illicit drug use in the United States has also increased. In 2013, an estimated 24.6 million Americans over the age of 12—or 9.4 percent of the population—said they had used a drug in the last month. This number was up from 8.3 percent in 2002. The increase mostly reflects a recent rise in the use of marijuana, which is the most common drug.
The Consequences
The emotional and physical tolls of substance, alcohol, and pornography abuse are enormous. Quantifying the data is almost incalculable because the reach of the impact is so hard to measure. Do you count the child who is bullied at school because of the abusive alcoholic father of the bullying child? The extent of the cost is so great that’s immeasurable.
The Business
Sadly or fortunately, this is where the treatment center enters the picture. This market is not going to get smaller. As the world increases in complexity, the market will continue to grow. Businesses are needed to deal with the ever increasing numbers of addicts and their families.
The models for the industry range from in-home treatment to luxury facilities designed to provided an isolated escape for those in need. If you are compassionate and passionate about helping others to seek a better life, entering the business of recovery can be a very positive and lucrative situation.