One thing is made perfectly clear early on when you look at cases of people suffering from drug and alcohol abuse. Every case is as unique as the patients themselves. The root causes of their addiction, the severity of their disease and the plans they need to get back on their feet are not the same for everyone. The drug rehab process is one that must be flexible and compassionate. Healing is possible for all but it takes time, no matter who you are.

In Canada, substance abuse has caused the health care system over $8 billion dollars. The fight against addiction has taken this and many other countries to the brink of what they know about substance abuse. As a result, many more private rehab facilities are opening their doors, joining the fight in this on-going war on drugs. As it stands now, there are 47,000 addicts losing their battle with drugs every year in Canada alone.

Drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and alcohol lead the way in debilitating so many adults not only in Canada but throughout the world. Weed addiction is another problem and weed addiction symptoms are beginning to show up in young people in just about every small town and big city. No matter what the drug of choice may be, it is clear that young people and adults as well are having a harder time than ever staying sober.

Though there are many factors in play when looking at drug and alcohol addiction, one prevalent factor is mental illness. People who suffer from mental illness are twice as likely to have a substance abuse problem as those who are not mentally ill, and 20% of mentally ill people suffer from one for of substance abuse or another.

The drug rehab process is not a cookie-cutter formula for both genders. Men and women don’t seem to be facing substance abuse in the same way for a number of reasons. How they process emotions, how their bodies process the drugs themselves, and how they each respond to treatment therapies make men and women different in ways that are even less obvious than they might appear. For example, men have a higher rate of addiction to substances but women have a higher rate of anxiety and mood disorders. Woman are also 54% more likely to die because of their drug use. While all of these factors can get mixed together when it comes to deciding on a treatment plan, they need to be taken into consideration so that the individual patient can be treated most effectively.

Substance abuse is a problem all over the world today, in Canada, the United States, and in the global community. There’s no denying it. But the more we know about treatment options the better prepared we can be to help those who are suffering make it through the drug rehab process.