Rightfully a good question and yet when this question is asked most patients have lost almost everything before they changing their minds to seek help. Allow me to show you some numbers. Alcohol and stimulant dependence take a heavy toll on your life. Some possible financial consequences are:
Average Cost:
DWI/DUI ................................... $20,000
Alcohol-accident related survivor... $87,000
Divorce .......................................$15,000 to $30,000 *
Total $122,000 - $137,000
The figure listed above does not include how much was spend on the actual drugs of addiction. However when it come to a patients self healing mental obstacle begin to present themselves such as "I can't afford this" "I can't afford to stop working" "I don't have time" Ironically, these questions are posed after everything has been lost.
The health consequences are even more severe. Alcohol and drugs can destroy your health. Here are some examples:
Approximate cost:
Liver Transplant................$314,000
Heart attack (180 days).....$19,000
Stroke.............................$140,000
Liver Cancers...................$109,000 - $172,000
For the skeptical individuals please see for yourself on the above figures.
Sloss EM, Wickstrom SL, McCaffrey DF, et al. Direct medical costs attributable to acute myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke in cohorts with atherosclerotic conditions. Cerebrovasc Dis. 2004;18:8-15.
Thom T, Haase N, Rosamond W, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics - 2006 update. A report from the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Circulation.2006;113:85-151.
Cohen DA, Wu S, Farley TA. Cost-effective allocation of government funds to prevent HIV infection. Health Affairs. 2005;24:915-926
Then answer then to the question "How much does this all cost?" is how much you value your life. People addicted to drugs and alcohol have an uncanny ability to obtain for their addiction but then complain in invensting in their recovery. Thus, the cost of an evaluation and even an intervention is irrelavent compare to all the losses related to alcohol and drugs.
