The financial burdens of substance abuse can have carry drastic effects on individual and families. The effects of substance abuse can significantly impact the person suffering in a multitude of ways. It might seem common knowledge that substance use can critically affect a person’s life, we often think of this in terms of how it impacts an individual’s physical and emotional life. However, we rarely think of the negative financial effects of drug abuse.
The effects of substance misuse can create a diverging financial burden that worsens with time and can often become the catalyst for serious consequences.
If you or are a loved one are struggling from the financial burdens of substance use, it’s not too late to seek help. This post will give you information on the financial effects of drug abuse and where you can seek the right assistance. Contact AspenRidge Recovery for support for addiction at 855-281-5588.
Financial Effects Of Addiction
Though rarely talked about, the negative financial consequences experienced by those suffering from substance abuse are not uncommon. Those suffering from substance use disorder often experience bouts of behavioral changes due to the direct effect that substances have on the brain and central nervous system. As a result of the chemical reaction in the brain, individuals often find themselves feeling and behaving in ways that they typically wouldn’t if they weren’t taking a substance.
Unfortunately, the presence of substance use disorder is often interlinked with a person also experiencing a mental health disorder. This combination of interactions can become a catalyst for negative and potentially dangerous or reckless behaviors that can have critical effects on a person’s life.
The occurrence of negative financial effects can be caused by several significant factors, some of the financial consequences of substance use are not as obvious as you may think. The following will explore some of the most common ways in which individuals suffering from substance use disorder experience financial difficulty.
Sustaining The Habit
The cost of sustaining an addiction can be costly and can lead to significant financial difficulty and instability. The recurring payout for a substance can accumulate and cause many to become stressed.
Substance Abuse Impact On Employment
The impact of drugs on the mind and the body can be critical as it causes many to feel and behave in ways that they normally wouldn’t. Common signs of substance abuse include experiencing a lack of productivity at home and at work, inability to keep up with responsibilities, and becoming increasingly irritable. These effects can have a significant impact on a person’s work-life especially as the use of the substance increases.
The critical effects of exhibiting poor performance in the workplace have caused many suffering from substance use disorder to become unemployed with studies showing that those under the influence of substances exhibit low productivity and reckless behavior. Unfortunately, substance use disorder is classified as a medical condition and it is not a matter of willpower. Hence, many who find themselves in a state of unemployment continue to sustain their habit and do so by going to extreme measures.
Financial Effects of Substance Abuse & Class Systems
Addiction is by far most costly for the poor. If you’re at the poverty level, a pack of cigarettes per day can consume 10% of your family’s monthly income. Even worse, if you’re a heavy substance abuser, you might even be spending half or more of your monthly income on drugs.
If you have a substance addiction, paying for it can get expensive, regardless of the substance. Even something that can be cheap, such as alcohol, can drain your bank account over time, especially if you find you need to use more to get your desired effect.
According to the American Addiction Center, to put this into perspective, if you drink a cheap $5 6-pack of beer every day, that’s $150 each month. That’s almost $1,000 in 6 months to support this habit.
Legal implications
Substance abuse can significantly change the way in which a person thinks and responds. Hence, in heightened and stressful situations, an individual struggling with substance abuse may resort to reckless behaviors such as driving whilst intoxicated, stealing, or becoming physically violent which could have devastating legal consequences.
It stands to have an impact on everything from increasing car insurance premiums to a person needing to find money to pay off drug-related fines or to pay for an attorney. Additionally, the slippery slope of financial instability causes many to divulge responsibilities which can become a catalyst for getting into debt or losing possessions.
Medical Implications
We know that the misuse of substances can have a critical impact on a person’s health but what about the financial effects of poor health. Many suffering from long-term substance abuse experience significant health concerns and complications that lead them to undergo treatment or get support, none of which come cheap as direct costs for treatment and indirect costs of medical intervention can become expensive.
The financial effects of drug abuse are disturbing, if you or a loved one are suffering from substance use disorder, there is help available to get life back on track. It’s never too late. The first step is supported. If you require additional support or information on how to help someone experiencing financial difficulty due to the disease of addiction, please contact us directly at 855-281-5588.
AspenRidge Can Help With Addiction Recovery
Addiction has the potential to significantly affect every single aspect of a person’s life, from their physical and emotional health to their financial stability. Suffering from substance abuse causes many to be flung into situations of financial constraints that they never thought they would be in. Whilst the cycle of financial instability can be a suffocating one, there is financial help available for those looking to recover. AspenRidge Recovery stands to be one of Colorado’s leading treatment facilities for supporting those suffering from substance abuse to make a full recovery.
At AspenRidge Recovery, we do more than support your journey of recovery, we provide an exceptional dual diagnosis treatment that works to get to the root cause of your substance use disorder as well as help you combat existing mental health disorders. The impact of financial stress and instability can lead to extreme stress. At AspenRidge Recovery, we provide support to clients and their families and offer the tools and techniques necessary to deal with external challenges and to move toward recovery. With an established support system, our team works to ensure that you get your life back on track.
With a dedicated team of fully qualified professionals, we are committed to helping identify the solution to financial difficulty and support a journey to sobriety with our evidence-based programs. For further advice and information, contact us today at 855-281-5588.
