With the economy on the rocks, more and more people are struggling with not only their financial situation, but also with problems including domestic violence, depression, thoughts of suicide, anxiety and especially substance abuse. The fact of the matter is that most of the funds many people have acquired over the years have started to diminish, leaving them aggravated by a poor outlook and at an increased risk of both substance abuse and mental illness.
Proof of how the stressed economy is affecting the number of people using illicit drugs and abusing alcohol lies in the recent increase of the number of people enrolling in substance abuse treatment programs. Lakeview Health Systems, an inpatient alcohol and drug rehab center in Jacksonville, Florida, has seen an overall increase in its number of patients within the last year. Jonathan Huttner, Lakeview Health’s VP of Marketing sees a direct correlation between the poor economy and drug and alcohol abuse.
Professor of family studies at Arizona Western College, Christina Hawkey, said that people today are looking for relief in any form they can find, often turning to substance abuse to gain “a cheap escape from reality.” Hawkey adds that people who are scared, frustrated or worried about their financial situation are now looking for anything that can ease their minds, consequently causing an increase of dealers who are looking for some type of income to feed their families.
Unemployment seems to also play a significant role in the increase of drug and alcohol abuse. The more free time people have, the more difficult it is for them to control their consumption of drugs and alcohol. “If you have a job,” Hawkey adds, “you have to be sober to go to that job. But if you are unemployed, you never have to be sober for anything. The isolation of not going out into public can also increase consumption.”
