Substance Abuse Treatment
For those who watch the evening news frequently, drug related arrests are not an uncommon view; quite often when the news reports on drugs and drug use, the images that flood the televisions screens everywhere are of young men huddled together in substandard apartment housing and of neighbors looking on in silent resignation at their arrests. Other times the reports also include the depth of despair that drug addiction may force young women to experience, such as when they speak of prostitution.
Unfortunately one of the more overlooked evils of this self-induced illness is substance abuse in pregnant women, and while drug addiction may be a self-induced, it is nonetheless a disease that requires professional intervention and substance abuse treatment. While this is true for all addicts, it is most crucial for pregnant women who have an unborn child counting on their making the right health decisions.
Substance abuse treatment options for pregnant women are fortunately quite advanced. Of course, before drug abuse treatment may be obtained, women and those who treat them need to understand the profile of the mother-to-be in need of help. Stereotyping is a useless exercise in this instance, since the abuse of prescription drugs, illicit drugs, alcohol and even inhalants transcends models of racial, socioeconomic, geographical and religious affiliations. As a matter of fact, at it is the woman least likely to be expected to need substance abuse treatment, who is actually a prime candidate for this service.
No matter the background or outlook for a prosperous future, substance abuse treatment options for pregnant women include the first stop at the prenatal health provider, who will offer a questionnaire dealing with substance abuse, prenatal outreach programs for women identified with substance abuse issues, and finally substance abuse treatment programs, usually sponsored by the Department of Health, for those in need of immediate counseling assistance. If you are a pregnant woman and suspect that you might need help in letting go of a drug, legal or otherwise, there is no time like the present to speak with your obstetrician or midwife to get the help you need!
Disclaimer: Cliff Schaffer does not personally endorse or support any of the comments made within the writings of this article. |
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