Do I Have Drug Treatment Options Even If I have a Low Income

Do I Have Drug Treatment Options Even If I have a Low Income

Coping with a bipolar diagnosis, also called manic-depression, is difficult. Bouncing between the extremes of mania and depression can stretch the mind, heart and spirit to wit’s end. For a person who is fighting a drug addiction, the battle can seem even more daunting—especially if they lack funds to pay for treatment.

The good news is that individuals with low incomes can still afford to get professional help. Even people who do not have insurance are not out of options. There are a number of alternative ways to afford rehab. Some centers offer “charitable admittance,” scholarships that allow them to write off expenses as tax deductions. Other options include the following:

  • ·Nonprofit organizations
  • ·State-funded free or low-cost rehab programs
  • ·Loans or gifts from friends and family members
  • ·Payment plans

Some facilities offer substance abuse treatment at no charge or a sliding fee scale based on income and other factors. Private nonprofit organizations operate the majority of facilities offering “all free” care and “partial free” facilities. Facilities offering “all free” care are more likely than those in the “partial free” or “no free” groups to offer non-hospital residential care.

Drug treatment at a professional rehab facility is the only chance that some people have of getting their life back on the right track.

Dual Diagnosis Issues

Roughly 50% of Americans with addictions also have at least one significant mental illness, with bipolar disorder being one of the most prevalent. Poor mental health is a risk factor that heightens vulnerability to drug use for two reasons which include the following:

  • They become dependent on drugs and alcohol because they are self-medicating untreated psychiatric illnesses and/or neglected emotional wounds
  • People with bipolar disorder sometimes have underdeveloped coping strategies and fewer stress management skills

Experts believe that unaddressed mental health needs are to blame for many cases of Dual Diagnosis. They assert that most people with bipolar disorder do not stumble into addiction because they are easily hooked by drugs. Rather, they become dependent on drugs because they are self-medicating untreated psychiatric illnesses and/or neglected emotional wounds. Underdeveloped coping strategies also commonly increase vulnerability to substance abuse.