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Right now there is a serious alcohol use treatment gap with less than 10% of the estimated 30 million people who have alcohol use disorder getting help. Online naltrexone prescriptions from telehealth providers are part of the NIAAA’s solution.
What You’ll Learn:
• The latest alcohol use treatment stats.
• Reasons why less than 10% of people struggling with alcohol use disorder get treatment.
• The barriers that are preventing people from getting AUD treatment.
• What can be done to close the alcohol use treatment gap.
• Why online naltrexone prescriptions from telehealth providers could make a difference.
Fewer people are drinking today, especially among younger groups of Americans, but there are still 30 million Americans who struggle with alcohol use on a daily basis. That’s a frightening stat that suggests more than 1 in 10 people who are 12 years old and older meet the clinical criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD).
What’s even more troubling is that while more than 10% of the population suffers from alcohol use disorder, less than 10% of people with AUD get treatment to overcome it. The huge treatment gap has been identified by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
Why is there such a huge treatment gap? And what can be done to close it? Choose Your Horizon is one of the organizations that is helping provide evidence-based solutions.
The Latest Alcohol Use Treatment Stats Show a Huge Gap
Even though tens of millions of people recognize that they have a problem controlling their drinking and that alcohol is harmful to their health, the vast majority still aren’t getting help. As a result, alcohol causes 140,000 deaths a year.
The NIAAA reported less than a year ago that despite the fact effective treatments exist, there’s an extreme treatment gap for alcohol use disorder. The organization noted that FDA approved medications like naltrexone as well as behavioral therapies can be used to treat AUD, but most people never utilize them.
The treatment gap is actually quite startling and very concerning. Currently, just 7.9% of people with AUD seek out treatment. And even though medications are easy to use and can be obtained online through a qualified telehealth platform like Choose Your Horizon, only 2-2.5% of people with AUD use them.
Why People With Alcohol Use Disorder Aren’t Getting Treatment
There isn’t one sole reason for the alcohol use treatment gap. Instead, there are a variety of reasons affecting whether or not 27+ million people will eventually seek assistance with alcohol use disorders.
Some of the clear barriers that have been identified by the NIAAA include:
• Stigma surrounding receiving treatment
• Limited access to care
• Fear of criminalization or punishment
• Lack of health care coverage/payment options
• Employment concerns
• Lack of child care
• Lack of awareness of a need for care
• Inaccessible evidence-based care options
• Misconception that AUD treatments don’t work
Unfortunately, in a lot of cases it isn’t a matter of the person with AUD simply choosing to forgo treatment. More often, the person doesn’t even realize that treatment options exist, and they aren’t aware of how concerning their condition is because treating physicians don’t identify it.
There are also social factors that influence the decision of whether or not to get treatment. For many people, there is a lot of shame and embarrassment connected with alcohol use disorder treatment. That stigma prevents them from reaching out for help.
Another issue for some people is that getting treatment is admitting that they have a problem. Many alcoholics spend a lot of time and energy trying to convince not just others but also themselves that they don’t have a problem with alcohol. They tell themselves that they can quit whenever they want, when in actuality they have formed an addiction that is near impossible to overcome by white knuckling it on their own.
Stats also support that lack of childcare is a serious barrier, particularly for women. The responsibility of caring for children and concern that treatment means they won’t be able to do so or they could risk losing custody explains why men are more likely to seek out AUD treatment than women. In people over the age of 18, 7.8% of men sought out treatment while just 6.8% of women did so.
What Can Be Done to Close the Alcohol Use Treatment Gap
Closing the treatment gap is a top priority. The NIAAA has identified four things that will make a significant difference in closing it:
Earlier Screening For Alcohol Use Disorder
The earlier someone can get treatment for alcohol use disorder, the better. The problem is AUD isn’t being identified during routine doctor’s visits. The NIAAA and advocates are pushing for early screening measures during regular visits with primary care physicians. In particular, the use of AUDIT-C testing is highly encouraged.
Better Referral Pathways For AUD Treatment
There have been huge improvements in the healthcare system to improve referral pathways for AUD treatment. Health insurance now covers addiction treatment the same as it does general medical care, which has helped. But there’s a lingering problem.
When AUD is identified too often the treating physician doesn’t provide referrals for treatment. The NIAAA is working to build awareness within the medical community about the need to go a step beyond diagnosing and actually helping the patient find treatment options.
Reduced Stigma Surrounding Treatment
The social factor of stigma also must be addressed. The NIAAA and others have already begun working to solve this problem through PSA campaigns that shed light on the problem of alcoholism and the treatment gap.
More Access to Evidence-Based Care
The last step is to ensure that evidence-based treatment options are readily available to all who want them. The NIAAA actually promotes telehealth care options through its Alcohol Treatment Navigator tool because it has recognized this as an important factor in expanding access to evidence-based treatments, particularly in rural areas where in-person services are limited. There is also an effort underway to educate healthcare providers about the treatment options so that they can direct people toward the right resources.
Why Online Naltrexone Prescriptions Could Make a Huge Difference
Online naltrexone prescriptions are helping with the NIAAA’s recommendation that access to evidence-based care be improved. This is quite possibly the biggest barrier for more people receiving treatment because it can have a negative impact even if someone wants help.
When the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) expanded the ability for telehealth platforms to provide online prescriptions during the Covid-19 epidemic, few people had any idea how profound it could be for alcohol use treatment. Given that stigma and access play a role in preventing people from getting help, the move to make it easier to obtain a naltrexone prescription online helps overcome both.
Naltrexone gained FDA-approval as an alcohol use treatment in 1995. Decades of research have proven that the oral medication can help:
• Remodulate the brain’s reward pathways in connection with alcohol use
• Reduce the amount of alcohol that is consumed
• Reduce the chance of relapse for those who reach sobriety
Naltrexone can be taken daily or as-needed prior to alcohol use in order to block opioid receptors that release dopamine when alcohol is consumed. This prevents the buzzed feeling that makes alcohol enjoyable and ultimately causes cravings for more.
Having easy access to this medication makes it possible for virtually all of the 30 million people struggling with AUD to use naltrexone to get their alcohol cravings under control. Choose Your Horizon is one of the reputable telehealth platforms with a team of qualified clinicians that can prescribe naltrexone, monitor its use and provide additional resources to support and enhance alcohol use treatment. Having this comprehensive network of resources in place is critical for effective treatment that will produce short-term and long-term results.
If you are struggling with alcohol use but not receiving treatment, Choose Your Horizon has a possible solution that’s discreet, affordable and effective. The first step in getting a naltrexone prescription online is taking our Alcohol Use Assessment. It provides vital baseline information for creating a treatment plan that will help you finally take control of your drinking.
