Professional detox and recovery costs can seem intimidating, and some may see these costs as a barrier. However, one’s finances should never stand in the way of a healthier future. Understanding the costs of addiction or mental health disorders is paramount when planning one’s finances. Thankfully, there are many options to help address the financial side of recovery, all while empowering each person to pursue the effective, personalized support needed to manage their own recovery needs.
While the costs of professional recovery may feel difficult to process, the costs of inaction can be much greater. Utilizing as many resources as possible can introduce each individual to truly transformative and sustained change.
Finding Financial Resources
Addiction recovery programs should never be exclusionary, and utilizing any available resources can help those looking to begin their recovery journey find the most dedicated support. First, utilizing the benefits of one’s insurance policy is instrumental in covering many costs in recovery.
Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), addiction to alcohol or drugs is classified as a disease and is thus covered by many insurance policies. While the amount covered will differ depending on one’s individual plan, talking with one’s insurance provider can provide a better inclination of how much one would have covered before entering treatment. However, knowing that at least some portion of recovery is covered through insurance can empower each individual to pursue the necessary recovery when needed.
Many of these expenses are also tax deductible, as they are classified as medical expenses, reimbursing an individual or one’s family for expenses relating to one’s recovery. This includes visits to doctors or psychiatrists, inpatient or residential treatment, and even transportation costs as they relate to one’s addiction recovery program. Keeping track of these expenses and how they relate to one’s ongoing treatment for substance use is instrumental in making the most of these deductions come tax season.
The Cost of Inaction
Despite the various resources available, professional treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) can still feel difficult to pursue. However, continuing to battle addiction on one’s own has its own myriad of costs. While some costs may be more apparent than others, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of the two will continue to impact one’s life until addressed.
The Direct Cost of Addiction
Addiction is an overwhelming disease that comes with many financial costs. The actual cost of purchasing alcohol and drugs can add up incredibly quickly. It is common that those struggling with addiction may not be wholly aware of how much money is being spent on these substances, and one may genuinely not recognize the intense financial cost they carry. However, if unaddressed, these costs can begin to affect other areas of one’s life.
Finances may begin to be pulled from other areas of one’s budget to cover the costs of continuing to engage with addictive substances. The funds dedicated to paying rent, utilities, and groceries can become compromised as an individual develops a tolerance and feels compelled to use greater amounts of drugs or alcohol. These costs can then fall on one’s spouse or family, straining relationships and causing friction in these relationships.
The Unseen Costs
However, addiction also affects one’s finances in other ways. From feeling forced to take days off from work due to anxiety or depression, or missing work due to a hangover, one’s finances can become further complicated. Between calling off work and a compromised workplace performance as a result of one’s substance use, one can find themselves struggling to hold down a consistent paycheck. Losing one’s job or having one’s hours cut back as a result of one’s drug or alcohol use all impact one’s finances, and these costs need to be weighed as one begins their journey to professional recovery outlets.
The Personal Cost
Addiction can feel incredibly isolating, with an individual battling its effects on their own. However, despite these feelings, entire families and social groups are affected, and each carries costs that are impossible to quantify. The strain on personal relationships, the deterioration of familial units or between spouses, and the growing distance between oneself and personal supports all carry their own weight, and it is impossible to put a price tag on these relationships.
One may also find their own personal interests or hobbies compromised as a result, and recovery is just as much about repairing and rediscovering these aspects of one’s life as it is about battling the immediate effects of addiction.
Finding the Right Recovery
Recovery is a journey, and making the decision to pursue professional treatment is a great step. By combining personal finances, insurance support, and any other available resources, it is always possible to focus on one’s own needs in treatment, rather than the costs associated. At Buena Vista Recovery, we are prepared to help you navigate insurance to ensure each individual has access to the financial support needed to focus on their own needs and goals for a healthier, sober future.
While addiction recovery may seem expensive, the costs of inaction are much greater, and we at Buena Vista Recovery are committed to helping you effectively challenge addiction while eliminating as many financial barriers as possible to your healthy, sober future. We believe that recovery should be accessible to those who need it. That’s why our trained and caring staff are ready to work alongside you and your family to navigate insurance and financial options to help you get the most effective care possible for overcoming addiction. From medical detox to residential and outpatient care, we are committed to your healing throughout each step of your recovery journey. For more information, call us at (480) 741-9414.
