Driven to Drink by Financial Meltdown
Addiction specialists see uptick in problems since meltdown struck
by heidi patalano / metro new york
OCT 13, 2008

Watching the economy crumble, Americans are, for the first time in years, personally exposed to a national financial crisis.

And unhealthy coping mechanisms are already apparent: According to Dr. Mitch Wallick, executive director of C.A.R.E. Addiction Recovery in Florida, overindulgence in alcohol and substance abuse is on the rise.

“[People] today are different from the folks of the Depression era,” says Wallick. “We’re a generation that’s a little too selfish to jump out windows, so we’re going to self-medicate instead.”

Alcohol, illicit substances and prescription drugs could all serve as a crutch to deal with the strain of Wall Street pain, Wallick says.

“People do not sleep well when they become stressed,” notes Robert Lindsey, president of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. “One of the things they do in terms of trying to resolve that is to take prescription medication. ... Alcohol is a sedative drug.”

While Wallick has seen a recent increase in people contacting his rehab center — four out of 10 patients being unemployed — the economy may expose those who were functionally addicted.

Lindsey adds, “If someone who was able to drink or use with relatively little consequence has lost their job, the consequences of their alcoholism or addiction become much more severe when a paycheck isn’t coming in.”

--

Stressed nation

22.6 million people in the U.S. are dependent on drugs and alcohol. That’s 9 percent of the population over 12 years of age.

10 percent of that group receives treatment on an annual basis.

47 percent of Americans say they’ve felt more stressed in the last year.

ADDICTION TREATMENT: 1-866-494-0866

Home | About Us | Staff | Facilities | Amenities | Travel Arrangements | Location | Admissions | Addiction Treatment | Alcohol Treatment | Substance Abuse | Teen Drug Rehab | Luxury Drug Rehab | Relapse Prevention | Dual Diagnosis | Eating Disorder Program | Forensics Program | Gambling Program | Outpatient Services | Extended Care | Scholarships | Links | Contact | Dictionary | Media | Sitemap

© 2010 C.A.R.E. Florida All Rights Reserved
C.A.R.E. Florida 321 Northlake Blvd. Suite 102 North Palm Beach, FL 33408
Privacy Policy