By C. H. Barton
Special to Inside
The Illinois Association Of Extended Care (IAEC) and the Chicago Department of Public Health recognized September as National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month (Recovery Month) on Saturday, Sept. 6, during the 10th annual Recovery Olympics held at Horner Park.
Over 300 people from across Chicago and the state of Illinois, many of whom are in recovery themselves, participated in Recovery Olympics events such as a 3 on 3 basketball tournament, the 50 yard dash and a double dutch contest. The goal of Recovery Month and local events like the Recovery Olympics is to expand awareness of substance abuse recovery and to call for more treatment services and better coordination of existing services.
"Recovery Month and events like the Recovery Olympics are about letting people know that men, women and children in recovery are strong, active, contributing members of their community," said Sterling Gildersleeve, chairman of IAEC.
Nationally, it is estimated that 76 percent of those in need of treatment for a problem with illicit drugs did not seek or receive treatment. Among those most in need of effective, coordinated services are men, women and youth who are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol and may also have a co-occurring mental disorder or co-existing physical illness.
During Fiscal Year 2001, there were more than 24,000 persons admitted for substance abuse treatment in Chicago. The majority of persons admitted to treatment were male (68 percent) and African American (80 percent). Nine percent were Hispanic and 8 percent were Caucasian. Forty percent were between the ages of 18 and 34, while 52 percent were 35 and older.
Millions of people are in need of treatment for both substance abuse and mental disorders, but too often they are undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or slip through the cracks entirely, such as those in our nation's homeless population. Half of the people living in our streets have co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders.
Not only do people with co-occurring substance abuse and mental disorders need to be diagnosed, but both disorders must be treated because failure to do so almost assures an exacerbation of health problems. As the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Report to Congress on the Prevention and Treatment of Co-occurring Substance Abuse Disorders and Mental Disorders points out: "If one of the co-occurring disorders goes untreated, both usually get worse and additional complications often arise. The combination of disorders can result in poor response to traditional treatments, and increases the risk for other serious medical problems (e.g., HIV, hepatitis B and C, and cardiac and pulmonary diseases)."
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