This Mother’s Day an invisible cloud hangs over many families: the presence of opiates or other substance abuse issues. Ross Remien is changing the conversation around addiction and treatment.
As Mother's Day approaches this weekend, the opioid crisis continues across America with no end in sight. This Sunday, millions of mothers who have lost a child will suffer in silence over to the void left in their lives by an unprecedented opioid epidemic. Ross Remien, a best-selling author and specialist focused on addiction treatment for families and executives, identifies the cause as a broken treatment system that accepts failure at a staggering rate.
"We have a [treatment system] that has maybe a 5% success rate... Maybe" said Remien. "Countless mothers and families are left grieving and broken and nobody's doing anything about it. [Addiction] literally touches more people than cancer."
Experts from the CDC, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the United States (US) Department of Health and Human Services estimate that more than 1,000 people are hospitalized each day due to opioid misuse and abuse.
Remien understands firsthand how difficult addiction can be for those afflicted by substance abuse and especially for those affected by abusers, especially around family-centered holidays like Mother's Day. He spent 17 years as an addict struggling to find his own lasting sobriety before beginning a career as a treatment specialist. He has since assisted thousands in the recovery process at numerous treatment facilities and owned two centers in Los Angeles, California.
While most experts agree there exist multiple complex causes for the current consumption of opioids in the US and worldwide, Remien does not mince words when laying the blame for the lack of affordable, accessible, and effective treatment squarely at at the feet of a broken system. Specifically, he cites the state of the treatment industry and the interference from insurance companies who do not wish to pay for treatment.
"If you send your child to a name brand treatment facility, they are still treating addiction the same way they did when they opened their doors more than 30 years ago," explained Remien. "Your child, your husband, your loved one is getting the exact same treatment today as from the 1970s and 80s." In a world that has seen countless advances in the medical field, it is shocking to find such a lack of progress in how addiction is treated.
In addition to outdated methods, Remien cites insurance companies and brokers as a major problem for families seeking treatment for a loved one.
"Most insurance companies won't cover more than a few weeks of in-patient rehabilitation at a facility, if they will even cover the treatment at all." Remien added, "Any qualified treatment counselor [would recommend] a minimum of 90 days for effective treatment. It's very little wonder that people relapse after only 30 days."
A monthlong day stay at one of these facilities often runs in the tens of thousands of dollars, putting a strain on many families finances or putting treatment out of reach altogether. For families whose finances are already tight due to the effects of substance abuse, finding a facility that takes their insurance can be daunting.
For families looking for relief, advice, and a different way of dealing with addiction, Remien has re-released his best-selling book Maximum Strength: Helping Executives and Families Overcome Addiction for Good. For more information or to the book visit www.rossremien.com
