Addiction and Disability: Addressing Substance Abuse in Disabled Communities
[scriptless]Living with Disability and Addiction
Living with addiction and disability can be especially challenging, as you face a constant struggle against drugs and alcohol while managing the complexities of a disability. For a person with a dependency, it can be the biggest fight of their life. However, there is help at hand, and disability and rehabilitation might be more compatible than you think.
According to recent figures, over 13 million people in the UK live with a disability, over 20% of the population.
What is a Disability?
According to the UK government, a disability is considered a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.
Living with a disability can often be stressful and comes with its own set of challenges. Disabled people often live in pain and discomfort each day, resulting from their condition. They may use drugs or alcohol as a short-term solution to escape suffering.
There can also be intense psychological symptoms, as well as physical ones. It is unfortunately not uncommon for some to experience powerful emotions. From anger and frustration to feelings of anxiety, depression and isolation, these are all natural. However, this has often led to disabled people giving in to negative thoughts and feelings and falling into substance abuse.
Some people consume drugs and alcohol as a means of dealing with problems. Commonly, this is due to work, relationships, or money worries. This can consume their very existence. If you have mobility issues, you may take drugs or drink alcohol to overcome the difficulty, stress and strain of living day to day with a disability.
Is Alcoholism a Disability?
Alcoholism, like all addictions, is considered an illness by most in the field. It may be surprising then that it is not a disability in a legal sense. However, this is only part of the picture. If your alcoholism has led to a physical disability such as liver disease, heart disease or a mental health condition such as depression, these are considered disabilities.
Under the government’s legislation, no addiction is classed as a disability, and you cannot claim to be disabled because you are addicted to drugs or alcohol.
Is Drug Addiction a Disability?
This depends on how you started taking drugs and the type of drug. In addition, recreational drugs such as heroin or cocaine will not be considered a disability. What is considered on a case-by-case basis is prescription drug addiction as a result of NHS medical treatment. For example, you were prescribed opioid painkillers by your doctor and became addicted to them later.
The Effects of Addiction on Disabled People
The challenges of living with a disability include loss of confidence and a sense of self-hope. This often leads to anxiety and depression. These may be the underlying issues that may have led to a person with a disability turning to taking drugs or drinking to excess. This is despite the full knowledge of the effect it may have on their ongoing health, both mental and physical.
However, an unfortunate link has been made between disability and drug or alcohol addiction. Living with a disability may mean you are more susceptible to substance abuse than the wider population. Studies suggest that if you are living with a physical disability, you are between 200% and 400% more likely to suffer from a substance abuse disorder. However, you do not have to live under the grip of drug or alcohol addiction. There is help available at a residential rehab centre at various sites across the UK.
Disability and Rehabilitation
You have taken the all-important decision to go into rehab for your addiction but are concerned your disability will be a barrier.
Whether your concern is physical access to the rehab centre or communication with your counsellors, we can advise you.
Having decided to enter alcohol detox, you can benefit from a broad spectrum of treatments that can help you eradicate substance abuse from your life. You can receive treatment as an inpatient at a residential centre. The highly skilled staff of doctors, nurses and psychiatric specialists will explain how the rehab process works and talk you through your tailored care plan.
They will take into account any physical or psychological needs you may have before medical detox. You will be closely supervised as you cease taking addictive substances and experience the symptoms of withdrawal. An expert team will prescribe the medication you need to help you deal with the side effects and make it through detox.
During your stay at a rehab clinic, you will also receive ongoing counselling. Allowing you, through talking therapy sessions, to discuss any pressing or underlying issues which may be adding to your addiction. You can speak with an experienced advisor in a safe, comfortable environment. They can help you identify any negative thoughts, feelings or triggers which can be a breakthrough in the treatment of dependency.
How Rehab Guide Can Help
Hundreds and thousands of people in the UK are living with a disability and also battling addiction. However, help is available by choosing detox at a residential rehab centre across the country. You can receive the leading care and attention. Doctors, counsellors and nurses will provide the guidance and support you need to put dependency behind you. It can be stressful enough to live with a disability, but our addiction specialists can help you eradicate addiction for good. If you would like to know more about the excellent service we offer, then please get in touch. It could change your life forever.
Sources
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/protected-characteristics/what-counts-as-disability/#:~:text=Addictions,that%20would%20be%20an%20impairment.
https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010
