“New year, new me!”
This common phrase, echoed each year in January, embraces the air of change that comes with a new year. While it is not necessary to wait until a new year to make changes for our health, January is a time for fresh starts.
Embracing the spirit of opportunity and change, January 2025 will mark SAMHSA’s first annual Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment Month. Each week in January will feature a theme:
- Week 1: Starting Fresh
- Week 2: Reducing Stigma
- Week 3: Demystifying Treatment Options
- Week 4: Supporting Treatment-Friendly Communities
SUD Treatment Month is an opportunity to reflect on our relationships with substances, learn about SUD and effective treatment options, and connect to resources. Recovery is possible. Almost 75 percent of those who have ever had a substance use problem considered themselves to be in recovery or to have recovered from their drug or alcohol use problem, according to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).
To kick off SUD Treatment Month, Tom Coderre, SAMHSA’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, tells his story of how SUD treatment improved his health and transformed his life. It offered him a fresh start, ultimately leading him to work at SAMHSA, the agency that provides funding for the treatment resources he received years ago.
“I started treatment at the end of May 2003, after an arrest for possession of a controlled substance, when a compassionate judge strongly suggested it. I had lost everything at this point, my family and friends, my job, and my position in the State Senate. I kept digging new bottoms for myself but was finally ready to accept help.
I no longer had health insurance at this time, but thankfully qualified for an inpatient bed funded by federal block grant dollars. Little did I know I would one day work at SAMHSA, the agency responsible for funding the treatment that gave me a new lease on life.
My treatment center used a variety of approaches, which included twelve-step facilitation, individual, group, and family treatment. I was assigned a counselor who worked with me to create an individualized treatment plan based on my specific needs and what I wanted to work on while in treatment. The program was structured, with several group sessions per day. I also was able to take advantage of psychiatric assessments and medication management. It was extremely important for me to work on my mental health during this time.
The treatment program offered flexible lengths of stay, determined on an individual basis. After 90 days, we were encouraged to explore employment related supports to search for a job. Not feeling ready to reenter the workforce, I decided to return to college to finish my bachelor’s degree.
For me, that treatment episode lasted five and a half months and I then transitioned into a recovery house.
Treatment was an essential part of my journey to recovery. I had a safe place to do the work necessary, to take stock of my life, and to understand my disease better. It offered practical ways to manage my disease. I am forever grateful for my treatment experience; it helped me build the foundation which I could build the rest of my life upon.”
Treatment can look different for everyone, depending on the severity of their SUD, their other health needs, and resources available to them. There are many options in terms of the setting, such as specialty SUD or integrated mental health and SUD outpatient or residential treatment facilities. Some people may start their treatment in a general hospital setting or in an emergency department. SUD treatment is increasingly available in primary care or other outpatient medical practices. There are even mobile units that bring treatment services to where people are, rather than waiting for them to come to a clinic. The type of care can also vary, depending on the individual’s needs, but often includes counseling and therapy; medications for opioid, alcohol, or tobacco use disorder; recovery supports; and overdose prevention, education, and services to reduce substance-related harm.
Tom’s story shows that it is never too late to take control of your health, seek help, and receive the treatment you deserve. Sometimes all it takes to make a big change in your life is a small first step.
For more information and resources on SUD Treatment Month, visit the SUD Treatment Month Toolkit.
To learn how to get support for mental health, drug, or alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov. If you are ready to locate a treatment facility or provider, you can go directly to FindTreatment.gov or call 800-662-HELP (4357). If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
Treatment works. Recovery is possible.
