“New year, new me!”
This common phrase, repeated every year in January, embraces the air of change that comes with a new year. While it’s not necessary to wait for a new year to make health changes, January is a time for new beginnings.
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 have a theme:
- Week 1: Starting fresh
- Week 2: Reduction of 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 with resources. Recovery is possible. Nearly 75 percent of those who have ever had a substance use problem considered themselves to be in recovery or to have recovered from a 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 changed his life. It offered him a fresh start, eventually leading him to work at SAMHSA, the agency that provides funding for the treatment resources he received years ago.
“I started treatment in late May 2003, after an arrest for possession of a controlled substance, when a sympathetic 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 rock bottoms for myself, but finally I was ready to accept help.
I no longer had health insurance at this time, but fortunately I qualified for an inpatient bed funded by federal block grants. Little did I know that one day I would be working at SAMHSA, the agency responsible for funding the treatment that gave me a new lease of life.
My treatment center used a variety of approaches, which included twelve step facilitation, individual, group and family therapy. I was assigned a counselor who worked with me to create an individualized treatment plan based on my particular needs and what I wanted to work on during treatment. The program was structured, with several group sessions per day. I was also able to take advantage of psychiatric evaluations and medication management. It was extremely important for me to work on my mental health during this time.
The treatment program offered flexible length of stay, determined on an individual basis. After 90 days, we were encouraged to explore employment support to look for work. Not feeling ready to re-enter the workforce, I decided to return to college to finish my degree.
For me, this healing episode lasted five and a half months, and then I moved into a recovery home.
Therapy was an essential part of my journey to recovery. I had a safe place to do the necessary work, take stock of my life and better understand my illness. He offered practical ways to manage my illness. I am forever grateful for my healing experience. it helped me build the foundation on which I could build the rest of my life.”
Treatment can be different for everyone, depending on the severity of their SUD, their other health needs, and their available resources. There are many options in terms of setting, including specialty or comprehensive mental health SUD and outpatient or residential SUD. Some people may start their treatment in a general hospital or 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 support; and overdose prevention, education and services to reduce substance-related harm.
Tom’s story shows that it’s never too late to take control of your health, seek help and get 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 about 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’re ready to locate a treatment facility or provider, you can go directly 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 on 988lifeline.org.
The treatment works. Recovery is possible.
