The Catholic Peace Weekly in the Diagnosis of the Times column by a university professor in the addiction department of a Catholic University gives us some important thoughts on the problem faced with addiction.
Today, addiction is recognized as a chronic disease that requires long-term steady management, similar to hypertension and diabetes. Just as exercise and diet management are necessary in addition to professional treatment to manage blood pressure and diabetes, various methods are required to prevent and to recover from addiction.
Addiction problems also require specialized treatment, but the percentage of addicts using specialized treatment services is very low. For example, only 2.6% of people diagnosed with alcoholism use mental health services, and only 2-3 out of 100 see a mental health professional. This is a very low level compared to other countries. In the case of drug addiction, which has recently become a social issue, it is estimated that the use of mental health services by drug addicts is much lower due to the absolute lack of treatment and rehabilitation infrastructure, legal problems related to drug use, and negative perceptions of drug addicts.
Recently, the domestic drug user population is on the rise, and the increase in the alcohol and drug population inevitably leads to a shortage of professional help necessary for treatment and rehabilitation of addiction. This means that there is a limit to treatment of addicts and helping them recover their social functioning.
We need resources to consistently manage and support addicts, and one of them is the help of those who have recovered from addiction. They are called a peer recovery support specialist. People tend to associate with and are more strongly influenced by those who have characteristics similar to themselves. If this is applied to addicts, it can be interpreted that the support provided by fellow workers who have experienced addiction and the recovery process can exert a strong influence on the addict's recovery.
The use of peers recovered from addiction has several advantages. First, they may excel in understanding and acceptance of the sick more so than experts because they have experienced addiction and the recovery process. They are also better at giving addicts hope for recovery, accompanying them through the recovery process, and removing the label of an addict.
Second, the services provided by those who have recovered from addiction are known to have a positive effect not only on the addicts but also on themselves.
Third, in Korea, a policy focusing on punishment rather than treatment and rehabilitation is being implemented for drug addicts, and there is a strong social atmosphere that recognizes drug addicts as ex-convicts. This acts as a factor that weakens drug addicts' access to treatment and rehabilitation services. However, recovery support services provided by peers with the same experience will lower drug addicts' resistance to treatment and ultimately increase their access to treatment and rehabilitation services. In the United States, recognizing the advantages of peer recovery support, a number of addiction rehabilitation facilities are using peer recovery support, and 38 states accept fees for peer recovery support services.
It is time to begin using those who have recovered from addiction in helping addicts where the treatment and rehabilitation infrastructure for addicts is insufficient and the service utilization rate is very low. It is hoped that this atmosphere of recognizing the help of those who have overcome addiction can have on the recovery process will spread in Korea.
