Original Publication from Yahoo! News
GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) – Health specialists in the Upstate said they’re working to raise awareness after an uptick in patients excessively drinking alcohol.
Lisa Goodnough, who is the CEO of The Recovery Centers of America in Greenville, told 7NEWS her office treated more than 1,500 people for substance-abuse disorder in the last year. She said 60% were treated for alcohol-use disorder and she saw more female and Gen Z patients.
Goodnough said more people working-from-home with access to alcohol, as well as stress and burnout are factors. She also explained social settings have made people more comfortable with binge drinking.
Goodnough said people should recognize there’s a problem if the drinking begins to negatively impact work and relationships. She emphasized only one in ten people on average who excessively drink alcohol seek treatment because of the stigma. Goodnough urges people to push past that.
“If you were told that you had cancer, you had a cancer diagnosis and your oncologist said, ‘I’m going to recommend that you have four weeks of medicated assisted treatment, and therapy, and that’s going to give you a better success rate’, you wouldn’t come in and say, ‘well, I think I’m only going to go to one or two of those visits and call it a day’. Most likely you would continue the course of treatment. And, alcoholism is no different,” said Goodnough.
Goodnough added options like inpatient detox, medication-assisted therapy and counseling can improve recovery rates by 50%.
“Don’t worry about the guilt. Get treatment. Make a phone call. Get help. Alcoholism is a disease of isolation. So don’t isolate yourself, you know,” Goodnough also said. “Be prepared to talk about it. Be prepared to commit to your own recovery and invest the time and energy, and make a phone call that can change your life.”
Goodnough went on to say people can support their loved ones who abuse alcohol by encouraging them to talk to a professional. The Recovery Centers of America in Greenville can be reached anytime at 1-800-RECOVERY.
WSPA 7 News at 4:30AM
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