This week, between October 21st and October 27th, 2019, is recognized as National Addiction Treatment Week. Beginning in 2017, National Addiction Treatment Week raises awareness that addiction is a disease, evidence-based treatments are available, and recovery is possible.
National Addiction Treatment Week is an initiative started by the American Society for Addiction Medicine (ASAM) which promotes changing the paradigm of how we view addiction, increasing access to evidence-based treatment for addiction, that numerous forms of recovery from addiction are possible, as well as highlighting the need for clinicians to enter the field of addiction medicine. According to a press release from ASAM, “clinicians trained in addiction are essential to fill the treatment gap between patients who need evidence-based addiction treatment and the insufficient number of clinicians qualified to treat addiction.”
Alongside the American Society for Addiction Medicine (ASAM), National Addiction Treatment Week is supported in partnership from organizations the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the National Association of Addiction Treatment Professionals (NAATP), the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the American Medical Association (AMA), and others.
Throughout the week, engaging and educational events will take place nationwide, as well events on social media such as Twitter chats (@TreatmentWeek), a Facebook rebroadcast of a conversation and discussion with David and Nic Sheff, and, according to the press release “inspiring social media posts from addiction medicine specialists” meant to both educate and inform. The ongoing hope is that each year, National Addiction Treatment Week will continue to change the conversation and the paradigm regarding addiction, generate awareness of addiction as a medical disease and a chronic health issue, and help motivate more medical professionals to enter the field of addiction medicine.
If you or someone you know needs help with addiction or co-occurring disorder issues, please give us a call. Maryland Addiction Recovery Center offers the most comprehensive dual diagnosis addiction treatment in the Mid-Atlantic area. If we aren’t the best fit for you or your loved one, we will take the necessary time to work with you to find a treatment center or provider that better fits your needs. Please give us a call at (410) 773-0500 or email our team at info@marylandaddictionrecovery.com. For more information on all of our drug addiction, alcohol addiction and co-occurring disorder services and recovery resources, please visit our web site at www.marylandaddictionrecovery.com.
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