Addiction has its share of constant companions. Financial ruin is just one of many.
Having an addiction to opiates is horrible on its own. It’s physically and emotionally destructive, bankrupting people in more ways than just their bank accounts. When it comes to finances, most people addicted will be quick to tell you their addiction is the most expensive thing happening in their lives.
Treatment for the addiction can also be expensive. At Crossroads, we work hard to keep the costs down, but we realize that by the time some people come to us for treatment, much financial damage has been done, making treatment hard to pay for, even if the treatment program is reasonably priced like ours.
Here’s the million-dollar question: How costly are the alternatives to recovery?
People active in their addiction lose their jobs, their families, their friends, and often spend countless hours battling in court because of the repercussions of their disease. It’s a costly way to live that will only end in destruction: either jail or death.
But there is hope.
We work with people in recovery every single day that are successfully holding down jobs, paying their bills, repairing broken relationships, and moving forward to live normal, productive lives – all of which is far cheaper than the wreckage of drug addiction!
When placed side-by-side, the daily cost of treatment is almost always more affordable than the daily cost of the addiction. Most certainly this is true over the long haul. The cost at Crossroads varies from center to center, but on average, Methadone treatment costs $10 per day. And unlike addiction, most people aren’t in treatment for the rest of their lives, so over the course of time, treatment is a financial win over addiction, hands down.
Recovery must be the top priority, no matter what the financial cost. Put it first, and the rest will come.