Treatment programs for alcoholism don't carry guarantees of success. About one-third of those who enter treatment return to their addiction, hitting the bottle as hard as if they had never sought help.
But, says Yasmine Wiker, director of the Dayspring treatment program at Wasatch Canyons Hospital, that's no reason not to try. One-third are successful, and the other third may slip back into addiction but manage to overcome it later because of the skills gained during treatment."The consequences of not getting treatment are a lot worse, because usually they will die," said Wiker, who is a registered nurse.
"The No. 1 cause of death for people who are alcoholics is accidents - and that's driving accidents, drownings or gunshots."
Similar success-failure ratios also apply to drug addiction.
Wiker and Dr. Raymond Middleton, medical director of the Dayspring program, will answer the public's questions about alcohol and drug addiction on Saturday during the monthly Deseret News/Intermountain Health Care Hotline program. Callers may contact them between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
According to Wiker, national statistics indicate that about 10 percent of the population is chemically dependent, "and that means on alcohol or drugs." And if alcohol is abused, she said, chances are that drugs are too.
"It's pretty rare to find somebody who uses just alcohol," she said. "More than likely, he'll want to choose mood-altering chemicals in general."
These may be marijuana, prescription drugs or harder drugs like cocaine and heroin.Asked if substance abuse is a big problem in Utah, she said, "Oh, absolutely. This program (Dayspring) has been in existence since 1985, and we have treated over 700 people for addiction."
And it is just one of several treatment programs in Utah.
Many of those who enter treatment are there because of a life crisis related to substance abuse. The crisis may be "having difficulty in work . . . or having a spouse say, `If you don't get treatment I'm going to divorce you."'
Or the crisis may be a citation for driving under the influence or other legal entanglement. A youngster abusing drugs or alcohol may get in trouble with the law and will have school problems, Wiker said.
Behavior problems are the hallmark of substance abuse.
"The definition of alcoholism is the continued use of alcohol despite adverse consequences," she said.
In Dayspring's program, the patient may go through several treatment stages, starting with an evaluation. This is often followed with controlled detoxification, in which the patient is under 24-hour care.
The 'round-the-clock supervision is to watch for withdrawal difficulties. Without nursing care, an alcoholic going "cold turkey" faces a 10 to 15 percent chance of death, Wiker said.
"People will have a seizure as a result of coming off alcohol if it's not handled appropriately. Or they may come into what we call delirium tremens."
These "DTs" or "rum fits" as they are sometimes called, she said, can involve high temperatures, hallucinations and irrational behavior. Without proper detox care, an alcoholic could die from an accident during a DT episode.
After detoxification, the program offers supervised teaching about the disease of substance abuse, family counseling and inpatient and outpatient treatment.
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Call Saturday with your questions
The subject of this month's Deseret News/Intermountain Health Care Hotline program is one that affects a huge portion of the population, either directly or indirectly: substance abuse.
Anyone with questions about causes, treatment, or frequency of alcoholism or drug misuse - or about any related topic - is invited to ask the experts Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Dr. Raymond Middleton, medical director of Dayspring Program and Wasatch Canyons Hospital, 5770 S. 1500 West, and the program's director, Yasmine Wiker, will be fielding the questions.
Toll-free calls will be taken from anywhere in the continental United States at 1 (800) 925-8177.