The History
Before America was discovered, an estimated 10 million Native Americans and American Indians were living in what is now the United States according to History.com. The race has faced many difficult challenges with the war of the 17th centuries with English settlers to the Civil Wars that occurred in the late 1800’s. The challenges continue well into the 1900’s and when a new issue attacked the race; drug and alcohol addiction.
According to a study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Monitoring the Future, Native Americans had the highs drug use rates for illicit drugs with the exception of cocaine. The group has had major struggles with drugs like marijuana, methamphetamine and the use of inhalant drugs. In addition to this it was found that Native American high school students also had the highest rate of alcohol use of any population.
A recent report from MSNBC also reports that 1 in 10 Native American deaths are related to alcohol.
As only 2.4% of all admissions to treatment were from Native Americans, more options are needed for Native American drug rehab.
Drug Rehab Statistics For Native Americans
Reports from Native American Statistics indicate that 4 million people in the United States are Native American and make up one and a half percent of the population. The state of California has one of the highest number of Native Americans along with Alaska, Oklahoma, South Dakota and New Mexico.
The problem of substance abuse is a primary issue for the race, but statistically as reported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, alcohol is the leading substance abused. This accounts for 47% of the total substance abuse problems for the group. In addition to alcohol, opiates like heroin were the second most commonly abused drug and then marijuana and other stimulant drugs. The most common ages for Native Americans to get treatment was between the ages of 18 and 34.
Important Spiritual Components Of Native American Drug Rehab Programs
Religious Tolerance reports that Native Americans and American Indians regard their spirituality and practices as a vital and continuous part of their very core survival. This is one area where their drug rehab should be different than most programs available. A Native American drug rehab should encompass the strength of the group’s spirituality as a main component to recovery.
Part of this should include something called a Medicine Wheel which symbolizes the journey that each individual must take in life. Native American Spirituality websites indicate that this is directly connected to the specific path of recovery taken by a Native American when they are faced with an addiction. The wheel has four distinct colors, red for success, black for death, blue for unsatisfied desires, failure and disappointment and white for peace and happiness.
Through rehab a Native American must leave the path of unsatisfied desires, failure, disappointment and death and get on the path of success, peace and happiness.
Another tool that can be used for Native American Recovery is the Medicine Shield which those at the end of their recovery can use to show a new level of personal grown or show the next mountain to climb or challenge to undertake.
Steps of Native American Rehab
There are many key steps that can be done to cater specially to Native American public with regards to drug and alcohol treatment these include:
- The primary use of Native American and American Indian customs and religious axioms in the treatment.
- Group therapy with the use of talking circles or circles where individuals can communicate to increase sharing and trust and promote personal growth as well as listening and empathy.
- Traditional Native American Therapies like Smudging Ceremonies or healing the body through the spirit as well as ceremonies to help heal the mental and emotional issues connected with addiction.
- Handling issues related to Generational Trauma or the idea that physical and emotional trauma is genetically inherited through upbringing or culture.
- Recovery through these religious tools and continued reliance on spirituality to stay clean and sober.
- Stopping the use of any and all drugs and prohibiting the use of any drug during or after treatment.
All of these components would assist in a successful Native American rehab that gets results.
Find a Native American Drug Rehab Center Now
Many programs advertise treatment specific treatment geared toward Native American and American Indian cultures without really being able to deliver it. It is important to ask programs what the specific treatment protocol and schedule is for patients as well as the length and success rate before enrolling in a drug rehab for Native Americans.
If a Native American program can apply all the physical and spiritual aspects of their religion then they can achieve positive results with drug and alcohol abusers.
For more information on drug rehab for Native Americans call 888-95-REHAB or 833-473-4227 today.
