Substance-abuse programs struggle to keep up with huge demand for services

Recent slashes in publicly funded treatment centers meant that few beds were available when Lindsey Arias finally worked up the courage to seek help for her addiction.

By GINNIE GRAHAM & CURTIS KILLMAN - Tulsa World | Modified: March 18, 2012 at 10:30 am | Published: March 18, 2012 Comment on this article

Multimedia

Videoview all videos

After decades of addiction, Oklahoma City man decides to live sober

Mar 9After decades of succumbing to addiction, an Oklahoma...

Photoview all 16 photos

Article Gallery: Substance-abuse programs struggle to keep up with huge demand for services

special coverage

State of Addiction

A special series by Oklahoma Watch and its partners about the state of addiction in Oklahoma.

NewsOK Related Articles

With no insurance, Tulsa woman finds getting treatment isn’t easy
03/18/2012 TULSA — About six months ago, Lindsay Arias packed all her belongings into a bag to camp out at the 12&12 front office until she got help. She had no...
Insurance a major obstacle for private substance abuse treatment centers
03/17/2012 Private treatment programs for substance abuse — relatively scarce in Oklahoma — have the potential to be more successful than their state-run...
Oklahoma faith communities help those with addiction problems
03/14/2012 Oklahoma faith communities help those with addiction problems
State of addiction: Recovering Tulsa addict praises Drug Court
03/14/2012 A second chance at Drug Court saved Marsha Patton's life.
State of Addiction: Department of Mental Health wish list tops $144 million to fund all needs
03/13/2012 Terri White's wish list for her agency is contained in an ambitious 10-point budget request that would cost the state an additional $144 million if...
How to get addiction help
03/13/2012 How to get help for addiction.
State of Addiction: Substance abuse costs U.S. employers hundreds of billions in health care, productivity losses
03/13/2012 Drug testing and Employee Assistance Programs are two ways employers help their workers cope with the devastating issue. Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake...
State of Addiction: Former addict now helping others
03/12/2012 Days into detox, Sue Henson didn't think she was an addict. "I was not prostituting," she said. "I was not stealing. So I thought I wasn't an addict....
State Of Addiction: Oklahoma's Prescription For Pain
03/12/2012 Pain killers like hydrocodone and oxycodone, better known as Lortab and Oxycontin, are killing more than the pain. Pain killers like hydrocodone and...
After decades of addiction, Oklahoma City man decides to live sober
03/12/2012 After decades of succumbing to addiction, an Oklahoma City man recently made the decision to live a sober life. Forrest Coin, 40, knows it's not going to be...
State of Addiction: Genetics plays role in addiction, but aren't only factor
03/12/2012 Genes play an important role in whether a person becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, experts say, but they don't guarantee anything. Researchers say a...
State of Addiction: Oklahoma drug agents struggle to stem tide of narcotics in state
03/11/2012 Public apathy hampers ongoing war on drugs, Oklahoma narcotics agents say.
State of Addiction: Oklahoma ranked No. 1 state in prescription painkiller abuse
03/11/2012 Prescription drugs factor into numerous overdose deaths in Oklahoma, experts say.
Cost of addiction in Oklahoma: An estimated $7.2 billion per year
03/10/2012 Drug treatment programs for addicted Oklahomans often are inadequate and overloaded.

"Addiction is a two-way street," she said. "People don't know what to do or how to get out of it. We need to get access to a program to know how to make our own choices again."

The 34-year-old mother of three found a spot at a government-funded bed at Tulsa's 12&12 Inc. center and has graduated into a grant-funded transitional living program.

"Who would want to be this way?" Arias said. "I saw this as my last shot to get it right. I'm halfway there. This has helped me make the right decision, regain control of my choices."

As Oklahoma tops the nation in nonmedical use of prescription painkillers and remains high in meth and alcohol addiction, the state agency charged with addressing those problems has had to deal with severe budget cuts.

See the full story on TulsaWorld.com