True Cost of Drug Detox or Economics of Healthcare

Many of my patients have valid reasons as to why they cannot afford their medications, with hard economic times, and often hungry families, who can blame them? But on the flip-side, many patients are just trying to use monetary issues as an excuse (either consciously or subconsciously) to continue leading an unhealthy lifestyle blamable on countless other people.
What makes me sad is, as an outsider, I can tell them where to find money for their $4 generic blood pressure prescription. Maybe instead of spending money on smokes, dish out the money for something that is good for you.  It is difficult to look at that man complaining about a bill so small when he has just told me that he smokes two packs a day.
So often people spend money on unhealthy and useless habits, while snubbing their noses at healthy activities. It’s just natural, think about it. How many people pay for cable versus the number of people spending money on a gym membership?
When it comes to narcotic addiction, though, it becomes even sadder. So many complain that they feel lost and do not know where to get money to get help and go to a clinic. I have had a patient confess to a $6,000 a week Dilaudid habit, yet balk at the $8,000 total detox one time price that would get her free of drugs. The mental addiction to opiates can block what logic is needed to see that they will have more than enough funds and such an improvement in their quality of life!
If you feel lost, alone, helpless, and feel that you cannot see yourself paying a few thousand for your physical and mental health, look at your monthly opioid bill. Check out how much you spend yearly, and crunch some numbers, it may be easier for you to see the calculator tell you the truth. Just allow yourself to be free mentally of your drug, and through that strength, get yourself the help you need. Everyone has a chance at getting help, get yourself to an NA meeting, find your options, and do what you know deep down you should. You have the strength to avoid that voice inside telling you that it’s the doctor’s fault, your mother’s fault, the drug dealers fault; stop using it as an excuse from getting help. All you need to do is face the truth - you can do it!