Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Key Takeaways John Driscoll realized that the stigma surrounding addiction is the biggest hurdle keeping people from seeking treatment.
His mission at Caron Treatment Centers is to make getting help for addiction as routine as putting on a pair of glasses.
The way John Driscoll sees it, when people have trouble with their vision, they go to the eye doctor. They don’t wait to hit rock bottom. They don’t try to “tough it out.” They put on glasses. Problem solved. No secrecy or confusion about whether eyesight is a moral issue.
So why doesn’t the same logic apply to addiction?
Driscoll has spent his career wrestling with that question. As the president and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers, he believes the answer is maddeningly simple. “The number one barrier is stigma. It’s shame,” he says. People see addiction as a personal failing you should will your way out of, rather than treat. They don’t view it as what it actually is: a brain disease.
From a business perspective, the gap is staggering. “Fifty-four million Americans today suffer from substance use disorder,” Driscoll says. “But there’s only about 12 million that are actually getting any type of treatment.” And most of that treatment is little more than a day or two of services—hardly enough to shift a lifelong disease.
In any other industry, this would qualify as a massive, underserved market. “What would you do if you had a product that 54 million people needed, but only at best 20% are accessing?” he asks. “Wouldn’t you say, what can I do to lower the barrier?”
Caron tries to answer that question by offering comprehensive treatment, including medical detox, residential care, and long-term recovery support, rather than short, episodic interventions.
Releated: We Have a Substance Abuse Crisis in The Workplace. Here’s How — and Why — Employers Need To Act Now.
... continue reading