Everyone makes New Year's resolutions. It is often a joke between friends and family of who will make resolutions, what they will be and who will fall first from their resolutions. But the influx of people making resolutions for
recovery from drug and alcohol addiction has overwhelmed the resources of drug treatment centers across the country.
In Nevada, the problem is no different than in other parts of the United States. Wait times for a bed in
a drug treatment center doubles from the usual three to four weeks, according to Tammra Pearce, the executive director of Bristlecone Family Resources in Reno, Nevada.
"If we can't get them in the door we will probably lose them," Pearce said. "Odds are we won't see them again. When you have bigger crowds try to get in the door the wait list grows."
Many drug treatment centers experience a sharp drop after the first few months of the year. But other people are determined to stick to their resolution and conquer their
addiction to drugs and alcohol.
"A lot of resolutions are made because people feel hopeless about something, and they are trying to make changes in their lives so they can be hopeful," said George Howell, a senior counselor for the Reno Problem Gambling Center.
