Hearing impaired persons generally have an elevated risk of substance abuse issues because of the impairment, and rehab services should be available to them which serves their circumstances. Those who are hearing impaired can appear alone, unmotivated, and be without goals due to their impairment. Some hearing impaired individuals then choose to self medicate with drugs or alcohol to numb this pain and have a temporary escape from the emotional and psychological challenges that come with having this handicap in everyday life. To start with, detecting a substance abuse problem among the hearing impaired is generally a challenge, since these individuals may make an attempt to hide their issue because of social stigmas attached to drug use. Having said that, alcohol and drug treatment counselors who provide rehabilitation to hearing impaired individuals see the challenges these clients face. ASL rehabilitation services are definitely a must, as are treatment services which address the particular challenges that hearing impaired individuals encounter. Group therapy offers a venue for important peer interactions so that rehabilitation clients can know they are not alone, and that there's hope to resolve their challenge with drugs and alcohol. Individual counseling services might be more tailored for each individual to ensure their unique problems can be addressed in treatment.