Hearing impaired individuals generally have an elevated risk of substance abuse issues because of the impairment, and rehabilitation services must be at hand which cater to their circumstances. People who are hearing impaired can feel alone, unmotivated, and goalless for their impairment. Many hearing impaired individuals then decide to self medicate with drugs or alcohol to numb this pain and experience a temporary release from the psychological and emotional problems that accompany possessing this handicap in life. To begin with, detecting an alcohol and drug abuse problem among the hearing impaired is usually a challenge, since these individuals may attempt to hide their issue because of social stigmas that come with substance abuse. Having said that, drug and alcohol rehabilitation counselors who offer treatment to hearing impaired individuals understand the challenges that these clients face. ASL rehabilitation services are of course a must, as are rehabilitation services which address the unique challenges that hearing impaired individuals encounter. Group therapy provides a forum for important peer support to ensure rehabilitation clients can know they are not on their own, and that there's hope to resolve their challenge with drugs and alcohol. Individual therapy services could be more tailor-made for each individual so that their own problems can be handled in rehab.