Hearing impaired men and women generally have an elevated likelihood of substance abuse issues because of their impairment, and rehabilitation services must be available to them which cater to their circumstances. Individuals who are hearing impaired can seem to be isolated, unmotivated, and goalless because of the impairment. Many hearing impaired individuals then choose to self medicate with alcohol or drugs 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 a drug and alcohol abuse problem among the hearing impaired can be a challenge, since these individuals may try and hide their problem due to social stigmas attached to abusing drugs. However, drug and alcohol treatment counselors who offer treatment to hearing impaired individuals comprehend the challenges these clients face. ASL treatment services are definitely a must, as are rehabilitation services which address the unique challenges that hearing impaired individuals encounter. Group therapy offers a venue for important peer support to ensure rehabilitation clients can know that they are not alone, and that there's hope to handle their problem with alcohol and drugs. Individual therapy services may be more tailored for everybody to ensure their own personal problems can be addressed in treatment.