Rehabilitation Centers in Rhode Island
After a historically low fatal drug overdose rate in 2018, Rhode Island’s rate increased sharply the following year. It increased even more in the first quarter of 2020. While the first quarter of 2019 had 77 fatal overdoses, there were 94 during the same period in 2020.
The problem only increased during 2020. In October, the Rhode Island Department of Health reported at least 233 overdose deaths by July, which was an increase of 26% from 2019. Opioid-related overdose deaths increased by 33% between 2019 and 2020 during the same period. Pandemic-related factors and fentanyl-laced drugs were the suspected culprits of the spike.
By the end of 2020, there were 384 overdose deaths. Synthetic opioids accounted for the most overdose deaths, and prescription opioids and heroin also comprised a considerable percentage. For the past several years, more than 40% of driving fatalities included alcohol-impaired drivers. This is higher than the national average.
In response to the state’s growing problems of drug and alcohol abuse, it developed the ROAD program. The program analyzes the capabilities of medical facilities around the state, increases awareness of a recovery-friendly workplace initiative, and much more. There are awareness programs for health risks, recovery support, emergency care, and other important issues.
Health and Human Services offices also work with people to find local programs and resources throughout the state. Additionally, rehab facilities in RI work hard to help people start their recovery journey.
Planning an Intervention
To successfully plan an intervention, it’s important to organize a group of people who know the person struggling with addiction. To make sure that it has the best chance of succeeding, work with a professional interventionist. An interventionist has the experience, knows the right strategies, and knows how to identify the unique needs of people.
These are the steps for planning an intervention:
- Contact detox centers in RI to gather information about their programs.
- Find an interventionist who can help.
- Under the interventionist’s guidance, assemble a group of participants who know the individual with the addiction.
- Have every person identify specific ways that the addiction affects their lives.
- Outline a list of specific consequences in case the individual rejects help.
When it’s time for an intervention, the individual with the addiction is usually so out of control that loved ones are desperate for help. The person may have legal or financial troubles. For these reasons, it’s important to set clear boundaries that eliminate any chances of enabling. The consequences may be an end of financial help, an end of a free place to live, or something else.
Viewing Addiction as the Disease It Is
Some people mistakenly call addiction a choice and think that people can control it. While some people may make a choice to use drugs or alcohol, there are often factors that strongly compel them to do so. The addiction itself is not a choice. Once an addiction to the substance develops, it changes the brain’s chemistry and functions. Therefore, it’s considered a chronic brain disease.
The way that substances affect the brain causes people to seek more, which produces a rewarding feeling or pleasure sensation. However, these seeking urges can last long after the substance wears off, and this contributes to the cycle of addiction.
People have an urge that can be nearly uncontrollable to become intoxicated with the substance again. As they use more of it, they often develop a tolerance and need more to feel high. This leads to a dangerous increased risk of overdose.
Addiction Treatment Methods
Drug treatment and detox centers in RI have a variety of programs. They are designed to treat every aspect of addiction’s effects. Rhode Island drug rehab facilities also focus on helping the people who are closest to the person with an addiction. If you are looking for resources in Providence or nearby, these are the main treatment options.
Detox
At a Providence detox center, a person detoxes under medical supervision. Medical staff monitor people who are detoxing 24/7. While many of the side effects are unpleasant, some are painful and even dangerous. Because of this, medical supervision is essential. Doctors and nurses can administer medication to help patients feel more comfortable during this difficult process.
Residential Treatment
As the name implies, residential care means that a person lives in the facility for a specific amount of time. It may be between a month or up to a few months in most cases. However, some residential programs may last up to a year. Professionals evaluate individual needs to make these determinations.
Residential care is strongly recommended for people who live with roommates who use drugs or drink. It is also helpful for people who are homeless or live in other risky situations without nurturing support. It is not always ideal for someone who works or is a main provider for a family.
Outpatient Treatment
With outpatient drug rehab in RI, patients do not stay in the facility 24/7. They have access to the same therapeutic approaches as they do with residential treatment programs. In a standard outpatient structure, therapy lasts for at least three hours each week. This is a better structure for people who need minimal help and have a supportive environment at home. For example, someone who works a lot and has a nurturing family may benefit from this structure.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
A step up from outpatient therapy, this structure has frequent or longer sessions. They may not be every day. However, they are usually more than an hour and more than once a week. As time passes, the therapist usually decreases program intensity. As it is with outpatient therapy, IOPs are better for people who have life commitments to maintain and a supportive home environment.
Partial Hospitalization Program
This program is a little more intense than an IOP. A general rule for sessions is five hours per session five times each week to start. At the end of the therapy day, the patient returns home. It is also ideal for someone with a supportive living environment and is not ideal for someone in a risky living situation.
Online Addiction Treatment
People who need drug and alcohol rehab in RI cannot always travel to a facility or afford the costs. In such a case, online addiction treatment may be better. Some people prefer this over rehab facilities in RI for the comfort and convenience it provides. Therapists use cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), or similar methods to help patients.
Holistic Treatment
People who want natural substance abuse treatment in RI may prefer this option. Therapists may use natural substances for any physical treatments, and they use alternate methods for psychological and physical benefits. For example, they may use yoga, acupuncture and other methods.
Therapy Approaches
There are several ways that therapists in RI rehab facilities help people beat addiction. They use individual therapy to address individual concerns and effects of addiction. If the patient has family members who are affected by the addiction, therapists use family therapy. The goal of this type of therapy is to help everyone in the family deal with the effects and support their loved one in recovery.
Group therapy is also useful and involves others who struggle with the same addiction. In a group setting, participants share their challenges and work together to find solutions.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is another common method that therapists in RI rehab facilities use. This method helps people identify their struggles and triggers. Once they do this, a therapist can help them develop strategies to deal with or avoid those triggers by using dialectical behavior therapy. It’s a type of CBT that helps people modify behaviors.
Some facilities use eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) to help people overcome psychological effects of trauma related to drug abuse. They also use nutrition and exercise plans to support overall wellness.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment
One important aspect of drug or alcohol rehab in RI is identifying co-occurring disorders. For example, if someone has alcoholism and depression, the person has a co-occurring disorder. The co-occurring disorder often exists before the addiction develops, and it is often a strong contributor in substance seeking.
However, a co-occurring disorder can develop as a result of substance abuse. For example, people who abuse substances can develop anxiety, depression, paranoia, hallucinations and other problems.
People who use multiple substances have a higher incidence of borderline personality disorder. Alcohol abuse has a high co-occurrence rate with schizophrenia and panic disorder. Schizophrenia also co-occurs with multi-substance abuse. Cocaine abuse is often connected to major depression, and lifestyle factors related to addiction can often contribute to anxiety or PTSD. Dual diagnosis treatment is important to treat both disorders.
Treating only one disorder makes it nearly impossible to break the cycle of addiction. If someone seeks drugs because of depression, detoxing and receiving only drug treatment leaves the depression causing the person to seek drugs again. On the other hand, treating only depression will not cause someone who is addicted to drugs to suddenly not feel the urge to use them.
Paying for Addiction Treatment in Rhode Island
Fortunately, most health insurance plans cover at least some of the costs of addiction treatment. For example, a person may be able to stay at a Providence detox center without paying anything if the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum have already been met for a health plan. Depending on the plan, the same may be true for a Providence drug rehab facility stay. With many people qualifying for better coverage and tax credits, it’s a good time to review health insurance options or inquire about special enrollment rules.
A good solution is to reach out to rehabilitation centers in Rhode Island. The team members are familiar with insurance and may also be able to provide local or state assistance information. Some areas have special programs or help for low-income individuals. There are also self-pay options.
Resources for Substance Abuse Treatment in RI
Ongoing therapy is part of staying in recovery, and treatment programs introduce people to one critical component of it, which is group meetings. These group meetings involve multiple people working together to share their struggles and problems. Some have a sponsorship structure, such as 12-step meetings. These are the main options:
- Celebrate Recovery is a Christian 12-step program.
- SMART Recovery is not a 12-step program and uses CBT and scientific approaches in a group therapy setting.
- Alcoholics Anonymous is a famous 12-step program for those in alcohol addiction recovery.
- Narcotics Anonymous is a 12-step program for those who are in drug addiction recovery.
Another useful resource is the Family and Medical Leave Act website, which outlines the provisions in the law allowing for medical leave. Since many people need to take time away from work at least to detox, this is a helpful site. Also, the Affordable Care Act website is a valuable resource. The ACA ruled that mental health care and addiction treatment must be covered by providers that want to offer plans through the Health Insurance Exchange.
Finding Alcohol and Drug Rehab in RI
If you are looking for a Providence drug rehab or alcohol rehab facility for yourself or a loved one, we can help. We connect people to reliable and valuable resources. Our team is passionate about helping people start their recovery journey. Please contact us to learn more about Rhode Island drug rehab or alcohol rehab.
References:
- https://whatsupnewp.com/2020/10/ridoh-fatal-overdoses-in-rhode-island-continue-to-rise/
- https://health.ri.gov/data/drugoverdoses/
- https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/opioids/opioid-summaries-by-state/rhode-island-opioid-involved-deaths-related-harms
- https://health.ri.gov/data/motorvehicleinjury/
- https://health.ri.gov/publications/reports/202010-ROAD.pdf
- https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/addiction/what-is-addiction
- https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/health-consequences-drug-misuse/mental-health-effects
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6145127/