Montgomery, AL Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centers

Substance Abuse Stats for the City of Montgomery, Alabama

Montgomery, Alabama is part of Montgomery County. Like the rest of the state, the opioid crisis has hit Montgomery County hard. This isn’t surprising considering the high rate of opioid prescriptions written here. According to data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Alabama pharmacists wrote 102 prescriptions for every 100 people in 2017. The same year, 18 people of every 100,000 died of a drug overdose death.

Choosing Between an Outpatient and Inpatient Rehab

Inpatient care typically takes place at a hospital and can last up to 28 days. This provides 24-hour support to help you deal with cravings, emotional problems, and other issues. Drug counselors often recommend living in a long-term residential treatment center for up to one year after leaving the hospital.

You should only choose outpatient treatment when work or other responsibilities prevent you from being away from home. Treatment runs a few hours each weeknight for several weeks.

How Long Can Treatment at a Rehab Last? 

The National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends that people attend treatment for at least 90 days for maximum effectiveness. Anything shorter than that may not get past simple drug education. With a disease as complex as addiction, you need all the time you can get to tackle tough issues and learn healthier coping strategies.

Whether inpatient or outpatient, most treatment programs last for at least one month. You typically attend an aftercare program as well for ongoing support.

What to Expect at Rehab 

Individual and group counseling are common components of drug treatment. The first helps you address issues such as:

  • Family and social relationships
  • Employment
  • Criminal activity if applicable
  • Setting short-term and long-term behavioral change goals
  • Referrals to other needed services such as medical or psychiatric professionals

Group therapy offers accountability and social reinforcement to help you make positive changes. You may also receive medication as you come off drugs to help control cravings and side effects.

When Would You Need to Go to Detox? 

If you are physically or psychologically dependent on drugs, your intake coordinator will require you to go through detox before starting treatment. You can also make this decision on your own. Treatment won’t be effective if you’re still going through withdrawal because you won’t be able to focus on the hard work ahead.

A medical team will supervise you as you complete detox. The same team will decide when you have completed it and are ready to start treatment.

How Long is Detox?

If you used strong drugs for a long time, you may need to stay in detox for up to three weeks. The same is true if you are in poor health other than your drug use. People with a fast metabolism typically need less time to detox than those with a slow metabolism. Whether it takes a few days or three weeks, you will get through it one day at a time.