Substance Abuse Stats in the City of Columbus, Georgia
Between January 1 and September 6, 2017, 15 people in Columbus, Georgia died of an opioid overdose. One-third of those were from heroin while three came from Fentanyl and one each came from Dilaudid and morphine. The remaining deaths were from other types of drugs ranging from methamphetamine to cocaine. Drug use is a dangerous epidemic here.
Choosing Between an Outpatient and Inpatient Rehab
Addiction is a complex disease. It takes a lot of time and resources to recover from it. That’s why it makes sense to check into an inpatient treatment program for at least 90 days if you can. This is the minimum treatment time recommended by the National Council on Drug Abuse. When you just can’t take that much time away from work or family obligations, you can still get the help you need with outpatient treatment and still live at home.
How Long Can Treatment at a Rehab Last?
The most effective treatment programs last a minimum of 90 days. It takes at least that long to quit using drugs, address personal issues, and become more stable. However, you shouldn’t give up on the idea of getting help if you can’t attend for that long. Shorter programs typically last about a month and are more likely to be on an outpatient basis. Whatever time you can commit for, the important thing is to give it your full attention.
What to Expect at Rehab
If you entered rehab still having strong cravings for your drug, you might receive medication to help with that. It’s just one of the possible things you can expect from rehab. Most programs include individual therapy, group therapy, or both. You may attend 12-step recovery meetings such as those patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous. The goal of the program is to get you as stable as possible so you’re ready to live and work in the community successfully.
When Would You Need to Go to a Detox?
Detox is separate from treatment and is the first step if you can’t stop using drugs on your own. Many people have physical and mental withdrawal symptoms that require supervision by a medical professional. You must attend detox if your intake coordinator requests it before starting a treatment program. Otherwise, seek your doctor’s advice or take an honest assessment of yourself. Only you know if you can truly stop using on your own or not.
How Long is Detox?
There’s no set number of days that you remain in detox. It depends on the severity of your symptoms, how long you have used drugs, the types of drugs you used, and your overall health. You should plan on spending at least several days there and maybe as long as a few weeks. Like the rest of your program, it can be helpful to just focus on what you need to do to recover one day at a time.