Substance Abuse Stats in Covington, KY
Drug abuse is on the rise in Covington. The Kenton County area had the fourth-fastest rise in overdose fatalities in the 2016 to 2017 period.
A 2017 study compared Kenton County with the rest of Kentucky. The area ranked:
- #2 for overdose deaths at 69
- #3 for fentanyl overdose deaths at 52
- #4 for heroin overdose deaths at 16
The most common prescription drugs of abuse were:
- Alprazolam (36% of cases)
- Gabapentin (31%)
- Amphetamines (29%)
- Oxycodone (14%)
- Hydrocodone (14%)
Choosing Between an Outpatient and Inpatient Rehab
Outpatient and inpatient rehab both have their places in treatment. The differences are:
- Inpatient rehab is an intensive, 24/7 experience. You’re focused on recovery constantly which helps you get better faster.
- Outpatient rehab is a part-time experience. You attend scheduled sessions on your own time.
If you can manage it, inpatient rehab is the best choice! However, outpatient is still effective for those who need it.
How Long Can Treatment at a Rehab Last?
Your rehab treatment should last long enough to reset your addiction-related behaviors. Research shows that 90 days is the shortest effective rehab length.
Even though 90 days is the recommended minimum, you should attend rehab for the longest period you can. Spending more time in rehab helps reinforce your recovery.
If you’re attending rehab for opioid use disorder, then 12 months of treatment is the shortest you should consider. That’s even truer if you use medication to control opioid cravings.
What to Expect at Rehab
Not sure what’s going to happen at rehab? The experience is different for everyone, so you’re not alone.
Some common rehab treatments include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: Also called CBT, this kind of therapy teaches you how your mind works so you can steer clear of harmful coping mechanisms.
- Medication-assisted treatment: MAT uses prescribed drugs to help control the symptoms of long-term opioid or alcohol addiction.
- Motivational interviewing: If you’ve tried therapy before and it didn’t work, MI can help you figure out why you’re struggling.
When Would You Need to Go to Detox?
Your care team will tell you if you need to go to detox. Some signs that you need detox include:
- Addiction or dependence
- Damaged relationships because you put drugs first
- Trying and failing to stop using drugs
Skipping detox when you truly need it can put you at risk for relapse. Rehab centers aren’t equipped to help you during medical detox. Always go to detox if your care team recommends it.
How Long is Detox?
Depending on the type of drug, detox can take as few as three days or as long as 21 days.
The drug isn’t the only factor. Other factors that affect detox length include:
- Your long-term drug history
- Your health
- Your metabolism
If you’ve used drugs for a long time, detox could take longer. The same is true if you have kidney disease or another health problem. It’s not easy to estimate the right detox length, so talk to your care team to find the right one.