Substance Abuse Stats for the City of New Orleans, Louisiana
As a large city of over 343,000 people, New Orleans, Louisiana drug and alcohol addiction statistics can be worrisome. Consider these:
- The CDC reports that drug overdose deaths increased 12.4 percent in New Orleans and the state as a whole from 2016 to 2017.
- From 2015 to 2016, 208 people died from accidental drug overdoses in New Orleans.
- Opioids played a role in 81 percent of overdose deaths in those years, including prescription drugs and illicit forms.
Choosing Between an Outpatient and Inpatient Rehab
Inpatient: Those with moderate to severe addiction may need inpatient care where they receive 24-hour, around the clock care for medical needs in a drug-free environment with advanced support and therapy.
Outpatient: Some people may benefit from outpatient treatment if they have a stable at-home environment and support. This type of treatment may include intensive outpatient care in which a person reports to a treatment center 5 to 6 days a week for up to 8 hours a day.
How Long Can Treatment at a Rehab Last?
Treatment lasts for as long as it takes for a person to be able to manage his or her addiction and is no longer physically dependent on the drug. On average, this takes about 90 days in New Orleans treatment centers. However, some people will receive care for as little as 6 weeks or up to 6 months.
After completing initial care, most will continue to receive treatment as they need to. This can include group support indefinitely.
What to Expect at Rehab
Upon arrival, a person will receive a full medical and mental health evaluation. The best treatment centers in New Orleans create personalized treatment plans for each person. Those plans may include:
- Medication to ease withdrawal symptoms and manage dependence
- Individual therapy to work on the cause of addiction and how to manage living with addiction long term
- Treatment for mental health disorders often present with addiction such as depression or anxiety, including medication to manage them
When Would You Need to Go to Detox?
A therapist and doctor may recommend detox for those with a physical dependency, which means you may be unable to stop using the drugs without help. You may benefit from detox if you:
- Have used drugs for a long time
- Have used highly addictive forms of drugs
- Cannot stop using on your own
- Have overdosed previously
- Have tried and relapsed before
Detox can help you to reach stability. If recommended, it tends to be necessary to enroll.
How Long is Detox?
The length of detox depends on how quickly the body can naturally process the drugs present in the system and break the dependency present. This typically lasts between 3 and 21 days. It can be longer for people with a slowed metabolism, which can happen if a person has organ failure or other health risks. It takes longer for some drugs which remain in the body’s tissues for an extended amount of time.