Substance Abuse Stats in Allentown, PA
Like many mid-Atlantic cities, Allentown has a problem with opioids. For three years in a row leading up to 2017, opioid overdose deaths rose every year.
Other substance abuse stats in Allentown include:
- The Pennsylvania Attorney General busted an Allentown drug ring for selling over half a million counterfeit ecstasy pills in 2019
- In Lehigh County, where Allentown is located, the number of overdose-related deaths increased by 25% in 2017
- 243 people in Allentown died from drug-related causes in 2017
Choosing Between an Outpatient and Inpatient Rehab
Choosing a rehab in Allentown means deciding first whether inpatient or outpatient is the right choice for you.
- Outpatient rehab gives you the ability to attend treatment while still going to school or work, or meeting other responsibilities. It’s a good choice for people who are stable.
- Inpatient rehab offers more structure and support, making it ideal for people going through tough recoveries. If you’re detoxing from alcohol or opioids, then inpatient could be the right choice for you.
Remember that inpatient and outpatient aren’t mutually exclusive. Many people end up starting their treatment inpatient and moving to outpatient later on.
How Long Can Treatment at a Rehab Last?
You can’t predict how long rehab lasts without knowing a few important factors first, like what:
- Drugs you’re using
- Health conditions you have
- Mental health conditions you have
The best rehabs will tailor the length of the stay to meet your needs—though it’s common for rehabs to offer stock 28-, 60-, or 90-day rehab stints.
When choosing a rehab length, consider that the official recommendation is at least 90 days. Staying in treatment for less than three months can lead to a higher chance of relapse.
What to Expect at Rehab
Your rehab treatment isn’t likely to be the same as the next patient’s. That’s because every substance abuse case is different.
Some common treatments for substance abuse include:
- Activity therapy: These focused therapies can include yoga, art, animal therapy, or music therapy.
- Dialectical behavior therapy: DBT helps you learn to live in the moment (rather than focused on drugs).
- Group therapy: This can take the form of a round table discussion group, an informal social group, or a 12-Step group.
- Medication-assisted treatment: For opioid or alcohol recovery, medication can help curb cravings and prevent relapse.
When Would You Need to Go to Detox?
You should go to detox before rehab if you:
- Abuse alcohol: Detoxing from alcohol without medical supervision can be dangerous. It can result in seizures and death.
- Abuse opioids: Opioid withdrawal is painful and can be hard to endure without help.
- Abuse multiple drugs: When you detox from multiple substances at once, you put your body under extra stress. Medical detox helps prevent damage to your body.
- Have a physical dependency: If you’re addicted to any drug, then you should go to detox before beginning your rehab stay.
Detox gives you a safe place to go through withdrawal symptoms before going into rehab, where your condition needs to be stable before treatment can start.
How Long is Detox?
Your stay at detox should last as long as it takes to get through withdrawal. That depends on what kind of substances you abuse.
For instance, alcohol has a completely different detox from cocaine.
When you’re preparing to go into detox, you’ll talk to your care team about the drugs that you use so they can help you estimate how long detox will take.
Other factors affecting detox length include:
- Your health: People with healthy livers and digestive systems tend to detox faster than people who are ill.
- Your metabolism: This includes factors such as your genetics, exercise habits, and eating habits.