Substance Abuse Stats in Philadelphia, PA
Did you know that Philadelphia had the second-highest rate of overdose deaths in 2016? That year, 46 people overdosed per 100,000 residents. The only county that scored higher was Alleghany, also in Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia substance abuse stats include:
- Drug-related deaths rose by 391% between 2003 and 2017
- Most people affected in Philadelphia are older white men, but all kinds of people are affected
- Over 4,000 people received emergency naloxone for an overdose in 2017
- Drug withdrawal in newborn babies rose by 515% between 2002 and 2017
Choosing Between an Outpatient and Inpatient Rehab
There are important differences between inpatient and outpatient rehab. Inpatient is a good choice for patients who need extra care. It can be necessary for people using drugs that are dangerous in detox such as alcohol.
Inpatient rehab may be the right choice for you if:
- You use alcohol or opioids
- You use multiple substances
- You’ve used drugs for many years or used them heavily
Basically, inpatient is the best choice for patients who need more support.
Outpatient rehab can be the right choice if:
- You’ve finished detox
- You’re stable
- You have a good support system
How Long Can Treatment at a Rehab Last?
The length of your treatment depends on factors such as:
- How stable your condition is
- How fast you adapt to a drug-free lifestyle
- How well you stick with your treatment plan
Even when your condition is stable and you follow your doctor’s orders, you should plan to stay in rehab for at least 90 days. Rehab stays shorter than three months are linked to more relapses.
If you’re recovering from opioid use and using methadone, then you should opt for at least 12 months of treatment.
Longer treatment lengths are always better. In fact, some patients keep attending outpatient treatment for years or lifelong.
What to Expect at Rehab
You can’t predict what happens at rehab because it’s different for every person. Still, there are some common treatments for substance abuse that you may see in rehab.
They include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: This type of talk therapy teaches you what causes you to use drugs so you can avoid those triggers (and avoid relapse too).
- Medication-assisted treatment: Medication can help prevent cravings and withdrawal from opioids or alcohol.
- Targeted activities: Yoga, animal therapy, art therapy, and journaling are all daily activities you might take part in at rehab.
When Would You Need to Go to Detox?
Most rehabs require that you detox from any addictive drugs before you enter treatment. The average rehab isn’t equipped for handling medical detox, which can require medications and monitoring.
You should consider going to detox if you:
- Use drugs that cause physical dependence
- Use drugs with painful withdrawal such as opioids
- Use drugs with dangerous withdrawal such as alcohol
- Use multiple drugs at once, especially if they’re addictive
Detox can keep you comfortable throughout this part of recovery. This helps you focus on yourself so you have a better outcome.
How Long is Detox?
The length of detox is different for each kind of drug. For instance, it takes a long time to detox from stimulants, but you can detox from fast-acting opioids in five to 10 days.
Most detox programs last anywhere from three days to 14 days. This depends on the setting and the kind of drug that you’re detoxing from.
It’s important to finish the entire course of your detox treatment even if you think you can handle leaving earlier. Spending enough time in each phase of recovery helps set you up for success.
Sources
- PEW: Philadelphia’s drug overdose death rate among highest in nation
- Philadelphia Department of Public Health: Opioid misuse and overdose report
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Types of treatment programs
- National Center for Bioinformatics: The treatment of addiction
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Treatment approaches for drug addiction