Substance Abuse Stats in Upper Darby, PA
As part of Delaware County and the greater Philly area, Upper Darby has a real drug problem.
In 2017, five Upper Darby people overdosed in a single day, all on heroin.
Heroin is not the only drug gripping the area, though. In September 2019, Upper Darby cops reported a new epidemic—a lethal potion made from crystal meth and fentanyl.
Here are some important drug abuse stats for Delaware County:
- 1,409 people received Narcan from the police to reverse an overdose since 2014
- 155 people died from opioid overdoses in 2014
- The Mobile Drug Collection Unit discarded 14 tons of prescription drugs since its inception
Choosing Between an Outpatient and Inpatient Rehab
The first step to finding drug abuse help in Upper Darby is knowing which kind of rehab is right for you.
The two main types of rehab are:
- Inpatient rehab: The most common kind of rehab, this kind of rehab offers a live-in experience with a structured living environment. It takes away the stress of day-to-day living so you can focus on recovering.
- Outpatient rehab: If your condition doesn’t need constant monitoring, then outpatient could be the right choice for you. With outpatient rehab, you have the freedom to live at home and attend treatment on your own time.
How Long Can Treatment at a Rehab Last?
At a minimum, you should commit to 90 days of treatment. It takes at least three months for your brain and body to begin to recover from substance abuse (and the recovery process is never over).
For opioids and medication-assisted treatment, the ideal stay is at least a year.
When you leave rehab too early, you put yourself at risk for co-occurring mental disorders (such as depression) or relapse.
Longer stays at rehab are better, even if you’re ready to get home. Many patients find rehab so useful in their recovery that they keep attending outpatient long after graduating from inpatient.
What to Expect at Rehab
Talk to your care team about what to expect from your rehab stay. There are a few tried-and-true rehab approaches that include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: CBT is the most popular kind of therapy for drug abuse because it helps you learn to understand your own behaviors and avoid drugs.
- Daily check-ins: Accountability is a big part of treatment and regular check-ins keep you on track.
- Dialectical behavior therapy: It’s hard to live in the moment when you’re thinking about drugs, but DBT can help you break this cycle.
- Medication-assisted treatment: If you abuse opioids or alcohol, then medication may be able to help curb cravings for you.
When Would You Need to Go to Detox?
You should go to detox if:
- You abuse alcohol: Alcohol detox can actually kill you in some cases and cause seizures in others. Withdrawing from alcohol is a case for medical detox.
- You abuse opioids: Opioids aren’t dangerous to detox from in most cases, but they can be quite painful. Detox can keep you comfortable through the worst parts.
- You’re physically dependent: It can be impossible to focus on recovery if you have withdrawal sidelining you. Detox helps you overcome the physical dependency so you can focus on mind over matter.
How Long is Detox?
Most detox programs last 7 to 14 days but there are programs that are shorter and longer. What’s important is that the program lasts long enough to get you through detox.
Different drugs have their own detox periods. For instance, you can withdraw from long-acting opioids for 20 days, but alcohol detox often takes just five days.
If you abuse multiple drugs, your detox period might be complicated. Talk to your care team if that’s the case and they’ll help you decide how long your detox needs to last.