Substance Abuse Stats in Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Woonsocket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island with a population of about 42,000 people, making it the sixth-largest city in the country’s smallest state. As part of the Providence metropolitan area, Woonsocket residents know a thing or two about Rhode Island’s substance abuse problems—such as the following:
- Rhode Island has the nation’s highest rates for illicit drug use, and third-highest rates of deaths via alcohol poisoning.
- RI has higher rates of mental illness than any other state in the northeast. This could partially explain the high rates of drug and alcohol abuse.
- Rhode Island residents report not receiving treatment for substance abuse even when they need it, more often than average.
Choosing Between an Outpatient and Inpatient Rehab
If you are looking for substance abuse treatment in the Woonsocket area, you will find that many options are available. Two of the primary levels of care are inpatient rehab and outpatient care.
- Inpatient rehab is what we typically think of as substance abuse treatment. It involves living at a treatment center and being totally immersed in the recovery lifestyle, from dawn to dusk.
- Outpatient care is suitable for people who need less support and who have a strong network of friends and family to lean on. Outpatients live at home and continue to go about their daily lives, but they receive substance abuse treatment for about 9 hours per week.
How Long Can Treatment at a Rehab Last?
People stay at rehab centers for varying amounts of time. Stays as short as a few weeks are not uncommon, while some patients need the support of inpatient care for several months. It all depends on your level of independence and treatment needs.
If possible, choosing a longer stay at rehab will give you a better chance of making a full recovery. Stays of 90 days or longer have been proven to result in less relapses and a higher long-term success rate.
Other considerations when choosing a length of stay include:
- Budget
- Time away from home and work
- The severity of your addiction
What to Expect at Rehab
At rehab, you can expect to be in an environment that is challenging, rewarding, and rejuvenating. Rehab is all about finding a balance between attacking the problems that have led to your substance abuse, and giving you time to relax, unwind, and heal naturally.
Some elements that might find their way into your treatment program include:
- 12-step programs
- Talk therapy
- Medication
- Activity therapy (art classes, yoga, dance)
- Reading and writing
- Exercise
- Healthy dieting
- Skills coaching
The best rehab centers offer the most personalized treatment approach. It’s best to start rehab with an open mind and to trust the addiction specialists that you work with.
When Would You Need to Go to Detox?
Inpatient detox is a hospital-like setting that many substance abuse patients must attend before they can start treatment. The point of detox is to provide addicts with a safe place to go through withdrawal from the drugs and/or alcohol they have been abusing.
Withdrawal can be painful and dangerous. Common symptoms are:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Changes in heart rate
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Tremors
- Sweating
- Insomnia
Specific symptoms depend on a person’s anatomy and their history of substance abuse. Regardless, it is always a good idea to go through withdrawal in a detox center rather than trying to do it by yourself.
How Long is Detox?
Detox takes as long as your body needs to completely go through withdrawal. There is no safe or effective way to speed up this process, so all that can be done is to take steps to make it as comfortable and smooth as possible.
Some patients stay at detox for just a few days, while others must remain there for weeks at a time. The process takes longer for individuals who:
- Are unhealthy
- Have been abusing drugs heavily for a long time
- Have a slow metabolism
Staff at detox will clear you to leave once you are physically and mentally stable, and no more symptoms of withdrawal are showing.