Substance Abuse Stats in Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro is a town of around 12,000 residents in southeastern Vermont. Although it is a quiet town, Brattleboro is located along Interstate 91, meaning drugs from larger east coast cities are readily available.
Check out these statistics about drug and alcohol abuse in Vermont:
- 114 people died from opioid-related causes in Vermont in 2017.
- 77 of these people had taken fentanyl.
- 30% of Vermont high school students report drinking in the last month.
- One out of every four fatal car crashes in Vermont in 2017 involved THC (the active compound in marijuana)
Choosing Between an Outpatient and Inpatient Rehab
Substance abuse treatment comes in many forms. Addictions can be complex disorders and what works for one patient may not work for the next. There are several levels of care, but the main ones you need to understand are inpatient rehab and outpatient care.
Inpatient rehab is what most people think of as substance abuse treatment. It involves living at a rehab facility, receiving care every day, and being totally focused on recovery.
Outpatient care is more hands-off. Patients continue to live at home, and they go to treatment sessions for a handful of hours per week. Outpatient care is for people who need less support.
How Long Can Treatment at a Rehab Last?
People stay at rehab for varying lengths of time. In general, longer stays give better long-term results. In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse states that rehab has little or no effectiveness if it lasts for less than 90 days.
This means that stays at rehab of less than 90 days result in:
- More relapses
- More second visits to rehab
- More overdoses
Longer stays require a larger investment, of both time and money. Still, the price is small if you consider the fact that you could easily end up back in rehab if you don’t stay for long enough to address the issue.
What to Expect at Rehab
It is difficult to know exactly what to expect at rehab. Different treatment centers operate differently, and no two patients have exactly the same needs.
You can expect to be both challenged by rehab, and given the space to relax and recharge. Treatment commonly includes therapy, medication, and group meetings. The 12-step model is very important to many treatment centers.
In addition to formal treatment, you will be encouraged to relax and engage in activities like art and yoga. These are great for building confidence and developing a healthy routine to carry with you after rehab ends.
When Would You Need to Go to Detox?
People tend to confuse detox with rehab, but they are completely separate. Detox is a place people must go if they are still drunk or high when they check into treatment, or if they still have drugs or alcohol in their system.
At detox, patients are medically monitored and given the support they need to get through withdrawal. Withdrawal can be dangerous for a number of reasons, which is why the extra support of inpatient detox is needed during this time. Common withdrawal symptoms that can be managed safely at detox include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Insomnia
- Tremors
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Changes in heart rate
How Long is Detox?
Detox can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. The main factors that affect how long detox lasts are:
- Length and severity of withdrawal
- Overall mental stability of patient
- Physical condition of patient
Withdrawal times vary greatly from person to person. In general, people who have abused drugs heavily on a long-term basis will have a worse withdrawal. Some substances have more severe withdrawals than others. Alcohol withdrawal can be particularly bad and has been fatal in some cases. The only way to ensure that you will have a safe and smooth withdrawal is to go to detox.