Kansas Addiction Treatment and Info

The rates of substance abuse in Kansas continue rising every day. In particular, they are driven by methamphetamines and opioids - including both illicit opioids like heroin as well as prescription opioid pain relief medications such as OxyContin.

Addiction in Kansas

According to the DEA - the Drug Enforcement Administration - substance abuse is a growing problem in Kansas. This is particularly true in Kansas City, Olathe, and Overland Park. Consider the following finding that the St. Louis Division of this governmental organization reported:

• Heroin - particularly the black tar kind - is the main substance threat in the state
• Most of the fentanyl found in Kansas is imported from China with some coming in through the dark web and Mexico
• Pink, also known as U-47700, is increasingly becoming substituted for fentanyl
• The state has seen an increase in the availability of fentanyl analogues, opiates, heroin, and fentanyl

The same report showed that methamphetamine is commonly abused in this state. Apart from Kansas City and its surroundings, the drug is widely available all across Kansas - causing various problems.

Other intoxicating and addictive substances that are found in this state include other prescriptions such as ADHD stimulant medications and benzodiazepines, as well as cocaine and alcohol.

Although most people assume that substance abuse is a problem that mostly affects adults, this is not the case. According to a report by the Department of Children and Families, for instance, the number of children who had to leave their homes due to adult drug use increased by 42 percent between 2012 and 2017. During the same period, the rates of methamphetamine abuse increased by more than 100 percent.

Commonly Abused Substances in Kansas

To better understand the rates of substance, abuse and addiction in Kansas, it is important to have a little understanding of the various drugs that people in this state take. They include:

1. Alcohol

Even though there are several substances that are taken in Kansas, it seems that many people abuse alcohol - including both teenagers and young adults. This is despite the fact that most of these people are aware of the adverse effects and dangerous consequences of abusing this drug.

In 2015, the BHP - the Behavioral Health Profile - for Kansas reported that:

• Heavy drinking affected more men than women in the state
• Males comprised the largest segment of the population affected by fatalities involving alcohol as well as cases of chronic liver disease
• The abuse of alcohol had increased across the state between 2009 and 2013
• The highest rates of heavy drinking were among people between the ages of 18 and 24

In 2010, a total of 3,801 were admitted in an addiction recovery center for abusing alcohol as their primary drug. Another 4687 people received similar treatment for abusing alcohol with another secondary substance. Of this total, 28 percent were female while the remaining 72 percent were male.

2. Marijuana

Cannabis was the drug that was most commonly cited among people enrolling in an addiction treatment and rehabilitation center in Kansas in 2010. That year, this drug was responsible for 5506 admissions, a number that was comprised of 27 percent of female patients and 73 percent of male patients.

3. Amphetamines

The same year, a total of 2059 people were admitted in a drug rehab program for abusing amphetamines and developing a substance use disorder as a result. This was an increase from the 1819 admissions that were reported in 2009.

4. Cocaine

In 2010 also, the state admitted 1364 people checked into addiction recovery programs across Kansas for smoking cocaine. Another 436 patients were treated for abusing this drug through other routes of administration.

5. Prescription Drugs

The same year, 835 people sought professional recovery services in Kansas for abusing opioid drugs other than heroin. In 2006, 579 people received similar help - which shows that more people are turning to prescription opioid pain relief medications each year.

Drug Related Injuries and Fatalities in Kansas

EPIC-NSS - the National Seizure System run by the El Paso Intelligence Center - reported that the state witnessed a 43 percent increase in the total number of meth labs that were seized by DEA - Drug Enforcement Administration - officials. This was from 100 labs in 2007 to 143 labs by 2009.

Drug use was also the direct reason why Kansas lost 294 lives in 2007. The same year, incidents involving firearms claimed 292 lives while motor car accidents took another 447 lives.

Addiction Prevention in Kansas

The 360 Strategy program run by the DEA has been trying to reduce, prevent, and stop the substance abuse and addiction problem in the United States - as well as in areas such as Kansas.

The program has been using a comprehensive approach to tackle the revolving cycles of addiction and violence. Further, it has focused on violent gangs, drug cartels, as well as the growing opioid epidemic being seen across the country.

Further, it has been attempting to accomplish its mandate by using community based solutions that seek to form partnerships between schools, community elders, organizations, and law enforcement officials, as well as professionals working in the addiction recovery sector.

There is also a National Take Back program in place in Kansas. This program collects all unused over the counter and prescription medications - particularly those that may have otherwise been diverted and ended up causing overdose and addiction.

Addiction Treatment in Kansas

The TEDS - the Treatment Episode Data Set - report for 2010 showed that a total of 19122 people were enrolled in an addiction treatment and rehabilitation program in Kansas. Of this number, 33 percent were female while 67 percent were male.

For more than 14 years, however, the state has seen a decrease in the rates of admissions for alcohol abuse as well as an increase in the mentions of both marijuana and cocaine among people checking into a rehab center. The largest increase, however, involved methamphetamine - which increased from 3 percent in 1992 to 25 percent by 2006.

The N-SSATS - the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services - report also showed that the state had an increase from 182 drug rehabs in 2002 to 236 such facilities by 2006. The same survey reported that the abuse of illicit substances in the state within the past month was at 7 percent while similar rates at the national level were at 8 percent.

Even so, the state has been struggling with high rates of unmet needs for treatment among people suffering from addiction. This is why Kansas has been taking steps to encourage more addicts to check into professional programs to be able to overcome their conditions.

When you realize that you have a substance use disorder - or if you also suspect that you may be struggling with an unresolved co-occurring mental health or medical disorder - it is recommended that you seek help. This help is available through professional addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers that offer the following services:

i) Assessments

When you first check into a rehab program, you will undergo thorough assessment to determine the extent and severity of your addiction. During this process, you may be asked questions about the drugs you were abusing, the amounts you used to take, the route of administration, as well as the duration of your addiction.

The goal of this process is to get the addiction treatment professionals to create a highly personalized and customized treatment plan that can help you get started on the road to recover.

ii) Medical Detox

Once you have been assessed and evaluated, you will most likely be provided with medically supervised detoxification services. This is particularly true if you were abusing any drug that is known to cause physical dependence.

Detox is offered to help you overcome the withdrawal symptoms and substance cravings that might arise as drugs start leaving your system and you are recovering from your physical dependence.

iii) Inpatient Drug Rehab

When you have achieved physical stability and are not displaying any other signs of dependence and withdrawal symptoms, the drug rehab may offer you other treatments to deal with your psychological, emotional, and behavioral dependence. If they do so while you are living at the treatment center, you could be said to be going through inpatient treatment.

Inpatient therapy is effective and recommended if you have a severe substance use disorder or have also been diagnosed with other co-occurring mental health disorders that require round the clock medical supervision, care, and management.

iv) Outpatient Drug Rehab

You can also go for outpatient treatment especially if your addiction is not severe and you do not have co-occurring disorders to worry about. This form of rehab is effective but will offer treatment on an outpatient basis. This means that you will not be staying at the recovery center. Instead, your sessions will be scheduled to take place for several hours every week.

Outpatient drug rehab is also the right option if you have already been through an inpatient treatment program but still need additional help to ensure that you do not relapse. This risk of relapse is particularly high during the first few weeks and months of checking out of a residential recovery center.

You may also choose to seek help with your addiction on an outpatient basis if there are some obligations and responsibilities at home, work, and school that may make it difficult for you to check into an inpatient center.

v) Aftercare Support

After your complete treatment - and successfully so - you may assume that it is your last experience with drugs and alcohol. however, your risk of relapse would still be high. This is why many addiction recovery programs also offer aftercare planning and support.

Through a properly outlined aftercare plan, you will be able to ensure that you do not lose sign of your recovery and sobriety goals. It will also prove instrumental in reducing your relapse risk.

Irrespective of the type of drug rehab program you choose, the following are some of the treatment therapies that you may be able to enjoy:

• 12 step support group meetings
• Addiction education
• Adventure therapy
• Alumni programs
• Art therapy
• Biofeedback
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Couples counseling
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Dual diagnosis addiction treatment
• Equine therapy
• Exercise
• Family counseling
• Gender specific treatment
• Group therapy
• Holistic therapies (such as yoga, acupuncture, and massage)
• Individual counseling
• Medication management
• Mindfulness management
• Motivational interviewing
• Nutritional counseling
• Pet therapy
• Physical therapy
• Stress management
• Vocational training
• Wilderness therapy

Getting Help

Irrespective of the type of substance use disorder that you have been struggling with, it is essential that you get help as soon as possible. In some instances, it might take concerted efforts from your loved ones and family before you realize that you need such help. This is due to the risk of denial that most addicts struggle with.

That said, help is always available in the form of addiction treatment and rehabilitation services. In Kansas, it is possible to find both inpatient and outeaten drug rehab programs and they can offer you the guidance and recovery services that you need to turn your life around from drugs and alcohol to sober living.

In the long term, continued drug use could ruin your life, health, wellness, personal and professional relationships, and finances. It could also lead to negative outcomes, including sudden death.

The best solution would be to give up these substances of abuse and check into the right drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs. By so doing, you will get started on the road to recovery.

CITATIONS

http://www.jacksongov.org/DocumentCenter/View/4569/DEA-Opioid-Summit

https://www.apnews.com/07708b4a8ab249f9aff70fa6e05fc17f

https://www.carnevaleassociates.com/our-work/emerging-drug-trends-prevention-issue-brief.html

https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2018-11/DIR-032-18%202018%20NDTA%20final%20low%20resolution.pdf

https://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/news-statistics/emerging-drug-trends

https://www.kdads.ks.gov/docs/default-source/CSP/bhs-documents/provider_reports/kansas-behavioral-health-profile-2015.pdf?sfvrsn=0

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234579/

https://www.shadac.org/publications/50-state-analysis-drug-overdose-trends-evolving-opioid-crisis-across-states

https://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2010/2.0_Drug_statistics_and_Trends.pdf

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