New York Addiction Treatment and Info

New York state has one of the largest populations in the United States. This is why it is not exactly surprising that there are many people who are struggling with various substance use disorders.

Addiction in New York

Some of the biggest financial and business organizations in the world are located in New York. Further, it boasts a wide variety of attractions, particular to New York City. Among these are the harbors in the city - which unfortunately are used as the ports of entry for many drugs coming into the United States from different countries.

This is why so many people in this state struggle with addictions involving a wide variety of intoxicating substances - including but not limited to alcohol, cocaine, and opioids like heroin.

The NSDUH - the National Survey on Drug Use and Health - for 2015 and 2016 provided useful information about the rates of substance abuse in the state of New York. From this survey, it has now become clear that:

• More than 11 percent of the adult population of New York - more than 1.7 million people - abused illicit substances in the month prior to the survey
• 3.98 percent of New York adults took prescription pain relief medications for non-medical reasons - a figure that was over 610000 people
• 27.35 percent of these adults - close to 4.2 million people - engaged in binge drinking during this period
• 2.55 percent of adults in the state aged 18 years and older abused cocaine during the same period - or about 392000 people
• 0.45 percent of these adults - about 68000 people - abused heroin

Although there are many substances of abuse in this state, it seems that opioids have been causing the greatest number of deaths. In 2016, for instance, New York lost a total of 3638 lives as a result of a drug overdose involving opioids. This was an increase of more than 32 percent from the deaths reported the preceding year.

It is now believed that most of these numbers have been on the rise due to the increasing popularity of fentanyl - a synthetic opioid - in New York. This is in spite of the wide availability of naloxone across the state, a medication that is used to reverse the adverse effects of an opioid overdose.

Commonly Abused Substances in New York

From 2012 to 2013, 2.8 percent of the people in New York above the age of 12 years were dependent on illicit substances - just a little over 462000 people. Of this number, only about 12.8 percent were able to receive professional addiction treatment services. Most of them were addicted to marijuana, heroin, and cocaine, as well as opiate analgesics.

Although there are many drugs of abuse in this state, there are some that seem to be more popular going by the number of admissions in drug rehab centers that they are responsible for. these substances include.

1. Alcohol

The BHB - Behavioral Health Barometers - released by SAMHSA from 2012 to 2013, more than 1.1 million people (around 6.65 percent of the state population) were dependent on alcohol.

At the end of the study period, a total of 50393 people checked into an addiction treatment program for abusing alcohol only. An additional 59864 people received similar recovery services for abusing alcohol with another secondary substance.

From 2009 through to 2013, the same report showed that only about 5.3 percent of local residents above the age of 12 years who were addicted to alcohol received the appropriate treatment that they need to overcome this condition.

2. Cocaine

From 2012 to 2013, a total of 14770 people were enrolled in an addiction treatment program for smoking cocaine. Another 8461 people received similar recovery services for abusing this drug through other routes of administration.

3. Heroin

Among people who were enrolled in drug rehabs across the state of New York in 2010, the greatest majority mentioned that they were addicted to heroin. By 2014, 79295 people were treated for abusing this drug.

4. Marijuana

The N-SSATS - the National Survey on Substance Abuse Treatment Services - for 2014 reported that a total of 42,289 people checked into a drug rehab program for abusing marijuana and developing dependence as a result.

5. Prescription Drugs

Most of the prescription drugs that were responsible for admissions into addiction treatment centers in New York were opioids other than heroin. By 2014, a total of 18405 sought such treatment for this class of drugs.

Drug Related Fatalities and Injuries in New York

In 2012, the Department of Health in New York reported that substance abuse and mental health disorders were common issues among people in the state's prison system. In New York City, 33 percent of all incarcerated people struggle with severe mental health issues, 42 percent are addicted to drugs, and another 50 percent have co-occurring addictions with psychological disorders.

Two years earlier in 2010, the State Department of Correctional Services released a report showing that more than 80 percent of the prison population in New York required addiction treatment.

The previous year, the ONDCP - the Office of National Drug Control Policy - reported that the state lost 1797 lives as a result of drug abuse. The same year, 1265 people died in accidents involving motor cars.

The Department of Motor Vehicles released another Summary of Alcohol Related Motor Car Crashes in 2014 that showed that the state was struggling with drunken driving incidents. That year, 10,623 automobile crashes were reported. Of this number, 7465 involved alcohol.

Addiction Prevention in New York

The Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services in New York has three main addiction outreach and prevention programs. These programs include FentanylKills, ReversingTheStigma, and CombatAddiction.

The agency has also been tracking various indicators of substance abuse across the state, as well as compiling data linked to addiction treatment among local residents. It released a report showing that - on average - more than 250000 residents received addiction treatment services each year from certified providers of these services.

Apart from this, lawmakers in the state have been trying to fight against the ongoing opioid crisis. They passed laws to limit the prescription of opioids to a total of 7 days - even in the management of extreme pain.

Additionally, New York has a Good Samaritan Law in place that effectively protects everyone who makes a call to 911 or a local poisons control center or emergency room to report a drug overdose - even when illicit substances are bold.

These people are also protected from being arrested and tried for various drug related offenses, including but not limited to:

• Sharing drugs
• Possessing less than 8 ounces of controlled substances
• Possessing any quantity of marijuana
• Possessing any drug related paraphernalia
• Possessing alcohol in situations where underage drinking was happening

Addiction Treatment in New York

SAMHSA - the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration - reported in 2014 that the state admitted a total of 281780 people in its addiction treatment and rehabilitation programs. Of this number, 26.7 percent were female while the remaining 73.3 percent were male.

Although the state has been making headways in reducing the incidence of substance abuse and addiction among its residents, you may find yourself struggling with these issues despite your best efforts not to. In such a situation, you need to seek help from an accredited addiction treatment and rehabilitation center.

When you enroll in one of these programs, you will be able to benefit from a wide variety of recovery services to help you overcome your substance use disorder as well as manage any other co-occurring mental health and medical disorders that you may also be struggling with. These services include but are not limited to:

i) Medical Detox

The first step in your recovery will involve the provision of medically supervised detoxification services. This is because when you give up your favorite substances of abuse after having developed tolerance and physical dependence, there is a high risk that you will suffer some adverse symptoms of withdrawal and drug cravings.

It is for this reason that you are going to need medical detox services to ensure that these symptoms are properly managed. If they are not taken care of, there is a high risk that you may relapse and go back to your old substance abuse problems.

ii) Inpatient Drug Rehab

Even though you have been through the detox process and completed it successfully, you will still require additional recovery services. This is because there is more to addiction that physical dependence. In fact, this condition is often marked by emotional, behavioral, and psychological dependence - issues that will have to be resolved.

You can choose to do so in an inpatient drug rehab program. This means that you are going to move into the recovery center for a couple of months to more than a year. During your time in the residential center, you will work through all the problems linked to your substance abuse and addiction until you achieve full recovery.

Inpatient treatment would be ideal if you have a long standing or severe substance use disorder, were abusing certain types of drugs, or have been diagnosed with co-occurring disorders over and above your addiction.

iii) Outpatient Drug Rehab

However, you can also seek help from an outpatient addiction treatment program. In such a program, you will be able to continue living at home or staying at a transitional or sober living facility.

Then, you will only have to check into the recovery center a few times each week for a couple of hours every time. This form of treatment will offer greater freedom and flexibility so that you can continue following your daily routine and meeting your various goals and responsibilities.

Outpatient drug rehab is recommended if you have not indicated any co-occurring disorders over and above your addiction, and your substance abuse is either short term or mild. However, you can also follow this type of program if you have already spent some time in an inpatient addiction treatment center.

Both inpatient and outpatient drug rehabs work effectively in managing cases of substance abuse and dependence. They do so by providing a wide variety of recovery services, including but not limited to:

• 12 step and non-12 step support group meetings
• Aftercare programming
• Alumni services
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Complementary, holistic, or alternative therapies such as art therapy, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, massage therapy, journaling, animal therapy, and equine therapy
• Couples counseling
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Dual diagnosis addiction treatment
• Exercise
• Family therapy
• Gender specific therapy
• Group counseling
• Individual counseling
• Life skills training
• Medication assisted treatment
• Motivational interviewing
• Nutrition education
• Relapse prevention
• Specialized addiction treatment
• Stress management
• Vocational training

Getting Help

While living in New York, you may be able to enjoy a wide variety of things - from the economic and educational opportunities that the state has to offer to the many attractions that continue attracting visitors from across the globe.

However, if you involve yourself with drugs or alcohol, you will soon come to regret your initial decision to use these substances. This is because addiction will soon be at the core of your life - to such an extent that you will relegate everything else to the backseat.

Once you reach this point, you will notice that your life has started spiraling out of control. Eventually, you would start suffering in your health and wellness, finances, professional and personal relationships, as well as in many other aspects of your lifestyle.

Over time, you may even lose your life, limb, or livelihood on account of your continued substance abuse and addiction. Instead of waiting until you reach this point, it is recommended that you make the decision to seek help as soon as possible.

Luckily, the state of New York has many professionally accredited and licensed addiction treatment and rehabilitation programs that can help you overcome all sorts of substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health and medical disorders that you may have been diagnosed with.

CITATIONS

http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2017/05/08/as-fentanyl-spreads-states-step-up-responses

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

https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/statedeaths.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.health.ny.gov/prevention/prevention_agenda/mental_health_and_substance_abuse/substance_abuse.htm

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

https://www.samhsa.gov/samhsa-data-outcomes-quality/major-data-collections/state-reports-NSDUH-2016

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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