Many states across the country, including Indiana, have been devastated by the opioid crisis and drug epidemic, luckily drug rehabs in Indiana and other states are in place to help those who need it. Drug and alcohol rehabs are important for helping patients with the recovery process, they will learn skills and strategies to overcome addiction and maintain long-term sobriety.
Before we look at how drug rehabs in Indiana can help the state, we should look at the problem as it currently stands. First we will look at how drugs are impacting the state and how opioids are influencing the epidemic for Hoosiers.
Drug Addiction In Indiana
According to data from the Indiana State Department of Health, drug overdose deaths in the state of Indiana have been rising for nearly 20 years, and more than 15,000 Indiana citizens have lost their lives due to drug overdoses since 1999.
Looking more closely at the issue, you can see that in recent years, the problem has spiraled out of control. In fact, in 2017, Indiana reached its highest age-adjusted drug overdose rate at 29.4 overdoses per 100,000 people. This number spiked by 22% compared to the year before.
The state had the third-highest drug overdose rate increase in the nation behind only New Jersey and Nebraska.
Overall, there were 1800 drug overdose deaths in Indiana in 2017. This averages out to about five overdose deaths every day.
Historically Indiana has always had a problem with drug overdoses. The state has consistently ranked in the top half for drug overdoses since 2013. In 2017, Indiana had the 14th highest drug overdose death rate in the country.
Opioids
Unfortunately, the rise of opioids has taken its toll on the state. In fact, opioids were the primary driver of overdose deaths and were involved in nearly two-thirds of all drug overdose death cases in the state.
The rise of opioids on both the national and state level is due to a number of different factors.
The first factor is the increased prescribing of opioids that began in the late 1990s. This was followed up by a rise in heroin that occurred due to the fact that individuals could no longer receive legal medications and chose to move to a cheaper and more dangerous alternative. The third wave, which began in Indiana in 2014, was caused by an increase in synthetic opioids, like illicitly manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl analogs that are even cheaper and more potent compared to heroin.
Unfortunately, illicitly manufactured fentanyl is found in a combination of a number of other drugs including heroin, cocaine, and counterfeit pills. Many times, the user does not realize that their drugs have been cut with this substance which can often lead to accidental overdose deaths. This increased presence of fentanyl puts all substance users at risk of overdose deaths.
Heroin
While heroin technically is an opioid, we will be looking at it separately in order to more accurately understand the impact that it has had on the state. Heroin has been a point of concern for the state since the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, the problem didn’t fully come into light until recently.
In fact, in 1999 there were only 3 heroin-involved overdoses in the entire state. In 2017, that number skyrocketed to 327. That’s an increase of over 10,000%.
Other Drugs
However, it does need to be noted that the drug epidemic in the country and in Indiana is more than just opioids. There have been major increases in the use and death rate caused by other substances.
In fact, psychostimulants such as methamphetamine saw a 138% increase in drug overdose rate from 2016 to 2017. Deaths involved from psychostimulants increased from 4 in 1999 to 289 in 2017.
Drug overdoses due to cocaine also doubled from 2016 to 2017. But if you zoom out to get a look at the bigger picture, it’s, again, more alarming. In 1999 there were 27 total cocaine-involved drug overdoses, in 2017 there were almost 250.
Obviously, these are just some of the prominent drugs in the state, there are many other that many citizens may be dealing with. In fact, one of the most deadly substances used in the state, and around the country, is alcohol.
Let’s take a closer look at how alcohol has impacted the state of Indiana.
Alcohol Abuse In Indiana
With the rise of opioids and other drugs in Indiana, it is easy to overlook other substances that are legal but may be contributing to many deaths across the state.
One of the most used and abused substances in the country is alcohol. On a national level, over 15 million people have an alcohol use disorder and approximately 88,000 people die annually from alcohol related causes. This makes alcohol the third-leading cause of death behind tobacco and poor diet and physical activity.
Alcohol use disorder is a chronic brain disease that is characterized by an individual’s inability to stop drinking alcohol despite certain consequences either professionally, socially, or physically.
Drunk Driving In Indiana
One of the major concerns when it comes to alcohol use is to drunk driving. Using alcohol and getting behind the wheel is a major hazard and is something that causes thousands of American lives each and every year.
The problem is worse in Indiana than in many other states. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there were over 2200 people were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver in Indiana from 2003 to 2012.
In nearly every age range, the rate of death was higher in Indiana compared to the national rate.
While the issue is frightening, there are certain strategies that states and law enforcement can do to reduce drunk driving deaths across the state and country.
Some of these strategies include ignition interlocks, sobriety checkpoints, media campaigns, and more.
Ignition interlocks can be installed in cars to measure alcohol on a driver’s breath. The locks can keep the car from starting if the driver has a BAC above a certain level, normally 0.02%. These are generally used for people who have been convicted of drunk driving in the past. They are fairly effective at stopping repeated offenses.
Most people are aware of what sobriety checkpoints are. They are used at specific and highly visible locations and are used to look for and identify impaired drivers. Police officers can conduct sobriety tests and breath tests if they have a reason to believe that the driver is intoxicated or impaired in some way.
Mass media campaigns are a good way to spread the message on the statistics and the dangers of drunk driving. Whether it is billboards, commercials, or television segments, this type of messaging can be effective in persuading people not to drive after drinking.
Whether the problem is related to drugs or alcohol, people who are struggling with some sort of substance abuse issues are in danger of serious physical and mental harm.
Luckily, for those who are dealing with these problems, there are many organizations in place that can help someone overcome these certain substance abuse issues. For example, an Indiana rehabilitation center, such as Landmark Recovery, can provide your loved one with the support they need to overcome addiction and substance abuse.
Treatment Centers In Indiana
Drug rehabs in Indiana as well as alcohol treatment centers throughout the state can be an effective way to help someone who has a problem related to substance abuse.
Drug and alcohol treatment facilities in the state can help lead to the rehabilitation of Indiana citizens and residents. These alcohol and drug rehabilitation facilities in Indiana and around the country have the same overall goal: to help patients achieve long-term sobriety, but many of these Indiana recovery centers go about this in different ways.
With that said, there are normally a few consistent aspects of drug and alcohol treatment, including:
- Medication detoxification
- Residential, or inpatient, treatment
- Outpatient services
These three services are the main components of drug and alcohol rehab. Let’s dive a little deeper and learn more about each of these individually.
Medical Detoxification
Medically supervised detoxification is one of the most important parts of treatment and happens at the beginning of the recovery process. For detox, patients will be medically supervised as they deal with moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms associated with abstinence of alcohol, opioids, and sedatives.
The goal of detox is not only to help the patient safely come to sobriety but also prepare the patient for the upcoming features of inpatient treatment.
Inpatient Treatment
Inpatient, or residential, treatment is used by recovery centers in Indiana, and across the nation to help those who are dealing with serious substance abuse problems. In a residential program, patients will be monitored around the clock during their treatment and will be exposed to a number of different types of therapies and counseling sessions to help learn about addiction and strategies that encourage long-term sobriety.
Therapy and counseling sessions happen in both one-on-one and group settings to help patients not only learn from a clinician individually but learn from others after hearing their stories. Some of the common forms of therapy include cognitive behavioral therapy and family therapy.
Outpatient Services
Following someone’s stay in an inpatient facility, they will likely be given a discharge plan that includes some type of outpatient services. Those enrolled in an outpatient services program will be exposed to therapy and counseling programs multiple times a week. The specifics on what type of therapy and how often patients will be go through these programs depends on a patient’s specific situation. However, the goal of outpatient treatment remains the same: continue to provide support for patients that encourages long-term sobriety. Outpatient treatment also allows patients to adjust to post-inpatient life and independent living once again while continuing treatment.
Landmark Recovery In Indiana
Landmark Recovery is a premiere drug and alcohol rehab in Indiana. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality care to Indianapolis, Carmel, and other Indiana residents. At Landmark, we utilize a few specific programs that other organizations may not use to help our patients overcome addiction and achieve long-term sobriety.
At Landmark, we have certain medication-assisted treatment programs in place to help but these programs are entirely dependent upon a patient’s specific situation. The two types of MAT that Landmark uses Vivitrol and Suboxone to help patients taper off their respective substance problems and help with cravings and urges.
Along with MAT, Landmark also takes an evidence-based and holistic approach to recovery and uses treatment programs including cognitive behavioral therapy, SMART recovery, and IOP programs to help patients learn about addiction and develop strategies that are conducive with long-term sobriety.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective and commonly used forms of therapy in treatment. For this type of therapy, counselors will work with patients to identify triggers and work to change a patient’s thought processes to react differently when exposed to this type of stimuli.
Overall, Landmark Recovery in Carmel, Indiana is a state-of-the-art facility staffed by professionals that can help you or your loved one overcome whatever type of substance abuse problem that they may be dealing with. Landmark is committed to providing advanced treatment services to Carmel, Indianapolis, and Indiana residents.
Next Steps
If you or a loved one is looking for a substance abuse treatment facility or for drug rehabilitation, Indiana has a number of treatment providers that can help you. Landmark Recovery is one treatment organization and one of the drug rehabs in Indiana that is dedicated to helping patients who are dealing with substance abuse problems. If you are interested in learning more about Landmark Recovery, you can reach out to our admissions team today or visit our website.
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