New Haven Addiction Treatment Resources
The coastal city of New Haven, Connecticut, has a population of approximately 130,000 people, making it the second largest city in the state. New Haven is home to the prestigious Yale University, but as with many large cities, it also deals with drug use and overdoses associated with that use.
In August of 2018, for example, the New Haven Police Department responded to a multi-casualty incident where more than 70 people, in a park near Yale University, overdosed on synthetic marijuana laced with fentanyl, otherwise known as K2. Although there were no deaths, at least two of the victims “sustained life-threatening symptoms.”
Misuse of alcohol, K2, fentanyl, heroin and more exists in New Haven, and institutions must work to combat the ever-growing substance use disorders in the area.
As reported in The Middletown Press in May of 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that in the state of Connecticut, there were 3,090 hospital emergency room visits for suspected drug overdoses between January and April. In New Haven County alone, there were 907 emergency room visits for suspected drug overdoses.
The Human Services Committee in New Haven approved a resolution on drug addiction being a disease rather than something to be criminalized. The resolution included an action plan to recognize addiction as a chronic illness.
How and Why to Get Help Dealing With Addiction
What does it mean to misuse drugs? It means that there is a deliberate decision to use alcohol, an illegal drug or a prescription drug in an unsafe way. Abusing drugs can lead to a substance use disorder. When one becomes addicted to a drug, he or she loses control over being able to stop taking the drug.
There are three ways a person can become addicted to a drug. There can be a physical addiction where a person is physically dependent on the drug, and if the person stops using the drug, there may be withdrawal symptoms. For example, someone addicted to heroin experiences such symptoms as vomiting, diarrhea, cold flashes, muscle and bone pain, insomnia and more if the drug is not put back into the body. These withdrawal symptoms can last as much as 48 hours or more if no heroin is used. For people who repeatedly use heroin, a condition known as heroin use disorder can result, which is a challenging condition to address.
There can be psychological addiction, too. Here, a person’s mind is consumed with wanting the drug so much that he or she feels negative emotionally when he or she stops using the drug. Addiction to a drug is indeed a brain disorder. When one is consumed with doing everything possible to get that next fix, that’s a psychological addiction.
One can also be both physically and psychologically dependent on a drug. If you are a heroin addict who feels physically sick if you don’t have the drug and who can’t stop thinking about it after your last fix, you are physically and psychologically dependent on the heroin.
Maybe you have a loved one who you suspect may be misusing drugs. How does a person’s life change when they are addicted to a drug? They may take more and more of the drug to get the fix they want. They may think about nothing else but getting the substance after every fix. They may be so desperate for money to obtain the drug that they get involved in criminal activity, such as stealing, to pay for the drug. In addition, they may become a person who wants nothing to do with family, friends, school, work or hobbies with a focus solely on getting the drug. Their circle of friends may have changed to nothing but fellow drug users and dealers.
Because drug addiction is so physically and mentally addictive, it’s essential to get professional help to treat the addiction. If an addicted individual is too deep into drug use to help themselves, a friend or a loved one may seek help with the hope that their loved one consents.
Types of Treatment Available Near New Haven
When a person is receiving treatment for drug addiction, that treatment can take on various forms, and these methods of treatment continue to improve and evolve. No longer are there just one or two ways to treat drug addiction.
Most treatment programs begin with detoxification with professional and medically managed withdrawal. If you are addicted to fentanyl, for example, the goal is to withdraw you from the drug as the first step. However, successful detox doesn’t address the other essential factors of drug addiction. Therefore, after detox, other crucial steps are taken to address social, psychological and behavioral problems associated with the addiction.
- Short-term residential treatment: This consists of an intensive but brief form of therapy. For example, a monthlong course of therapy in a hospital setting would be considered short term.
- Long-term residential treatment: These mainly occur outside of hospital settings with 24/7 treatment in a residential treatment facility. Stays are typically anywhere from 90 days to 12 months. Long-term treatment is comprehensive and includes helping a patient socially and psychologically. A person learns coping mechanisms along with how to end destructive behaviors and how to rejoin society productively. Professionals are often former drug users themselves who have devoted their careers to helping those with drug addiction.
- Outpatient program: These programs are less costly than short-term residential and long-term residential programs and are especially suited for people who have jobs, for instance, that they cannot leave to get treatment. The effectiveness of such programs will depend on the program.
- Individualized drug counseling: This is one-on-one counseling with a professional to help with the addiction. The expert will encourage things like following the 12 steps as well as provide referrals for medications, psychiatric evaluations and other services.
- Addiction therapy: Group therapy involves multiple people suffering from the same condition and is led by one or more professionals. Often, it is used in conjunction with individualized treatment.
In Connecticut, “substance-related and addictive disorders” represent the most significant number of people in treatment-related programs. In fact, 43.8% of all people in treatment-related programs are in for substance-related and addictive disorders.
In New Haven, addiction treatment facilities are available to help with misuse of heroin, cocaine, marijuana, meth, fentanyl, Vicodin, Adderall and more.
Granite Recovery Centers
Two places you’ll want to consider are Green Mountain Treatment Center and New Freedom Academy, which are two centers managed by Granite Recovery Centers. Green Mountain Treatment Center and New Freedom Academy are located in New Hampshire a little over two hours from New Haven, Connecticut. Granite Recovery Centers accepts insurance for stays that are typically from 30 to 90 days.
Green Mountain Treatment Center
This facility is Granite Recovery Centers’ flagship primary residential drug treatment center with gorgeous views of the mountains and lakes in New Hampshire.
It is a drug rehab facility for both men and women who are 18 years old and over. The serene location of the center is a place to not only receive treatment but also heal in a safe, beautiful, soothing and secluded setting.
The program includes a 12-step approach as well as medical detox, individualized treatment programs and holistic therapies such as yoga, meditation, gym work and more. Granite Recovery Centers provides medical detoxification for people who do not need immediate medical intervention, are not a danger to themselves, and are capable of self-evacuation in the event of an emergency.
New Freedom Academy
This center is a medication-assisted addiction treatment facility. It is nestled among the rolling countryside of New Hampshire on 17 private acres. Here, patients benefit from a private and picturesque setting for treatment.
The center is a 20-bed facility ideal for clients who prefer a small, intimate setting rather than a larger rehab center. Licensed clinicians and therapists are there to offer support to clients. The center provides medication-assisted treatment, one-on-one therapy, treatment for mental disorders, holistic therapies, cognitive behavioral therapy and more.
It is essential to seek help for drug and alcohol addiction to guide you into a life without dependency. With the proper care, you can overcome your addiction and reclaim your life.