Holyoke Addiction Treatment Resources
Holyoke, Massachusetts, is a dynamic city. It was the first fully planned industrial community in the country, and the city’s history of engineering machinery is on display in its museums. Holyoke is home to a number of historical sites and recreational destinations and has the fame of being the birthplace of volleyball.
However, like many other cities in the great state of Massachusetts, Holyoke is battling widespread substance use and addiction issues. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, there were 14 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2018. There has been a steady increase in the number of opioid deaths the city has seen since 2015.
This reflects a trend throughout Massachusetts. A report released in November 2019 showed that between January and September of that year, acute opioid-related visits to the emergency department averaged around 379.2 out of every 100,000 emergency department visits. For heroin, the number was 126.4 out of every 100,000 visits.
The Drug Epidemic in Massachusetts
The impact that drugs and alcohol are having on the community of Holyoke can be readily perceived through news reports. In late November 2019, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reported on “Operation Open Air.” This was a major raid designed to target opioid distribution in the area. The result of the raid was 42 people being arrested. Commenting on the arrest, U.S. Attorney General Andrew E. Lelling said that the defendants were profiting from a crisis “that is killing about 2,000 Massachusetts residents each year.”
There are a number of individuals in Holyoke who are dealing with addiction themselves or who are seeing the effects of addiction on their friends and family. Shame or embarrassment may force a person to want to stay quiet about the struggles that they have. They may worry that their friends, family members or community will judge them.
However, when you look at the statistics shown above, you can clearly see that many people in the community are battling with substance use disorders. There is no reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed. Now is the time to take action and get help for yourself or for those you love.
What Do Substance Use Disorders Look like?
The first step in getting help for a substance use disorder is recognizing that there is a problem. How do you know if you or someone you love truly needs help with a substance use disorder? The three most common symptoms of a use disorder include:
- Needing more of the substance over time to achieve the same effect
- Not being able to quit even when you know the substance use is affecting your life negatively
Withdrawal Symptoms
Use disorders can range in severity from mild to severe depending on the number of symptoms a person exhibits. It is common for a person with a substance use disorder to use drugs or alcohol in unsafe situations, such as while at work or behind the wheel. They may fall behind at work, slack off on responsibilities and spend a lot of time and money trying to obtain the substance.
One of the more devastating effects of substance use disorders is that they can affect a person’s view of themselves and their personal integrity. This is because when a person is addicted to a substance, they may be willing to compromise their personal integrity and engage in behaviors that they would normally view as repugnant in an attempt to get the substance they are using.
Why Do People Say That Substance Addiction Is a Disease?
The term “drug addiction” is not being used as frequently in the professional environment. It has been replaced with “substance use disorder.” This is because researchers now understand that this is a disease that affects a person’s brain and their behavior and causes them to lose control of their use of a drug or medication. When a person is battling substance use, they will continue to use a drug regardless of the harm it causes.
The risk of dependency and how quickly a person becomes dependent on a substance varies by the drug being used. Opioid painkillers typically cause addiction more quickly than other drugs. Different substances produce unique symptoms of intoxication. For example:
- Marijuana or other substances that contain cannabis can create a sense of euphoria. A person might have a heightened visual, auditory or taste perception. Their heart rate may increase. They may have red eyes, slowed reaction times and decreased coordination.
- K2, Spice or bath salts will also create a sense of euphoria. They may lead to hallucinations, paranoia, an increased heart rate or blood pressure and, in some cases, even heart attacks. Users may experience altered visual, auditory and taste perceptions. Vomiting and confusion often ensue.
- Barbiturates may lead to slowed speech, memory problems, a lack of ambition, dizziness and a lack of coordination. It is not uncommon for a person on barbiturates to have difficulty thinking clearly or rapid changes in mood.
- Stimulants like cocaine and meth may give a person a sensation of exhilaration and confidence. Users may be hyper-alert and have dilated pupils, rapid speech, behavior fluctuations, impaired judgment and insomnia.
Parents, friends and family members may notice that someone they care about is exhibiting some of the above-mentioned symptoms. In good faith, they try to approach their loved one about their substance use and are often met with scorn, disdain and denial. In some cases, an intervention may help a person understand the consequences of their substance use and lead them to accept help or treatment.
Substance use or addiction happens when there is a physical change in the brain after repeated use of the substance. The way the brain processes pleasure changes. The changes to the neurons and neurotransmitters can remain long after a person stops using a drug.
Understanding substance use disorder as a disease as opposed to a weakness of character changes the way many people see treatment. If a person was diagnosed with any disease, like diabetes, cancer, lupus or glaucoma, the first thing they would do is get help from a professional. They realize that willpower is not going to make cancer disappear. However, help from a professional might.
The exact same principle applies to substance use disorders. It is difficult, if not impossible, for a person to cure themselves on their own, just like it’s difficult, if not impossible, for a person to perform surgery on themselves. However, with the right help, recovery is possible.
What Types of Treatments Are Available?
There are different types of substance use disorder treatment and prevention services available around Holyoke, Massachusetts. These can include the following:
- Acute treatment services: These are designed to help individuals who are in immediate need of detox. This treatment can be administered in a medically monitored environment. 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.
- Clinical support services: These offer a short-term residential program that is high-intensity. These programs are for individuals who do not need detox.
- Transitional support services: These offer residential support in a structured fashion and case management for individuals who have completed detox.
- Ambulatory treatment: This is outpatient counseling. This may include follow-up treatment for families or for individuals who are recovering from substance use disorders. Mental health education may be offered for those dealing with coexisting disorders.
- Residential rehabilitation: This may include a recovery home. This is a temporary residence for people over the age of 18 who are going through the first stages of substance abuse recovery. This is a home-like environment that allows recovering individuals to get individual or group counseling, vocational training and the support needed to go back to living an independent life.
- Recovery support centers: These provide the peer support needed to prevent relapse and help a person have a sustained recovery from substance use. The centers provide an environment to learn enhanced life skills and an opportunity to connect with others in the community.
Treatment may be provided in an inpatient or outpatient facility. At inpatient facilities, a patient stays at the facility. They may have access to 24-hour medical and emotional support as the programs last from between 28 days to six months. The programs are designed to treat serious addictions, and they provide a relief from distractions of everyday life.
Outpatient rehab facilities are where a patient lives in their own home but goes to treatment during the day. Outpatient treatment can be more affordable than inpatient treatment and allows a patient to keep a normal daily routine. These programs can last for three months or more than a year. They are good for people who have a mild addiction.
New Freedom Academy
Located in Canterbury, New Hampshire, and sitting on 17 private wooded acres, New Freedom Academy offers a peaceful and serene environment for medical-assisted addiction treatment. This is a 20-bed facility, so the staff-to-client ratio is very low. This means that guests at this facility have more interaction with and assistance from the staff than a person would get at a larger facility.
New Freedom Academy offers clinical psychotherapeutic support using:
- Motivational interviewing
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- One-on-one individual therapy
- Grief loss therapy
- Process groups
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
New Freedom Academy approaches healing with a holistic view. You need your heart and your mind to be well if you are going to recover fully. This is why the staff offers a mixture of physical exercise, meditation and yoga. These are designed to boost endorphins, increase self-confidence and reduce stress.
Some of the features that make this recovery center stand out include:
- Access to off-site family recovery workshops
- Delicious meals prepared by chefs who focus on nutrition
- Gender-separate living accommodations
- Medically assisted treatment
Green Mountain Treatment Center
With a breathtaking view of New Hampshire’s White Mountains and the lakes in the region, Green Mountain Treatment Center has a beautiful landscape, apple orchards and fresh mountain air. This is the perfect therapeutic environment for healing and recovery.
Here, recovery is not viewed as an ongoing process but instead a goal that can be attained. More is needed than just breaking free from substance use. Green Mountain Treatment Center focuses on helping guests get to the root cause of their addiction and then treat those causes in a clinical setting.
A lot of work is done via the 12-step program that is integrated in each stage of the substance use treatment. Clients are able to discover who they truly are, come face-to-face with the reason for their substance use and then learn to change their life in a way that allows them to reach their potential.
Some of the features of Green Mountain Treatment Center include:
- On-campus medical detox
- Comprehensive 12-step program
- Yoga and meditation
- On-site gym
- Meals prepared by chefs
- Gender-separate programs
- Evidence-based clinical treatment
If you or someone you love is working through the realities of substance use disorder, it is important that you take the time to consider the treatment options that are available. This means being open and honest about the addiction that you or the person you love is dealing with. Next, you must take the steps to seek professional care. This will provide you and your loved ones the best chance of living a life free from a substance use disorder.
