Chicopee Addiction Treatment Services

Chicopee, MA is a large city in Western Massachusetts and was home to multiple industries, most notably the bicycle industry. Today it remains home to a service economy including several Polish-American businesses, the Chemex Corporation, and Calloway Golf, which produces more than 5 million golfballs a year.

Western Massachusetts is facing great difficulty with the current opioid epidemic despite concerted efforts to combat it through public health operatives and educational means. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, at least 31 people died from overdose in Chicopee in 2018, doubling from 2017. Statistics from 2019 are still being reviewed by the office of the chief medical examiner. The figure from 2018 is the highest number of confirmed overdose deaths in Chicopee since 2013, with the second highest number of deaths being recorded in 2016 at 26.

Drug Rehab Center near Chicopee

Sadly, the trend seen in Chicopee reflects what is seen throughout Massachusetts as a whole. In 2019, there were 2,015 confirmed opiate-related overdose deaths throughout the state. State government, local government and community organizations are working together to try to assist those dealing with the fallout of the opiate epidemic. Narcan is being used as a way of saving the lives of people who are caught in the wake of the opioid epidemic.

State officials say that around 500 people died from opiate-related overdose in just the first three months of 2019. This equates to more than five people dying throughout Massachusetts every day. Sadly, many of those lost were from Chicopee.

Recognizing the signs of addiction and seeking treatment are the first steps toward saving the lives of those who struggle with substance use disorder.

What Are the Symptoms of Substance Use Disorder?

Many of the residents of Chicopee likely know firsthand the symptoms of substance use disorder. It is a disease that negatively impacts a person’s brain and their behavior. A result of the disease is an inability to control the use of legal or illegal drugs or prescription medication. This could include the use of alcohol, marijuana and nicotine.

When a person is addicted, they may continue to use the drug in spite of the damage it is doing to them physically, to their relationships with others and to their employment. Drug addiction may start when a person chooses to experiment recreationally with drugs. For others, it is the result of receiving prescription medication from a doctor or using medications that were prescribed for a friend or family member.

According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the symptoms of drug addiction may include:

• Feeling the need to use drugs regularly, possibly multiple times a day
• Experiencing an intense desire to use drugs that overrides all other thoughts
• Taking higher dosages of drugs and using the drugs for a longer period of time than prescribed
• Spending money on drugs even when you cannot afford it
• Ignoring friends, family, work obligations and school because of drug use
• Compromising personal integrity in order to get drugs, including stealing, using violence, etc.
• Spending a large portion of your time working to get the drug, using the drug or recovering from the drug’s effects
• Trying to stop using the drug but repeatedly failing
• Feeling symptoms of withdrawal when you attempt to stop using the drug

You may be able to recognize unhealthy symptoms of substance use disorder in friends or family members. Some parents may mistakenly confuse their teenager’s substance use as normal teenage moodiness, however. It is important for parents to be aware of symptoms that indicate that what their teenager is going through is not just moodiness but signals a larger issue.

Some of these symptoms could include:

• Neglected appearance
• Change in behavior
• Unexplained money issues
• Problems at school or work
• Physical issues

The symptoms of substance use disorder will vary depending on the substance that is being used. People battling with substance use disorder often deny that they have a problem. They may be reluctant to get treatment. Friends and family members may be able to play a role in helping their loved one get the help that they need.

How to Get Help

One of the biggest mistakes a person battling substance use disorder can make is feeling that they are going to be able to get through their situation on their own. Many addicted individuals mistakenly believe that if they have the willpower or if they have a strong character, they will be able to break free from the substance on their own.

However, the truth is that developing an addiction or dependency to drugs is not a character flaw, nor does it indicate weakness. Addiction is a disease. In the same way that a person with cancer, diabetes or a heart condition cannot will themselves to be healthy, a person battling with addiction usually cannot get better by sheer will power alone.

Once a person uses prescription drugs or an illegal substance, they are changing the way their brain is hardwired. This change leads to powerful cravings and a compulsion to use drugs or alcohol that can make sobriety appear like an impossible goal.

However, no matter how challenging the situation may seem, no matter how out of reach the goal may look and no matter how many times a person has tried and failed, with the right amount of support and treatment, recovery is possible.

For many people who are battling with addiction, the first step is the most challenging. It is admitting that they have a problem and then making the decision to change. If you are uncertain about whether you need rehab or whether you have what is necessary to quit whatever substance you are using or misusing, you should know that the feelings of uncertainty you have are normal.

It’s okay to feel pulled in multiple directions. This is because deciding to be sober means that you have to change a number of things about yourself that may have become core parts of your personality. Some of these things include:

• Your approach to stress
• How you manage your free time
• The way you view yourself
• The people you choose to associate with
• The medications you take, either prescription or over the counter

These are not easy changes to make on your own. You may not know where to start. This is where having the assistance of caring professionals is beneficial. Recovery takes time and motivation, but most importantly, it takes a strong support system. Rest assured that with the right support system, you can overcome addiction and get control of your life.

Types of Treatment Options

Massachusetts and the surrounding states have a variety of substance addiction services available to help the community. Some of the services available to Chicopee residents include:

• Prevention Services: These services help residents of all ages throughout the community. The focus is helping those who are at high risk to avoid addictive substances. Many Massachusetts prevention services work in conjunction with other services within the community.
• Youth Intervention Services: In Massachusetts, the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services has two youth intervention programs. These programs have been created to provide assistance to young people who have already started using substances and engaging in risky behavior. These programs have street outreach activities and youth organizing.
• Transitional Support Services: These are short-term services that offer a place for clients to stay who need a drug-free and safe environment to recover in once they have gone through detox. These programs serve as an in-between point for those who need acute treatment and residential rehabilitation.
• Residential Treatment: Residential treatment programs are available in Massachusetts for those who need help for more than 30 days. Usually, guests in these treatment facilities have stopped using alcohol and drugs recently; they are now medically stabilized and can participate in structured residential treatment programs.
• Ambulatory Services: These are substance use disorder rehabilitation services that have a community-based setting. Clients are given scheduled appointments that allow them to receive counseling and treatment. This could include outpatient counseling, day treatment, acupuncture services, compulsive gambling services or opiate treatment.
• Aftercare/Recovery Support: The rehabilitation process does not end just because a person leaves the rehab center. Long-term recovery depends on having a support system and an accountability system once rehab has finished. The aftercare support services offered in Massachusetts link individuals to communities, education and employment that can help them stabilize themselves.
• Homeless Services: Homeless services in Massachusetts provide help to those with alcohol and drug problems who are homeless. Many of these services are offered within a homeless shelter. For example, Substance Abuse Shelters facilities have a number of stabilization beds for shelter residents who are battling with substance use disorder and clearly show that they want to be substance free.

Granite Recovery Centers

Green Mountain Treatment Center offers breathtaking views of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. This is the primary residential drug rehab facility of Granite Recovery. It is designed to help men and women who are 18 years of age and older. Its scenic surrounding is the perfect atmosphere for therapeutic relief and recovery from substance use disorder. 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.

Green Mountain Treatment Center offers gender-separate, evidence-based clinical therapies. Our goal is to help our guests move on to living a life of long-term recovery. To do this, we realize that more than just not using a substance is needed. The root causes of addiction must be identified, examined and treated. We accomplish this through a 12-step program that encourages you to heal emotionally and look inward to find results, and the work we do is combined with clinical psychotherapies. Our program builds a solid foundation that leads to lasting recovery.

New Freedom Academy is situated in the countryside of Canterbury, New Hampshire, less than 150 miles from Chicopee. Our facility sits on 17 private wooded acres. Here, we have a low client-to-clinician ratio. This allows us to offer our clients a more intimate setting than what they would find at a larger treatment center. Our clinicians and therapist provide:

• One-on-one therapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Grief and loss therapy
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Motivational interviewing
• Treatment for co-occurring mental disorders

We take a holistic approach to the treatment we offer. We know that long-term recovery requires the healing of the whole person. This includes the body, mind and spirit. Our rehab program includes physical exercise, meditation and yoga. When you engage in physical exercise, your endorphins increase, your stress is reduced, your self-confidence is built, and you have an overall better level of mental health that aids in recovery.

In addition to meditation and yoga, at New Freedom Academy, you will find:

• Onsite medical staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• Meals prepared by a chef for nutrition and taste
• Gender-separate living conditions
• Workshops and educational programs
• Activities like mini-golf, paintball and bowling
• Evidence-based treatment for addiction and co-occurring disorders

We believe that recovery from substance use disorder is possible. It takes motivation, hard work and a strong network of knowledgeable and caring professionals. You owe it to yourself to learn more about the options available for recovery in our area so that you can get back to living the quality of life you deserve.