Warwick Addiction Treatment Resources

Warwick, Rhode Island’s second-largest city, was settled in 1642 by Samuel Gorton. It was known as Shawomet. Despite the city’s historic roots, modern problems such as substance use disorder are prevalent. Drug addiction and mental illness do not discriminate. These conditions can impact someone living in rural America as well as in industrialized cities.

Substance use disorder does impact people living in this Rhode Island city. If you have noticed that using alcohol or drugs has increasingly caused problems or you are unable to stop, you may need help. Individuals who have noticed negative changes in their mental health should also consider seeking help. Centers such as New Freedom Academy and Green Mountain Treatment Center are ready to help.

Here is some information about why getting treatment is important, the kind of treatment that is available near Warwick, and the types of treatment that are accessible to you.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Warwick

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States is currently experiencing a drug overdose epidemic. From 1999 to 2017, an estimated 702,000 Americans died from a drug overdose. In 2017, 68% of those deaths were related to an opioid. Today, the CDC estimates that 130 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose.

In terms of Warwick and Rhode Island, the statistics are startling. The data from 2015 shows that Rhode Island ranked fifth in the United States in drug overdose deaths. West Virginia was first with 41.5 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by New Hampshire, Kentucky, and Ohio. Rhode Island had 28.2 overdose deaths per 100,000 people.

In Kent County, where Warwick is, there were 132 visits to an emergency room due to an opioid-related overdose in 2016. The year 2017 saw 175 ER visits in Warwick, and 2018 had 129. Of those who visited the emergency room in Kent County, 56% were 35 years old or younger, 34% were between the ages of 35-54, and 10% were 55 or older. In the city of Warwick, 76% of these patients were male.

Even though there was a high number of emergency room visits in Warwick, 67% of patients were discharged. Only 4% did not survive, and 3% were admitted to an inpatient or a detox program.

The number of accidental deaths due to an overdose has gone up and down for Warwick residents. In 2009, there were 28 such deaths. This number dropped to 26 in 2010. The year 2013 saw 46 deaths, and 2018 had 47.

Although Warwick has a higher-than-average household income and low poverty rate, substance addiction, abuse, and overdose do happen here and can happen to anyone.

How Did the Epidemic Come to Be?

The CDC estimates that the opioid overdose epidemic came to be in three waves. Some medical professionals and researchers are estimating that the first wave began in 1990 when there was an increase in prescription opioids that included natural and semisynthetic as well as methadone.

The second wave took place in the 2010s that saw an increase in the incidences involving heroin. At that time, medical professionals did not understand the relationship between the increase in car crashes and opioid prescriptions. It was believed that fatalities were caused simply because people were trending toward using heroin. What the medical professionals are realizing today is that the prescription of opioids was leading to the increased use in heroin.

Surveys show that from 2002 to 2012, someone was 19 times more likely to use heroin if they had been prescribed a nonmedical pain reliever at some point compared to those who had not used a nonmedical pain reliever. The three main sources of those prescription opioids were family, friends, and personal prescriptions. A study from 2008 and 2009 showed that 86% of injection drug users had used an opioid pain reliever for nonmedical reasons. That is in stark contrast to the 1960s when people used heroin first. Over 80% of those who abused prescription opioids in the 60s abused heroin first.

The year 2013 began the third wave of the opioid epidemic. This is when the medical community noticed an alarming increase in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids as well as those involving illicitly manufactured fentanyl, or IMF. The United States government is currently attempting to figure out how to deal with fentanyl, especially because it can now be found in heroin, counterfeit pills, and cocaine. In 2016, overdose deaths due to fentanyl surpassed deaths due to prescription opioids.

The good news is that all the information that the medical community has gathered has led to a better understanding of what each patient may be dealing with when they check in to a treatment program or facility.

The Role of Alcohol

While some might say that drinking is not that big of a deal, alcohol abuse can happen to anyone. It can happen after the first drink for some, or it can happen after several years for others. For the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 86.3% of respondents age 18 or older reported that they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime.

Binge drinking and heavy alcohol use are on the rise. In the same 2018 survey, 26.45% of respondents 18 years of age or older reported that they engaged in binge drinking in the past month, and 6.6% reported that they engaged in heavy alcohol use in the past month. On an annual basis, it is estimated that 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes. Underage drinking was also exposed in the survey; 29.8% of 15-year-olds revealed that they had already consumed at least one drink in their lives.

If you or a loved one is experiencing a drinking or drug abuse issue, it’s never too late to ask for help.

Why You Should Seek Treatment

No matter how long you have been using alcohol and drugs, you can recover. You don’t have to lose everything before you decide to get help.

In treatment, you have the time and space to learn more about substance use disorder. Using substances can be detrimental to your health, and sometimes spending time at a treatment center is necessary to regain good health and begin recovery. It can take a while for the mind to clear after using alcohol or drugs for a period of time. A recovery program is a safe space where you can learn about yourself and why you turned to alcohol and drugs.

Types of Available Treatment

While the addiction, overdose, and substance abuse numbers are alarming, the medical community is mobilizing to help at an increasing rate. Now that they are more educated on the subject, they are developing programs that are geared to target the sources. In Rhode Island, you have the option to enter into a public or private rehabilitation center. No matter what center you end up getting help from, the stages are the same.

Every center has to assess what is happening to you. They have to determine why you are feeling your symptoms. The team also needs to know your medical history and what medications you are taking, including drugs that were not prescribed to you.

Detox is an important step to getting better. Sometimes, medical intervention is necessary for a person to safely stop using alcohol and certain drugs. Treatment is provided once you have been stabilized.

The two main types of treatment are outpatient and residential. The ultimate goal of any treatment program is to ensure you are going to be able to get back on your feet. At most programs, the staff has the ability to provide:

• Counseling
• Vocational support
• Medications

There is a variety of treatment programs available. Drug and alcohol treatments are not one-size-fits-all solutions. A medical professional will first look at what your substance of choice was, what triggered it, and if there is anything else contributing to your condition. Depending on your circumstances, some things to consider when looking for a treatment facility are:

• 12-step-centered curriculums
• Medication-assisted treatment
• Meditation and yoga
• Process groups
• Treatment for co-occurring mental disorders

Private rehabilitation centers such as Green Mountain Treatment Center and New Freedom Academy offer a range of services designed to help those with substance use disorder to recover. They offer advantages over public treatment centers, such as:

• Low bed counts
• More amenities
• Long-term programs
• Low patient-to-staff ratio
• Array of treatments
• Around-the-clock staff

Finding Treatment Near Warwick

Two rehabilitation centers you can consider checking into are Green Mountain Treatment Center and New Freedom Academy.

At Green Mountain Treatment Center and New Freedom Academy, clients will receive clinical psychotherapeutic support and holistic therapies. When dealing with substance use disorder, it is important to offer individualized treatment plans specifically designed to fit the client’s needs.

Green Mountain Treatment Center offers:

• Medical detox
• Gender-separate programs and accommodations
• Evidence-based clinical treatment
• Nutritious, chef-prepared meals
• On-site gym
• Transportation as needed

The center is situated in Effingham, NH. It is a serene, panoramic, and secluded treatment center near New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Fresh air, therapeutic backdrops, and rolling hills are just some of the reasons why rehabilitating here is beneficial.

At New Freedom Academy, you will find a number of amenities, like:

• 24/7 on-site medical staff
• Workshops and educational programs
• Access to weekly off-site family recovery workshops

New Freedom Academy is located in Canterbury, NH. The property sits on 17 acres of secluded land. Licensed clinicians offer clinical psychotherapeutic support that consists of workshops such as motivational interviewing, one-on-one individual therapy, and loss therapy. Those who are going to return to the environment that caused the addiction in the first place are given the tools to deal with the triggers.

Some individuals may feel like they are falling through the cracks. If you are one of those individuals, it is important to know that getting help is easier than ever. There are treatments and programs available that offer solutions.