Although drug use in Pennsylvania is below the national average, Government figures show that each month around 7% of PA residents abuse drugs. Problem drug use seems to be more of an issue though, as there are more drug-related deaths in Pennsylvania than the US average and you are more likely to die in the state from an overdose than from involvement in a road traffic accident. If you are one of PA’s illicit drug users who has a problem with drug dependency or addiction, you are most likely to enter a drug rehab program due to heroin abuse, though marijuana, prescription opiates and cocaine abuse also contribute to a significant number of treatment admissions.
While the triggers for drug taking are often very personal, financial difficulties can place you under significant strain and can contribute to drug abuse if you use these addictive substances to help you forget your money troubles or you self-medicate to manage problems with stress, anxiety or depression. Living in Pennsylvania does place you at higher risk of financial problems, as although the average income for families here is around $65,000, 13.7% of residents live in poverty. Indeed, a report in 2011 placed Reading PA as the most deprived city in the US and high unemployment rates around Philadelphia, Chester and Haverford PA do not help matters.
Whether concerns about money or another problem entirely has contributed to your drug abuse, Steps to Recovery can help you. We offer a range of drug recovery programs in Pennsylvania, so wherever you live you won’t need to travel far to reach treatment that will allow you to leave your old habits behind you.
Avoiding Problems Associated with Drug Addiction
Although you may see smoking cannabis or taking higher doses of your prescription painkillers to achieve positive feelings as harmless, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Using any drug recreationally can lead to substance dependency and addiction, which not only puts your health at risk, but has the potential to wreck your life in more ways than you can imagine. Seeking drug treatment before you become addicted is the best way to avoid the dangers of substance misuse, but even if you do become hooked, seeking help from a drug recovery center Pennsylvania can help you to detox and rehabilitate so you can escape its grip and potential destruction.
It isn’t just a fatal heroin overdose that you need to worry about, as you can also overdose on prescription opiates, cocaine, crystal meth, amphetamines and most other illicit drugs. Beyond the danger of overdosing, drug abuse can cause other immediate risks to your health. For instance, stimulants like coke, speed and ecstasy speed up your heart rate significantly and leave you at risk of a heart attack. Equally, just injecting drugs once using contaminated needles can lead to an infection of HIV or hepatitis B. The longer-term risks of drug taking include organ damage, so smoking crack or marijuana can harm your lungs, while any opiate can lead to liver damage. It is important not to forget the impact of drug misuse on your mental well-being either. For example, taking drugs might initially give you a high, but when you come down from their effects you are likely to feel low and anxious, and chronic use of hallucinogens can make you more vulnerable to developing serious problems with your mental health.
Even if you do escape the physical and mental consequences of drug abuse, you are likely to feel its effects in other areas of your life. It becomes far harder for you to complete your studies once under the hold of drugs, so you may find that your grades suffer or you need to repeat a year if you need to take so much time off; some students even find that they drop out altogether, as they lose interest in their course or fall too far behind. Alternatively, if you are working it can become increasingly difficult to hold down a job when dependent on drugs. You will probably see your motivation and productivity take a nose dive and with an increasing number of days absent you may be asked to leave. Your home life doesn’t escape the effects either. Your destructive habit can strain your relationship with those close to you, which is likely to worsen if your drug taking starts to impact on them too, such as running up debts to feed your habit or an inability to help at home. You may even find that you end up with a criminal record, either directly related to your drug misuse or as a consequence of your actions when high, such as getting into fights or drug driving.
Choosing a Drug Addiction Program PA
You may not initially see that your drug habit is causing you real problems and you may need the help of your family to show you its impact through an intervention, which Steps to Recovery can help your loved ones organize. However, once you acknowledge that your drug taking is a problem, you have taken the first step to getting clean. Recognizing that you need expert help to fight your addiction then allows you to explore the treatment options open to you. We offer a range of drug treatment facilities across Pennsylvania, so whatever substance you are dependent on and whatever style of program you are looking for, we can help you enroll on a course of drug addiction therapy that meets your needs.
Residential drug addiction treatment is probably the type of rehab that initially comes to mind, but you may wonder whether this program format is right for you. It is certainly ideal if you need an intensive course of addiction therapy, as may be the case if you have previously failed attempts at rehabilitation or you are a very heavy drug user. However, some people just like the thought of receiving therapy sessions on a daily basis, as this is most likely to help you quit your drug habit for the long-term. An inpatient stay is also recommended if you are struggling to cope at home, you have limited social support and there are too many temptations to abuse drugs in your home environment. You might worry though that during residential drug addiction treatment PA you may feel isolated, but this is far from the case, as you will receive support from our team of committed therapy staff whenever you need it, you will take part in group therapy and activities, and your loved ones are also easily able to visit you each week.
You may not be able to commit to an inpatient drug recovery program though due to your other responsibilities or you may simply feel that you do not need such intensive therapy and 24 hour support. If this is the case, outpatient drug addiction therapy may suit you better. This allows you to continue living in your own home and attend for counseling sessions throughout the week. However, as these therapy sessions are not daily and only take up part of your day, it is still possible to see to your other commitments, making outpatient care a more flexible treatment approach. An alternative to outpatient therapy is partial hospitalization, which involves daily counseling sessions but is non-residential. This is attractive to anyone who still wants to receive therapy on a daily basis, but doesn’t want to stay in for treatment. While this latter approach does require you to travel to a drug recovery center PA each day, the location of our addiction treatment facilities across Pennsylvania makes this practical.
Addiction Therapy to Promote Positive Outcomes
If you are wondering why Steps to Recovery is able to help more of its clients to successfully kick their addictive habits for good, this is thanks to the approach to therapy that we adopt. You are more likely to avoid relapse through our Pennsylvania drug treatment programs, as we offer client-centered therapy that is based on scientific evidence and embraces a wide range of treatments known to help addicts succeed in their recovery. Tailoring therapy to your needs is important, as you are more likely to benefit from interventions that take your circumstances into account than generic programs of care that offer generalized treatment that may or may not be relevant to your situation. This is why we customize every client’s treatment program to their individual requirements. Then we make sure that all the therapies on offer are backed up by the results of clinical studies to give you the best chance of freeing yourself from drug dependency. By adopting a holistic approach to addiction treatment this also allows us to offer a diverse range of therapies to address all the areas of benefit to addicts in recovery. To top this all off, we also promise to support and encourage you every step of the way, which we feel is just as important as any addiction counseling or other therapy activities that you take part in.
Getting the Most Out of Drug Addiction Therapy
When you enroll at one of our drug addiction treatment facilities PA you will gain access to private, group and family therapy. Each style of counseling offers advantages to recovering addicts, which is why we offer all three styles and encourage you to participate fully in them. By opening up during one to one therapy your specialist addiction counselor can help you to get to the root of your drug abuse and help you understand why you started to take marijuana, heroin, cocaine, crystal meth or other addictive substances. Once this is clear you can then work together to develop a plan that will make sure that you don’t relapse when faced with the same problems, triggers and cravings. Then when you actively engage in group counseling this lets you take part in discussions with your peers on issues relevant to drug misuse and your recovery journey. If everyone contributes this brings lots of ideas together, which allows every client to benefit. The support you can give one another during group therapy is also invaluable during your time in addiction rehab. Lastly, family counseling sessions give you time to restore your bonds with family members, which substance dependency so often weakens. Rebuilding your connection with your loved ones is vital if you are to stay clean from drugs once you complete rehabilitation, as they will be there to offer backing and you know you can turn to them when you need help.
Addressing All Your Needs During Drug Rehab Pennsylvania
As your mental well-being is just as important as your physical health and welfare needs, we offer therapies to promote good mental wellness as part of our drug addiction rehabilitation in PA. This means that you are in a better position to complete therapy for drug abuse and then stay sober once you finish treatment. One way that we help to boost your mental health is through complementary therapies, as a diverse range of treatments from acupuncture to yoga are proven to enhance your mood and relieve anxieties.
If a shortage of skills is standing in your way of securing work, we can help you build on these while you complete one of our drug recovery programs. You will pick up transferrable skills, such as speaking confidently, listening to others and working as a team, through attending therapy sessions and all of these are valued in the workplace. However, if you are unsure about filling out job applications, putting together a CV or how to shine at an interview, we can offer you pointers on these areas and more. Skills development extends beyond those needed for the world of work, so even if you need guidance on cooking and household chores, you’ll get practice at these during a residential stay. When you leave a drug addiction facility PA with the skills you need to succeed, this is another way you can reduce your risk of relapse.
We will also show you the value of leisure activities and exercise when you take part in an inpatient drug treatment program with us. By factoring these activities into your schedule, you will see how positive recreational pursuits can be used for stress relief, forming friendships and enjoying yourself, so there is no need to turn back to cannabis, opiate, crack, amphetamines or any other destructive substance. Equally, keeping physically active can boost your physical and mental wellness, and by adopting healthy habits you are also less likely to resume drug taking following a successful stay in rehab.
Support and Charities Pennsylvania
- Depaul House: 5725 Sprague Street, Philadelphia, PA 19138
- Christ Lutheran Community Church: 7240 Walnut Street, Upper Darby, PA 19082
- American Families United: 3331 Street Road, Bensalem, PA 19020
- The Center for Parenting Education: 1863 Old York Road, Suite B, Abington, PA 19001
- Haverford Township Adult School: 1105 Earlington Avenue, Havertown, PA 19083
