Boston Drug Rehab Treatment Centers

The role of Boston’s drug rehab and treatment centers 

The ongoing opioid crisis has hit Boston harder than many other major American cities. In the past decade, opioid-related deaths have reportedly skyrocketed with approximately two drug overdose fatalities occurring daily. Alcohol and prescription medication misuse has likewise remained a problem. These numbers are likely to have increased in the wake of the pandemic.

Boston drug rehab treatment centers have largely pivoted to meet the increase in demand. Critical rehab services continue to be available and some support group meetups and counseling services have become available online.

Despite some important services become more available online, drug rehab facilities in Boston remain crucial for delivering withdrawal management and residential treatments. Given the especially strong compulsive behavior that results from opioid and alcohol use, brick-and-mortar facilities where patients could be monitored remain an important part of Boston’s substance rehab infrastructure.

The role of rehab centers in Boston

For a growing number of Bostonians, the high relapse rates of short-term programs are an indication of the failure to rehabilitate individuals with substance use disorder.

Today, it’s more widely understood that treating substance misuse as a long-term public health issue rather than a short-term law enforcement or morality problem may be the key to addressing it. Drug distribution, crimes, and misuse continue to remain a problem despite city-wide law enforcement initiatives to stem the opioid epidemic.

Local officials are especially concerned that heroin users who do not access treatment early increase their risk of dying each day that they continue to use drugs. A knock-on effect of the opioid issue is the spread of drug-related illnesses such as Hepatitis C and HIV among intravenous heroin users.

As a result, rehab facilities have started to take on multiple responsibilities that go beyond their original scope. A more holistic approach to the different issues involved in substance use recovery is already starting to be commonplace in Massachusetts rehab centers. While detox and therapy remain the main focus in the Greater Boston Area, education is starting to become a more important role as well.

How substance treatment centers help Boston

Mitigating the opioid crisis may, in part, lie in educating more people about the dangers of opioid prescription medication that so often evolves into heroin use. Drug treatment centers in Boston have been involved in information campaigns to attempt to increase understanding of the risks of prescription medication in the public.

On the treatment side of things, patients diagnosed with opioid use disorder in Boston are now more likely to have options for more effective, longer-term treatments. While it has long been understood that longer residential treatments and better aftercare have been key to reducing relapse, it’s only with the seriousness of the opioid crisis that Boston authorities and treatment centers have made more effective rehab options available for low-income individuals.

Today, rehab centers in Boston still find themselves largely dealing with opioids and the fallout from COVID-19. However the broader shift in approaches is likely to benefit people with all kinds of substance use issues as well.

Types of programs offered by drug rehabs in Boston

For many people with substance use disorders, misconceptions about how drug treatment programs work may cause them to forego the help they need. For instance, some women express concerns about leaving their families to live in drug rehab centers, while men are typically put off by the thought of sharing their struggle with strangers in an open forum.

While it is true that traditional drug intervention programs are still a part of the rehabilitation process, recovery has evolved into a more personalized experience. Rehab directory services such as Boston Drug Treatment Centers can help individuals find programs that meet their needs and concerns. If you need help choosing the best Massachusetts rehab, check out our step-by-step guide.

Rehab and treatment options in Greater Boston include:

• Residential and outpatient treatment programs.An initial personal assessment and psychiatric evaluation determines which option is best for the patient. However, the ultimate decision to spend time in a rehab center or to experience recovery on an outpatient basis is made with the patient and if relevant, their loved ones.
• Detox and withdrawal management. Choice in treatment approaches for drug detox is also a significant shift that has occurred in the drug rehab process. Patients can now more easily undergo medically-supervised detox programs in settings that provide around-the-clock oversight for the duration of the procedure. Detoxification may or may not require medication. Although not everyone wants to use drugs to aid the detox process, New FDA-approved pharmacological interventions help those who do to lessen the painful and sometimes life-threatening symptoms of withdrawals.
• Gender-based programsthat consider the different needs and communication styles of men and women.
• LGBT programsthat eliminate concerns about judgment while addressing the challenges that influence substance abuse for individuals in this demographic.
• Adolescent rehab programs. Teenagers are in a vulnerable phase of their lives and have different needs from adults. Since they may have problems relating to adults, specific programs for minors are often necessary for the success of any attempts to rehabilitate teens with a history of drug use.
• Faith-based recovery programs approach treatment from a spiritual perspective. It is centered around people’s desire to integrate their belief system that recognizes God or a higher power into their rehabilitation experience.
• Dual diagnosis programs.Co-morbid psychiatric disorders are common among people with substance use disorder. Dual diagnosis treatments have been recognized as part of a breakthrough intervention process that studies show significantly reduces homelessness and recidivism rates.
• Holistic treatment programs. These offer a range of alternative remedies that can be experienced as a program module or integrated into traditional rehabilitation programs. Alternative treatment encompasses a wide spectrum of health care practices and therapies that may include or utilize various components of acupuncture, Ayurveda medicine, chiropractic services, energy medicine, homeopathy, and naturopathy as well as traditional Chinese medicine.

Other treatment tools such as twelve-step programs, aftercare, partial-hospitalization, participation in a sober living community, relapse prevention education and training, and other self-help services are adjunct services that enhance the recovery process as well as enable a safer and easier transition from the rehab regimen to everyday life.

The goal at Boston Drug Treatment Centers is to help individuals find substance treatment programs that will meet all of their unique needs. Call (857) 577-8193 today to get started on recovery.