Due to the recent spike in drug overdoses in the Bronx in the past few years, the presence of rehabilitation outlets there has become increasingly important. The opioid crisis has hit the city hard. As a result, many people are looking for more information on drug rehab in the Bronx.
The city has rehab centers that provide various rehabilitation plans. Also, there are community initiatives in the Bronx that can help. Read on to learn more about the rehabilitation options available in the Bronx.
Table of Contents
Understanding Addiction
As with any problem in life, if you want to tackle addiction the right way, you should first try to understand it better and identify the things that lead to it.
What Is Drug Addiction?
Drug addiction is an affliction that leads to an individual being unable to stop themselves from consuming a certain drug.
This neurological and behavioral condition can involve legal or illegal drugs and is sometimes referred to as substance use disorder.
The substances you’ll most commonly hear of people being addicted to include nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis. However, victims of substance abuse can also be addicted to prescription medication.
Their urge to use such substances is stronger than their realization that they’re severely harming their health.
Possible Causes of Drug Addiction
Drug addiction can be brought about by both genetic and environmental factors. Here’s a brief overview of each category:
Genetic Factors
No one is born a drug addict. However, how prone a person is to suffering from substance abuse when they grow up can depend on hereditary factors.
People with a history of substance abuse in their family have a higher chance of becoming addicted to alcohol or drugs.
Environmental Factors
There are also environmental factors that play a huge role in a person developing an addiction. The most common environmental trigger for substance abuse is peer pressure.
If you’re constantly around people who use a certain drug, you’re more likely to be tempted to do the same. In a lot of cases, this can spiral into an addiction.
Additionally, the events a person goes through during childhood can lead to drug addiction. For example, those who were brought up in an unstable family or have experienced severe trauma as children are prone to addiction.
Common Types of Drugs Abused in the Bronx
Among New York’s five boroughs, the drug problem in the Bronx is arguably the worst. In 2020, the city’s drug overdose rate skyrocketed from 9% to 39%.
The areas contributing the most to this massive increase were the counties of Dutchess and Niagara. These overdoses are primarily due to a rise in the use of opioids, particularly fentanyl.
In 2021, 85% of all overdoses in New York were attributed to this potent drug.
Understanding Rehabilitation
The first step in the rehabilitation process is treatment initiation. It’s in this stage that an individual realizes that they’re on a path of self-destruction and decides to seek treatment.
Once you’ve decided that enough is enough and that it’s time to get your life back on track, you enter the early abstinence phase of your rehabilitation.
Early abstinence is considered by many to be the most difficult stage of the rehabilitation process. This is because it’s at this time that the withdrawal symptoms of the drug you’ve stopped using manifest themselves the most.
These symptoms can either be physical or psychological. Either way, they act as triggers for relapse. With the help of professionals, it’s up to you to resist the urge to give in to the temptation.
After you’ve successfully refrained from taking a drug for an extended period, your next step is to maintain abstinence. The main emphasis of this stage is to learn how to realize when you’re on course for a relapse and catch yourself.
This final stage of rehabilitation also involves learning how to navigate the other aspects of life. Your life won’t magically become perfect as soon as you overcome addiction, after all.
There are many other hardships in life that you’ll need to use the tools you learned in rehab to manage in a healthy manner.
Types of Drug Rehab Treatments
Most people’s idea of drug rehab is being in a detoxification ward. However, there are many other types of rehab treatments that someone recovering from substance abuse is likely to go through during the process.
Your choice of the right kind of treatment for you should be based on the kind of substance you’re trying to get away from, and how long you’ve been using it. You should also consider your personal and medical history when making your decision.
Here’s an overview of the categories of drug rehab treatments:
Detoxification Programs
When a person has just started abstaining from a drug, they need support to get them through the initial withdrawal symptoms without relapsing.
This is where detox programs come in. They assist you with the severe physical symptoms you may experience
Residential Treatment
Next up is residential treatment. It’s a form of inpatient care that involves the individual spending an extended period at a rehab center during the recovery process.
Having professional counselors and medical help available at all times can really help the patient get better.
The effects of residential treatment aren’t limited to the patient’s time at the center, they’re also taught tips that aid in avoiding relapse once they leave.
Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHPs)
Like residential treatment, partial hospitalization programs require the person recovering from substance abuse to spend a lot of time at a rehab facility. The difference is that patients in partial hospitalization don’t spend their nights at the facility.
After they’ve spent the allotted time getting treated, they go home and come back the next day. People in such programs tend to visit the rehab center at least five times a week.
Sober Living Homes
You may know this form of rehab treatment by the phrase “halfway home”.
These are places where those who’ve completed their treatment programs successfully, but don’t feel like it’s time to get back to daily life again.
Additionally, they give those who have nowhere else to go a grace period until they can get back on their feet.
Individual Counseling
As previously mentioned, substance abuse is often caused by traumas and childhood events. If the patient is able to resolve these issues internally, this can often be a breakthrough in their battle against addiction.
Individual counseling allows the recovering addict to sit down one-on-one with a licensed therapist and solve their substance abuse issues at the source.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment
Mental health disorders often accompany drug addiction. As you can tell by its name, dual diagnosis treatment treats these two afflictions as one and the same.
It aims to help the patient resolve mental issues and addiction problems that are often closely related.
The Role of Individualized Treatment Plans
When deciding which treatment plan to go with, you should take people’s recommendations without considering your circumstances.
Those recovering from substance abuse are often not able to find treatment plans that are fully catered to them.
Here are the factors to consider so you can make the best choice when selecting a rehab center:
Type of Treatment
As mentioned above, there are many options in terms of treatment types for drug addiction.
You should consider if inpatient care or outpatient care is the best way to go. Sometimes, a hybrid of both is the best option. Depending on your specific situation, pick a rehab treatment plan and research rehab centers to see where it’s available.
You can find this information on rehab centers’ websites. If they don’t have a website, you can always call the center for more details on what they offer.
Cost of Treatment
Another essential aspect to account for is how much the treatment will cost. Doing so will help you avoid the pitfall of committing to a treatment program that’s beyond your means.
People who fall into this trap experience stress from being in debt. This stress can become overwhelming and lead to the patient giving in to their addiction to cope with it.
Therefore, you should always have a clear understanding of the financial commitment you’re making. Furthermore, you should always try to find rehab centers within your insurance coverage.
Staff-to-Patient Ratio
When you go to a rehab center, you’ll spend lots of time with the facility’s staff. So, you should do your due diligence on the people you’ll deal with during your treatment.
A good way to get a feel for how comfortable you’ll be at this facility is to have a conversation with the staff that’ll be overseeing your treatment.
After all, your relationship with these people has a significant bearing in determining how receptive you’ll be to the treatment.
Another aspect to research is the facility’s staff-to-patient ratio. You don’t want to go to an understaffed rehab center. If you do, you’re less likely to get the care and hands-on attention required to see progress in your battle against substance abuse.
The threshold for a sufficiently staffed rehab center is a ratio of five to one.
Local Resources and Support Systems
In addition to rehab centers, there are other resources at the disposal of Bronx residents trying to overcome addiction. Here are some of them:
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Meetings
For those battling with alcoholism, it’s never a bad idea to pursue a 12-step program as part of an AA group. Such support groups can give you the tools and moral support you need to kick that habit for good.
There are many places in the Bronx where you can join an AA group. They include:
- Never Too Young AA Meeting: Santa Maria School, 1510 Zerega Ave
- Refugio Del Bronx AA Meeting: 2317 Washington Ave
- A New Person AA Meeting: Holy Family Church Rectory, 2158 Watson Ave
Narcotics Anonymous (NA) Meetings
If your issue was with narcotics, not alcohol, then NA meetings are the right choice. Going to these meetings can go a long way in helping you build healthier habits through continuous support. They equip you for a healthy, drug-free life.
- We Came to Believe Group: 1150 East 229th Street
- Recovery From Within Group: 715 Soundview Ave
- Newcomers Do Recover Group: 3424 Kossuth Ave
Al-Anon Meetings
If you have a family member that suffers from alcoholism, we understand that their actions don’t affect them alone. They affect you too.
Al-Anon family groups assist an alcoholic’s loved ones in coping with the ill effects of their condition on them.
Here are some Al-Anon groups you can attend in the Bronx.
- Harlem Help and Hope Al-Anon Family Group: Jericho House
- Lenox Hill Al-Anon Family Group: Church of the Heavenly Rest
- West Side Group Al-Anon Family Group: Church of St Paul and St Andrew
The Role of Community in Drug Rehab
BronxWorks Positive Living Harm Reduction Program
The BronxWorks Positive Living Harm Reduction program aims to minimize the ill effects of behaviors associated with substance abuse on addicts.
It’s a form of damage control that stops those abusing drugs from engaging in behavior that can ruin their lives beyond repair.
Youth Clubhouses
Another excellent community initiative is the statewide youth clubhouses that have been established in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.
The state government has invested $1 million into these facilities to make them safe havens for youth battling substance abuse.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for drug rehab in the Bronx, there are several options. The right course of treatment for you depends on your specific situation.
You can go for inpatient care programs such as residential treatment or outpatient care options such as partial hospitalization programs (PHPs). Additionally, you can benefit from the support provided by NA and AA meetings.
What you should always keep in mind is that it’s never too late. There are many tools that can help you turn your life around. All you have to do is start.
Additional Resources
- National Drug Helpline: 1-844-289-0879
- Partnership for Drug-Free Kids: 1-855-378-4373
- NYC Drug Hotline: 1-888-374-3784
