Options for Drug Rehab Facilities in Nebraska
Nebraska may not be the first state that comes to mind when someone thinks about drug problems. However, like the rest of the country, Nebraska has its fair share of addiction problems. It has lower substance abuse and fatal overdose rates than the U.S. average, but its location in the Midwest makes it a prime candidate for drug trafficking from Mexican cartels.
Heroin, cocaine, and other dangerous drugs are somewhat prominent in Nebraska, but the state’s most popular drug of choice is methamphetamine. It isn’t particularly common to overdose on methamphetamine alone, so this could account for Nebraska’s lower-than-average overdose and death rate. However, overdose is still highly likely if the meth has been enhanced with fentanyl.
Men make up an overwhelming majority of those addicted to drugs and alcohol in Nebraska. Stimulants make up the majority of the drugs consumed in the state. In fact, about one-third of all admissions in Nebraska involved people who were using some sort of stimulant. These Nebraskans aren’t criminals; they are working-class people that turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with their hard lives and busy schedules.
Finding Drug Rehab in Nebraska
Nebraskans don’t have to fight addiction alone. There are dozens of facilities tailored to help people gain and maintain sobriety.
Entering into a drug rehab program of some sort is the first step for many in recovery. Drug rehab facilities can be broken down into four main categories, and each of them offers its own advantages. In addition, each type of rehab facility is custom-made for people at different levels of addiction and recovery. A recovering addict might require assistance from each of the types of facilities.
There are over 125 drug rehab centers in Nebraska, and many of them focus on different demographics. Some of them are exclusively for teens and young adults, some are designed just for men, and some are for women only.
Detox
Detox is the first step for many addicts who want to get clean. You can choose to detox at home or in an outpatient or inpatient rehab facility.
To choose your best option, consider:
• The substance you use
• The degree of your addiction
• Whether you have a history of severe withdrawal symptoms
• Other health problems you may have
Detox can be a quick or a long process, depending on the care a facility is willing to offer. Some detox centers only keep clients until they screen clean of any drug; others prefer to treat individuals for up to a month to reduce the chance of relapse.
During the time spent in detox, you will be closely monitored by practitioners and doctors but will probably have to spend a day or two in the hospital before heading to detox. Most detox centers require a client to undergo strenuous examination before admittance. These examinations include checking blood pressure, doing bloodwork, checking oxygen levels, and much more. Simply put, the detox center wants the go-ahead from a doctor before they admit you. They want to be sure you can make it through the initial withdrawal phase in good shape.
Inpatient Residential Rehab
This type of rehabilitation is a lot like detox, but it involves a much longer stay. You should expect to spend up to six months in a facility like this.
Rather than operating like a hospital, inpatient residential facilities offer recovering addicts a chance to form friendships and bonds. In some cases, clients are permitted to come and go as they choose; in other cases, people receiving treatment are put under close watch and have to stay in the building 24 hours a day. Inpatient residential rehab is a great step to take after detox because it gives clients the chance to meet people with similar backgrounds, gives them the opportunity to learn together, and gives them an outlet to share their experiences.
Outpatient Clinics
Outpatient clinics can be a client’s first step or final step. In fact, outpatient clinics could be all that many addicts require. Unlike clients in inpatient facilities, those in outpatient clinics don’t have to change their residence. Some will be required to visit an outpatient clinic daily; some will be required to visit weekly. It varies from person to person.
Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) offer the same types of care as inpatient programs. These involve intensive day treatment, and the client spends the majority of their time at the facility. During their day-to-day life, clients will meet with counselors and receive educational material, but they are still permitted to leave to go to work or spend the night in their own homes.
Clients will be able to talk to therapists, counselors, and doctors during their visits to an outpatient clinic. Methadone and Suboxone clinics can also be considered forms of outpatient care.
Peer Support
These types of rehab facilities are the main types of recovery programs, but they aren’t the only ones. Group counseling is great for recovering addicts too. It allows people to talk in a nonjudgmental environment with people who have similar experiences. Well-known 12-step programs like Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) provide peer support and camaraderie that have helped countless people in recovery maintain their sobriety.
Nebraska also has Adult Drug Court programs. These programs are reserved for individuals who broke the law due to motivation or a need for drugs. In exchange for lighter sentencing, offenders are required to attend meetings, check into rehab facilities, and perform other tasks until the drug court program is completed.
Taking the First Steps
Withdrawal is on everyone’s mind when they are considering entering a rehab facility. Nearly every addict has experienced drug withdrawal at some point, and they don’t want to experience it again voluntarily. Drug withdrawal takes a toll on the body, and in some instances, withdrawal can be life-threatening.
The withdrawal process begins once the body metabolizes the majority of the drug you are addicted to. The body goes into panic mode once it doesn’t receive its dosages, and the entire process has many different symptoms. Each type of drug has its own list of symptoms, but most drugs share symptoms, too. Here are some symptoms associated with drug withdrawal:
• Muscle aches
• Runny nose
• Difficulty sleeping
• Anxiety
• Increased heart rate
• Sweating and fever
• Hypertension
• Diarrhea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Drug cravings
• Stomach pain
• Depression
As you can see, it’s important to have professional supervision during the early stages of drug withdrawal. A client’s body will behave sporadically during withdrawal periods, and it’s hard to predict exactly what will happen.
Different Types of Withdrawal
Opiate and Opioid Withdrawal
Symptoms of opiate and opioid withdrawal include nausea, anxiety, sweating, diarrhea, and muscle cramps. Unlike quitting many other drugs, opiate withdrawal can be eased with medication. Suboxone and methadone can help wean a client off of their drug of choice, reducing withdrawal symptoms and decreasing the danger of coming off the drug abruptly.
Stimulant Withdrawal
While generally less severe than opiate withdrawal, cocaine and meth withdrawal can cause agitation, irritability, sleeplessness, muscle aches, and depression. There isn’t a medicine prescribed for stimulant withdrawal. Instead, it’s important to focus on maintaining hydration and eating.
In severe cases of withdrawal, clients may become extremely agitated, sometimes becoming a danger to themselves and others. In these cases, diazepam and other depressants are used to calm them down.
Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcohol withdrawal can be extremely dangerous in severe scenarios. In fact, alcohol withdrawal can begin in as few as six hours after an alcoholic’s final drink. Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include tremors, dehydration, nausea, sweating, and anxiety. Withdrawing from alcohol is very similar to withdrawal from opiates. Severe cases of alcohol withdrawal can even cause instances of hallucinations and seizures.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms are usually managed with diazepam, IV fluids, and vitamins. Again, like meth and cocaine, there isn’t a specific drug that can help ease symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
Find the Right Help Now
Detox, inpatient, outpatient, and peer support groups are vastly different from one another. This means that the right option for one person won’t necessarily work for someone else with the same substance use disorder.
You need to determine which path to take to begin your recovery. Take note of how often you are using, how severe your last withdrawal symptoms were, and how likely you are to be extremely ill during the first few days of your recovery.
An easy entry point for recovery is getting in touch with a local detox center. They will send you to a local hospital for evaluation. After the examination is complete, if the doctor gives the go-ahead for your detox, you will be sent directly to the detox center where you will be cared for and looked after until you are clean from drugs.
The next steps are up to you. If you believe you don’t need additional medical help, perhaps you should choose a peer support group to participate in. On the other hand, if you think you might relapse, you could consider checking yourself into an inpatient facility or getting treatment via an outpatient program. Luckily, all these options are available in Nebraska.
