Drug Abuse and Addiction in Oklahoma Today
The most recent statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) prove that drug abuse and addiction are ongoing and serious problems in the state of Oklahoma. Although many state residents would like to believe that the problem will get better on its own, widespread drug abuse continues in all age groups.
Some of the most important facts from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health include:
• 6.4% of Oklahoma youth aged 12 to 17 abused illicit drugs in the past month.
• 2% of the state’s young adults aged 18 to 25 suffer an opioid use disorder, double the national average of 1%.
• 7.2% of Oklahoma young adults aged 18 to 25 suffer an illicit substance use disorder.
• 15.2% of the state’s young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 experience a substance use disorder, whether the drugs are opioids, marijuana, illicit drugs, alcohol, or other substances.
• 0.25% of the state’s young adult population aged 18 to 25 abused heroin in the past year, while 4.2% abused prescription opioids in the past year.
• 24,000 Oklahomans over the age of 12 suffer opioid use disorder, while 90,000 in this same age group have an illicit substance use disorder, and more than 267,000 suffer any type of substance use disorder.
One key statistic that did show improvement in the state is the number of people seeking treatment for a substance use disorder. In Oklahoma on any given day in 2019, 23,332 people are actively enrolled in a rehab program. This is significantly better than in 2015 when only 16,783 people were enrolled in drug rehab in Oklahoma on a given day. This improvement can give people in the state hope for a better tomorrow — if individuals needing this help continue to seek treatment as they should.
Why Is Drug Rehab in Oklahoma So Important?
A substance use disorder does not resolve itself. Instead, like other chronic conditions, such as diabetes, addiction requires treatment and ongoing diligence to prevent relapse. This means that if you or a loved one suffer from addiction to drugs, you need detox, a rehab program, and other help to achieve lasting recovery.
After addiction sets in, stopping the substance use also means you will suffer withdrawal. Symptoms of withdrawal are uncomfortable at best.
Withdrawal symptoms can include:
• Muscle pain
• Extreme hunger
• Fatigue, lethargy, and sleep problems
• Night sweats, fever, and chills
• Agitation, anxiety, and irritability
• Depression or suicidal thoughts
• Hallucinations, delirium, or paranoia
• Nausea, vomiting, bloating, and stomach cramping
• Runny nose or nasal congestion
• Watery eyes or dilated pupils
• Pain sensitivity
• Slurred speech
• Tremor, trembling, or shaking
• Weakness
• Seizures
For many people, the ill effects of quitting their drug abuse put them at risk for deadly relapse episodes. But in a licensed detox and rehab in Oklahoma, you or your loved one are safe from these risks. You are also kept comfortable throughout withdrawal, thanks to healthy nutrition, 24/7 support, and helpful medications to ease your symptoms.
Being in treatment relieves your family of the 24-hour strain of caring for a loved one who is going through withdrawal. There is peace of mind in knowing that family members with substance use disorders are safe, well cared for, and on their way to a healthy recovery. After about seven to 10 days, detox ends and rehab begins.
Types of Rehab Programs Available in Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, you can receive the same high-quality rehab treatment as you can in any other state in the country. There are a variety of programs available to suit your individual needs. These programs offer multiple levels of care and intensity, ranging from 24/7 inpatient programs to outpatient rehab facilities that suit a busy lifestyle. You can also find drug rehabs that focus on dual diagnosis care, LGBTQIA recovery, spiritual or faith-based treatment, 12-step programs, specific age groups, and gender-oriented treatment.
Whether you are attending school, working full-time, or juggling the needs and responsibilities of having a family, you can find a program that suits you. Rehab in Oklahoma makes recovery accessible to everyone.
Detox and Rehab Treatment Available in Oklahoma
According to SAMHSA, there are 143 licensed drug treatment programs in the state of Oklahoma. Levels of care in these programs include:
• Detox: There are 31 detox programs listed in the state. These programs help clients stop using drugs and alcohol to start recovery. Six of these are located in Oklahoma City and six are in Tulsa. The remaining 19 are dispersed throughout the state.
• Short-term inpatient rehab treatment: Short-term inpatient rehab programs involve living at a facility, such as a hospital, 24 hours per day and seven days per week. These programs typically last one month or less and are the most restrictive and secure types of rehab treatment. SAMHSA shows that there are four of these programs in the state of Oklahoma, including two in Oklahoma City, one in Muskogee, and one in Waynoka.
• Long-term residential rehab: 28 facilities offer long-term residential rehab in the state, where clients live in facility-owned apartments or rooms seven days per week while undergoing comprehensive therapies and other treatment. These programs typically last from three months to one year. You can find multiple options for long-term residential rehab in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Lawton. There are also programs located as far northwest as Woodward, south as Ardmore, southeast as Talihina, and northeast as Miami, Oklahoma.
• Intensive outpatient (IOP): IOP programs offer most of the therapies and benefits of residential rehab. However, instead of living in the facility or rehab-managed apartments, clients continue living at home. Most IOP rehab programs take place several days per week and enable clients to maintain their jobs or schooling. In Oklahoma, you can find 51 of these treatment programs located throughout the state.
• Outpatient program (OP): OP treatment is the least restrictive of rehab programs. For many individuals, outpatient care is provided as part of a step-down treatment plan after inpatient or residential rehab. As with intensive outpatient, this program involves attending therapies during the day while living at home. The state has six of these programs, four in Oklahoma City, one in Mooreland, and one in Edmond.
• Sober living: transitional living or halfway house: Sober living homes and other transitional programs offer safe and secure housing for individuals transitioning from rehab back to everyday living. In these programs, clients typically must find a job, maintain employment, help care for the home, and follow house rules. These rules typically include attending group therapy or a 12-step program and maintaining sobriety. In Oklahoma, there are presently about 18 halfway houses, sober living facilities, and other transitional living options. They are dispersed throughout Oklahoma’s biggest cities and the rest of the state.
Besides the programs listed above, you can also find sober living facilities, 12-step meetings, and aftercare programs in Oklahoma. All of these options provide unlimited ways to customize treatment and achieve the recovery you dream of today.
Types of Therapy Offered in Oklahoma Drug Rehab Centers
A complete rehab program starts with detox and includes a course of therapies and aftercare. It is through therapy that you learn why you started abusing drugs in the first place. You also learn how to prevent relapse and stay clean for the long term. In essence, taking an active role in your therapies helps you chart a course for recovery success.
There is no single pathway to every individual’s sobriety. This is why you will find a wide variety of therapies and types of programs available for treatment in Oklahoma. But there are some key types of therapies to look for when choosing your ideal rehab program. These therapies include:
• Individual counseling – This counseling is private, including you and a licensed therapist or other certified treatment professional.
• Group therapy – Group therapy brings together multiple individuals with similar treatment needs who work together to learn about addiction, build recovery and keep each other accountable during treatment.
• Family therapy or couples’ counseling – This therapy helps loved ones understand their family member’s treatment and recovery needs, while also rebuilding damaged relationships and improving how the family or couple functions as a unit.
• Behavioral therapies – Behavioral therapies treat mental health problems that often accompany addiction as well as the addiction itself.
• Trauma therapy – Many people suffering from addiction have experienced trauma in their past, for which EMDR or other trauma therapy can prove healing.
• Dual diagnosis treatment – This treatment focuses on both the addiction and underlying mental health disorders at the same time, such as depression, anxiety, anger disorders, schizophrenia, disordered eating or other behavioral conditions.
• Addiction education – These sessions teach you about your substance abuse, its effects and how to build a healthy recovery.
• Relapse prevention – In this educational program, you learn how to avoid relapse, particularly by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and knowing the earliest signs that relapse may occur.
Your chosen rehab program may include a few of these methods or all of them. Most offer a minimum of group therapy or 12-step program participation. Whatever your individualized treatment includes, success is built on understanding how and why your addiction began. It is also essential to know how to avoid using your drugs in the future.
Rehab Can Help You Achieve Lasting Recovery
If you or your loved one suffer from a substance use disorder, you likely already know that rehab is your pathway to a better life. Recovery is certainly never easy. But in structured programs and under the care of experts in addiction treatment, you can learn how to achieve a fresh start, whether your addiction is recent or has occupied your life for decades.
There are rehab programs for everyone in the state of Oklahoma. No matter your age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith, career, health status or substance use history, you can find a rehab that suits your needs. You only have to make the first call.
