Substance Use Rehab in Vermont
Vermont is a beautiful state where tourism thrives as people from across the nation come to enjoy the scenic drives and charming small towns. Hunting draws in large numbers of visitors looking to find black bears, wild turkeys, moose, and deer, and during the winter months, skiing and snowmobiling are fun activities for all ages. While Vermont is a wonderful place to visit as well as reside in, substance use disorder is a serious problem, just like many other areas within the U.S.
National data shows that Vermont has one of the highest percentages of illegal drug use in the country. The 18 to 25 age group alone has the highest rates of heroin use in the country.
When you break down the statistics into specific drug issues, you will find that the drug use in Vermont consistently rates above the national average. Between 2017 and 2019, marijuana use in Vermont was at 26.4%. Heroin use was also higher than the national average at 0.82%, and opioid use was at 1.1%.
An astonishing 210 Vermont residents died of opioid overdose in 2021. That was 33% higher than in 2020. These overdoses were dominated by fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that is inexpensive to make and readily available.
Fortunately, Vermont offers help for those dealing with substance use disorder. In the many recovery centers the state has available, clients can overcome their disorder and enjoy a life of sobriety.
A Guide to Withdrawal
A substance use disorder is not a sign of weakness or a flaw in your character, and it will take more than just willpower to conquer an addiction. Certain prescription drugs, as well as illegal substances, cause changes within the brain. They create powerful cravings and compulsions. This can make it feel like sobriety is an impossible dream, but with the right treatment, success is achievable.
The first step is the hardest. You need to realize that you have a substance use disorder and decide to make a change in your life. You may wonder if you can do it. If your addition involves a prescription drug, you’ll have concerns about alternative medications. All of these concerns are perfectly normal.
Next, you’ll need to make changes in your life, which can include:
• How you deal with stress
• Who you associate with
• How you spend your free time
• The types of medications you take
• How you manage chronic medical disorders
Feeling conflicted at this stage is normal. Recovery will require time, support, motivation, and commitment.
Prepare for Rehab
While going to rehab can be an intimidating step, there are a few things that can make it easier.
Document Your Starting Point
Track and document your daily drug use. This includes when and how much you use. This will give you a clear picture of your substance use disorder, and it will help the clinicians decide what kind of medications you need for detox and give them a clearer picture of the therapy that you might need. It’s important to be honest; the rehab staff is there to help, and they can provide better help the more they understand your disorder.
List Your Motivations
Make a list of the pros and cons of sobriety. Think about how much your addiction costs you financially and personally and the benefits of recovery. Look at what is most important to you. This could be your partner, family, job, or health. It could even be a pet. Think about how your substance use disorder affects them. Keep this list handy and refer to it if you’re having a difficult time in rehab or once you’ve completed treatment.
Prepare Yourself for Recovery
Think about your past attempts at recovery and what works or didn’t work, and think about ways that you can address hurdles ahead of time. For example, if you know that you may be tempted to relapse, delete your dealer’s contact information from your phone. Get rid of anything in your home or workplace that reminds you of your substance use disorder, including any alcohol, old prescriptions, or stashed drugs or paraphernalia that you have around your home.
Establish an Accountability Network
Tell your friends and family that you are committing yourself to a recovery plan and ask them for their support. You may ask them to water your plants or care for your pet while you’re away. Tell them how long you expect to be gone and what they can expect when you come back. Also, ask them to check in with you periodically to see how you’re doing.
What to Expect from Drug Rehab in Vermont
After committing yourself to recovery, explore all of your treatment options. You need a treatment plan that suits your specific needs. A good recovery program will include several elements.
Detox
Detoxification is the first step in a recovery program. It purges your body of the drug. While this is difficult, you will receive help managing the symptoms of withdrawal.
Behavior Counseling
Behavior counseling can be done in a group, with your family, or in individual therapy. It helps you recognize exactly what causes your substance use disorder and allows you to learn coping skills. It also helps repair relationships that are so important.
Medication
Medication might be used to manage your symptoms of withdrawal, keep you from relapsing, or treat co-existing conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Residential Treatment
With a residential treatment program, you’ll live at a recovery facility. This removes you from work, school, family, friends, and addiction triggers while you are receiving your treatment. This program can last as little as a few days or continue for several months.
Intensive Outpatient
Day treatment is ideal if you need ongoing medical monitoring but still want to live at home. Having a stable home life is key. During this treatment program, you’re expected to visit the treatment facility for seven to eight hours per day. You’ll be allowed to return home each evening.
Outpatient Treatment
Outpatient treatment doesn’t require you to live at the recovery center. It is a flexible program that can be scheduled around your work or school schedule. It is often suggested as a follow-up to a residential treatment program in order to avoid a relapse.
Sober Living Community
A sober living community often follows a treatment program. You’ll live in a drug- and alcohol-free house with other people recovering from substance use disorder. It provides you with a supportive, safe, drug-free environment. These communities are ideal if you have nowhere to go or if you are worried that going home too soon may lead to a relapse.
Finding the Best Treatment Program in Vermont
Keep in mind that no treatment program works for everyone. Each person needs a different plan. Your treatment program should suit your own situation. You’ll be more successful if your recovery plan feels comfortable for you.
Your treatment program should address more than just your substance use disorder. Your addiction affects your career, health, relationships, and well-being. Successful treatment helps you develop a new way to live. It addresses why you started using drugs in the first place so that you can avoid relapse.
Your commitment and follow-up are crucial to your successful recovery. No treatment program is quick or easy. The longer and more intense your addiction is, the longer and more intense the recovery program will need to be. The one thing common to all treatment options is the fact that follow-up care is very important to your sobriety.
The type of care that you need depends on many factors. This includes your history of drug use, age, and medical and psychiatric condition. While most recovery programs involve doctors and psychologists, you may also be working with clergy members, counselors, and social workers.
Seek treatment for any mental health issues you are dealing with at the same time as you go through your recovery program. Your best chance at successful recovery is to combine both mental health and addiction treatment together.
Why Getting Help is Important
There are so many benefits to finding sobriety. While experiencing a substance use disorder, you are stuck in a cycle. The drugs can cause issues that increase stress and anxiety. As your stress and anxiety levels raise, you increasingly crave the escape drugs offer. Once you complete your drug rehab in Vermont, you’ll be able to experience many wonderful benefits of sobriety.
You may notice that you have improved sleep after recovery. Many people realize that what they thought was sleep was just unconsciousness. Without true sleep, you will be irritable and make bad decisions. Once you are getting the sleep you need, you’ll feel better mentally and physically.
Along with better sleep, you’ll experience a boost in energy. Decision-making skills improve, and you have the energy to tackle what life throws at you. Eventually, you will find that there is less stress in your day-to-day activities.
Most importantly, sobriety can improve your health. Addiction affects your physical health. It puts your heart, liver, brain, and other important organs at risk for damage. You can also catch viruses more easily, and recovering from health issues takes longer. Addiction affects your mental health too, and a successful recovery leads to feeling better physically and mentally.
Those who achieve their goal of recovery find that they have more time. This is time that can be spent nurturing relationships with friends and family or simply enjoying life. This increased time is due to eliminating the process of planning when and where to find drugs, taking the time to use those drugs, and wasting precious moments on recovering from the experience.
More time goes hand in hand with having more money. Not only will you be saving the money spent on drugs, but you will be able to focus on your career. During a substance use disorder, many people call out of work frequently. They may even lose their job. With your newfound sobriety, you will be able to secure and hold a job successfully.
Seeking help for your substance use disorder in Vermont will allow you to discover who you are meant to be. You will learn coping tools, how to avoid triggers, and ways to find support in times of need. All of this means that you can enjoy a well-rounded life filled with joyful relationships and the feeling of success in all you do.
