Roughly 50% of individuals over the age of twelve report using drugs or alcohol in the state of California alone. Those numbers alone are indicative of a much larger problem of substance abuse disorders running rampant within the state.
The bottom line is that California, like many other states, is facing an ever-escalating drug and alcohol epidemic. Thankfully, several recovery tools, techniques, and therapists are at your disposal to help you overcome your struggles with addiction.
At Golden Gate Recovery in Novato, California, we offer resources for substance abuse. We want to be your ultimate guide to a better life in recovery.
In recent years, Nearly 3 million Californians, or almost 10 percent of the state population, reported having a substance use disorder. The scariest part of those statistics is the number of unreported substance use cases likely far exceeds those recorded.
An even more disturbing statistic is California’s nearly 11,000 overdose-related deaths in 2021 alone. To put it in perspective, that’s a statewide average of almost 30 deaths per day. Those numbers are largely due to the ever-escalating prevalence of fentanyl use, accounting for over 50 percent of overdose deaths.
The reason sobriety can seem impossible to achieve without professional help is that addiction is a mental disorder in itself. These substance-induced mental disorders are commonly known as substance-use disorders or SUD for short. Like all mental disorders, it requires medically-aided treatment to properly overcome. Until substance abuse is confronted as the disease of the brain that it is, it is almost impossible to accomplish sobriety.
Duly note that this portion refers to sobriety as difficult to achieve by yourself. However, professional therapy and rehab turn a seeming impossibility into a beacon of achievable hope. Reach out to Golden Gate Recovery to find out just how attainable your recovery goals are.
California has had a silently epidemic of drug addiction that has been steadily escalating each year. So much so that most drugs have become all too common and far too easy to obtain, both legally and illegally. Below are the most commonly misused and abused drugs in California alone.
The legalization of THC for recreational use has produced a false assumption that weed is not an addictive or harmful substance. With over fifteen percent of the population reportedly being regular consumers, those harms are becoming more prevalent. The truth is, weed is probably the most silent addiction in the entire state due to its ease of access. Legalization serves as the primary driver of marijuana dependency, often unbeknownst to the user. Though marijuana may not be as potent as harder drugs, you can still suffer from similar withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
According to recent statistics, amphetamines are the most abused drug in the state of California by a considerable margin. Most disturbingly is the fact that they are also the most commonly abused drugs by adolescents and adults under the age of 21.
Amphetamines come in many forms, both legal and illegal, making obtaining these drugs that much easier. Common over-the-counter forms include Adderal, Desaxyn, and other ADHD prescriptions. Perhaps the most common form of illegal amphetamines is methamphetamine, commonly known as meth, or crystal meth.
Opioids, also easily obtained legally in local pharmacies, are a very potent and potentially lethal drug. More specifically, heroin and fentanyl are opioids that are sharply rising as the most abused opioids in California. Not only do heroin and fentanyl possess highly addictive properties, it takes very little to overdose on. The latter has contributed to just shy of 6,000 deaths within the last year according to the most recent data. Heeding the provided resources for substance abuse below can be the difference between life and death for you or a loved one.
Far too many people overlook the cold hard truth that alcohol is a drug. That’s likely due to the prevalence of drinking in America, with over 78 percent over age twelve in 2021 reportedly having consumed alcohol. To specify the scope of drinking problems in California, recent studies reveal nearly sixteen percent reported binge drinking within 30 days. These staggering numbers contribute to alcohol being the number one cause of premature deaths in the world.
Rehab for substance abuse requires a unique treatment approach from a medical professional. Thus, the reason specific types of treatment are more effective than others when it comes to substance abuse. The following types of treatment resources for substance abuse detail the most effective rehab programs for addiction.
The first and most important place to start any substance abuse rehab is a medical detox program. This utilizes the complete relapse prevention techniques and wisdom from a trained professional to help you thrive throughout your recovery journey. Reach out to a detox program representative to find the best programs in your area.
CBT therapy is a medical process that teaches you to retrain how to process and react to trauma and addictive behaviors proactively. A highly-trained therapist accomplishes this by focusing on natural impulses and addictive behaviors and helps you instill new habits. Over time this makes your newly-learned proactive responses to trauma and cravings become second nature. Before you know it, your former bad habits will be replaced with positive mental and behavioral reinforcement.
Sometimes the best way to achieve progress in recovery is to face the music head-on with loved ones. This helps the substance struggles confront that there is a problem that needs correcting. Though it can be a straightforward approach to receiving treatment, it is often the most eye-opening for all parties involved. This allows both the addicted and their loved ones to mend the bonds broken by addiction by hearing each other out. You can begin the healing process by facing addiction in family therapy together.
For less hands-on medical assistance for drug rehab, outpatient programs provide flexibility without sacrificing care quality. Outpatient care provides full access to all the recovery tools, medications, and help you need without being admitted to a treatment facility. Bear in mind, that outpatient treatment is recommended only for people who are nearing sobriety or don’t require as much monitoring. For more outpatient rehab resources for substance abuse, speak to a treatment assessment specialist now.
We understand that battling addiction is a very lonely place to be. So much so that it can feel as if nobody understands you. That’s where group therapy comes into play. At our state-of-the-art group therapy sessions, you’ll meet our team of understanding therapists dedicated to your recovery needs. Perhaps most importantly, you’ll meet like-minded people striving towards the same goal of sobriety. You’ll meet people just like you who know what it’s like to battle addiction firsthand. Forming these vital bonds in recovery can reinforce your mental fortitude and self-confidence in revolutionary ways. You may even find friendships that will stick with you for a lifetime.
When you develop a substance dependency, your mind and body develop an official mental disorder known as substance use disorder. This occurs because drugs alter the genetic makeup of your brain’s neuronic frequencies. It is also the reason attempting to treat addiction without treating the mental disorder SUD itself doesn’t directly treat addiction.
In perspective, the primary cause of failed sobriety is they are not treated for the mental conditions that they have. Treating the underlying SUD attacks the issue head-on the way proper recovery requires. This may require dual-diagnosis treatment if your therapy assessment finds you suffer from more than one disorder or addiction. For the greatest doctors, treatments, and resources for substance abuse in Northern California, reach out to a Golden Gate Recovery representative today.
Every time you indulge in substances poses a risk to your health and life in general. The deeper you delve into addiction, the greater your health and life risks become over time. Your life is too precious to give over to substances. Taking the initiative to get the help you need does so much more than reduce your long-term health risks. It preserves your life and adds years back, whilst beginning the healing process emotionally, physically, and mentally.
You deserve the best possible treatment without having to break the bank and yield sustainable results. You’ll get all that and more at an approved recovery center near you. You’ll finally have the greatest recovery tools, relapse prevention methods, and more at your disposal to soar above your strongholds. Your peace of mind and the dawn of your joyous recovery journey are just a simple click or call away. The top-notch treatment you truly need awaits you. All you need to do is heed the calling in your heart now.
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Dr. Small’s professional experience encompasses General Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry and Family Medicine. As the founder of Headlands Addiction Treatment Services, Dr. Small and his team have become leaders in the delivery of addiction medicine and psychiatry to treatment programs throughout California and beyond. These compassionate services are reliable, responsive, personable, and evidenced based. Most of the team providers carry multiple board certifications in psychiatry, addiction medicine and family medicine. They recruit the best and brightest addiction medicine professionals to deliver the highest level of treatment.
Certified by the Department of Health Care Services Certification: #210052AP Expiration: 03/31/2025
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