Mid Hudson Addiction Recovery, offers an opportunity for those struggling with substance abuse to recover safely. We will connect you or your loved one to the best individualized Hudson Valley detox programs to set you on the right path to long-term recovery. Call our helpline to schedule a confidential assessment.

Drug Detox New York 

New York City is, in many ways, similar to other metropolitan cities in that it has a lot to offer tourists and locals alike. Renowned for its diverse culture, great-tasting food, and high energy, New York City sits where the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean meet. And it consists of five distinct and unique boroughs, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, with close to 9 million residents, New York City is currently the most populous city in America. And this number includes the roughly 629,000 people who proudly made it their home within just the past decade. From Coney Island in Brooklyn to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, the bustling metropolitan city has something to offer just about everyone. That said, New York City is known for things other than its diverse culture, great-tasting food, high energy, and must-see attractions. Much like other bustling metropolitan cities, New York City has a chronic and pervasive substance abuse problem on its hands.

Addiction in the Big Apple: What You May Not Have Known but Probably Should

Irrespective of which borough you live in or choose to visit, all of New York City is often referred to by locals and tourists alike as “the big apple.” Of course, some people also use the acronym “NYC” when referring to this city that seemingly never sleeps. All of that aside, opioid addiction throughout the big apple is reaching epidemic proportions. And this is evidenced in a study published by nyc.gov, the official website of the City of New York. According to researchers, From 2000 to 2015, overdose deaths involving opioid analgesics increased by more than 300 percent in NYC. It is worth noting that this opioid crisis encompasses the use and abuse of prescription-based opioids and the street-level variant known as heroin. On the prescription side of things, NYC has witnessed a significant uptick in the number of people abusing fentanyl and fentanyl analogs. Indeed, to say substance abuse in the big apple is a problem would be a gross understatement. 

Studies Show Many New Yorkers Are Committed to Breaking the Cycle of Addiction

As unsettling as the opioid crisis is in NYC, there is some good news worth noting. According to representatives with Mid Hudson Recovery in New York, a trusted drug and alcohol rehab referral service, many New Yorkers are getting the help they need to put addiction behind them once and for all. And many are turning to the 223 low-cost addiction recovery programs, 16 inpatient treatment centers, and the roughly 117 drug rehabs in NYC that accept PPO insurance to do so. But there is no denying that these individuals will have a long and arduous journey in their quest to achieve sobriety. And getting through detox will likely be the most challenging part.

Drug Detox in the Big Apple: Shedding Light on One of the Most Challenging Parts of Overcoming Addiction

The abrupt cessation of almost any drug will trigger a wave of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. And this is especially true when it comes to the most abused drug in NYC, opioids. Some of the withdrawal symptoms associated with abruptly quitting opioids include the following:

• Muscle aches
• Abdominal pain
• Anxiety and depression
• Agitation
• Tachycardia
• Fever and chills
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Tremors

Not surprisingly, these symptoms can trigger cravings that can push someone who is otherwise committed to breaking the cycle of addiction towards a relapse. For this reason, nearly all rehab facilities in NYC offer medication-assisted detox. And they do so not only to ease severe withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting opioids but also other drugs. After all, whether someone abruptly quits alcohol, antidepressants, or stimulants, for example, the withdrawal symptoms, barring only a few exceptions, are generally the same.

Why Drug Detox Is a Critical Step in Overcoming Addiction

It is nearly impossible to overcome addiction if you still have drugs in your system. When someone abruptly quits drinking or taking drugs, the body will naturally begin a detox process, and during this time, it is ridding itself of those drugs and other contaminants. While this is a good thing insofar as it brings people that much closer to achieving short and long-term sobriety, it is a less than pleasant experience. And this has a lot to do with the severe withdrawal symptoms that people often encounter within hours or days after they stop using. That said, the longer someone can keep drugs and alcohol out of their system, the more likely they are to get through rehab and eventually regain control over their life.

Addiction and What It Does to the Mind and Body

To get a better sense of why drug detox is considered the first step toward achieving sobriety, we should take a moment to familiarize ourselves with what addiction can do to the mind and body. Consuming opioids, stimulants, alcohol, and other illicit substances interferes with the delicate balance of chemicals in the brain known as neurotransmitters. This interference is responsible for the euphoric high that people experience when they use and abuse drugs or alcohol. However, it is also responsible for the cravings, not to mention the severe withdrawal symptoms that many people encounter after the euphoric effects of those substances have worn off or after they have quit them for good.

Why NYC Drug and Rehab Facilities Are Proponents of Medication-Assisted Drug Detox

For those not familiar with medication-assisted drug detox, it is every bit like it sounds in that it is an aspect of addiction recovery that involves the use of prescription medication to help ease severe withdrawal symptoms commonly associated with going through detox. And it is an aspect of addiction recovery that is championed by nearly every rehab facility in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. That said, the type of FDA-approved, prescription-based medication a physician will prescribe to an individual has a lot to do with the kind of drug they are trying to quit. For example, some of the ones commonly prescribed to those trying to quit opioids might include the following:

• Methadone
• Naltrexone
• Buprenorphine
• Naloxone
• Lofexidine
•  

Meanwhile, easing withdrawal symptoms that arise from abrupt alcohol cessation might include the use of Acamprosate, Disulfiram, or Naltrexone, for example.

Medication-Assisted Drug Detox Makes Addiction Recovery More Likely

According to Mid Hudson Recovery, and further backed by a study published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the rate of relapse associated with substance use disorders is around 40 to 60 percent. And this is with medication-assisted detox. Without it, the rate of relapse would loom closer to over 90 percent. Indeed, medication-assisted detox is a godsend for those trying to quit hard drugs while simultaneously struggling with nightmarish withdrawal symptoms. While we are on the topic, it is worth noting that medication-assisted detox also comprises round-the-clock monitoring by physicians and nurses. And this is crucial since some withdrawal symptoms can be life-threatening.

Final Thoughts on Drug Detox in NYC

In summary, addiction can rob people of so many things in life. And it can even end their life the longer it continues. Fortunately, many New Yorkers are becoming mindful of these two facts and are, turning to rehab facilities all across the city for help in breaking the cycle of addiction. To learn more about overcoming alcohol or opioid addiction or if you need help finding a rehab facility in your borough, consider contacting Mid Hudson Recovery today.