Substance Abuse Resources in Sonoma County
The Law Office of Amy Chapman specializes in criminal defense cases that often involve DUI’s or drug charges. These charges often involve people struggling with substance abuse issues. People go through tough times, and we want to prevent addictions from turning into criminal offenses. This guide can hopefully help to shed some light on various resources that exist for substance abusers.
The Surgeon General of the United States estimates that there are more than 20 million people in this country with a substance abuse issue. For those who struggle in Santa Rosa and the Sonoma County area, many resources exist to aid in your treatment and healthy recovery.
For convenience, click any of the categories below to jump to that particular section:
ADHD
People with ADHD may be more inclined than others to use alcohol or drugs as a way to cope with their disorder and the symptoms that come with it, potentially leading to substance abuse in those with ADHD. There are addiction treatment programs that exist for those specifically with ADHD. They typically utilize a dual diagnosis approach to heal the addict and help them create healthy habits.
Alcohol Rehab
Alcohol recovery centers are a wonderful resource with several different treatment options. There are inpatient programs with 30-day, 60-day, or 90-day treatment options, as well as outpatient programs. A 12-step recovery support group like Alcoholics Anonymous might be more adequate for others.
Depression
Depression is bi-directional with substance abuse, meaning that depression is more likely to cause people to abuse substances, as well as substance abuse is likely to cause depression. Around one third of substance abusers suffer from depression, but they don’t have to battle their depression alone. As previously mentioned, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can always be called 24/7, and there are numerous treatment options to move forward with from there.
Behavioral Disorders
Like learning disabilities, many scholarly articles also discuss the connection between behavioral disorders and substance abuse. People sometimes turn to alcohol or drugs to cope with their emotional problems, which can turn into a dangerous addiction. Using alcohol or drugs can also cause symptoms of depression as well as other mental health issues. Treatment of the behavioral disorder and the substance abuse dually is critical to combat the addiction.
Counseling
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, both group and individual counseling is the most common form of treatment for alcohol or drug addiction. Counseling oftentimes goes hand in hand with other types of treatment, and can be greatly useful for assisting a recovering addict in maintaining long-term abstinence.
Domestic Violence
Unfortunately, substance abuse and domestic violence often go hand in hand, with the victims mostly being women. A victim of domestic violence is also more likely to turn to substance abuse themselves. This all obviously affects the victims, but it can also greatly affect any children that may be involved. Substance and domestic violence issues need to be treated simultaneously, and there are resources to help the abuser do so. There can be a light at the end of the tunnel for both the abuser and the abused, but help need to be sought.
Drug Treatment
In a recent study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, it was reported that 2.2 million Americans received treatment for drug addiction in 2013. There are always options like self-help programs, inpatient and outpatient hospital programs, rehab, and various other successful treatment options. It is important to remember that drug addictions can be deadly and that you are not your addiction.
Family Counseling
Substance abusers often hurt more than themselves. Family members must remember to care for their own mental health because they often have to constantly endure the abuser’s behavior. This can be difficult without any professional help. Family counselors are an important resource to consider because they specialize in helping to heal the whole family’s issues, not just the substance abuser’s.
Homelessness
Sometimes substance abuse can even cause people to lose their homes. For example, an extreme substance abuser could get kicked out by their family or friends, or even lose their job and no longer be able to afford both their addictions and housing costs. Until a person can get back on their feet, there are numerous solutions for them to turn to.
Learning Disabilities
Many scholarly articles discuss the connection between learning disabilities and substance abuse. When trying to prevent those with learning disabilities from developing substance abuse issues, an early diagnosis is simply the best start. It is important for those seeking treatment to seek a dual diagnosis recovery program. Some options often include 30, 60, or 90-day inpatient programs, as well as outpatient programs.
Mental Health
Mental health issues often coincide with substance abuse issues. People often internalize their struggles out of fear that they will be seen as weak, be negatively labeled, or several other possible reasons. Once individuals are prepared to address their issues, seeing a therapist could be a great option. Talking to an objective professional about what you are going through can be a huge stress reliever and the key to overcoming your struggles. You never have to suffer alone.
Physical Therapy
An opioid addiction frequently begins with an injured person becoming addicted to their prescribed pain medications. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, prescriptions for opioid painkillers have nearly tripled between 1991 and 2011 in the United States, which has obviously contributed to the opioid addiction crisis. A person’s bodily pain may be relieved with physical therapy, which may also help any mental health issues that could be helping to fuel an addiction.
Psychological Treatment
As previously mentioned, seeing a therapist is a wonderful option for substance abusers to talk to an objective professional about what they are going through. There are new treatment techniques for drug and alcohol addictions that have developed from emerging research in psychological therapy. Motivational enhancement therapy aims for “rapid and internally motivated change,” while contingency management interventions utilizes rewards for maintaining abstinence.
Rehab
Alcohol or drug abuse rehabilitation is an ongoing process that typically involves a combination of treatments. Success can be difficult to define and even increasingly difficult to measure. Luckily, the United States is home to more than 14,500 specialized drug treatment facilities that are helping addicts move forward as productive members of our society.