It is an unfortunate fact that many millions of Americans today are addicted to drugs and alcohol, and some of them may be as young as 12 years old. Being addicted to such substances may put a serious strain on that person’s finances, since they may lose their job and spend all their money on fueling their habit. That, and drug addiction often alienates friends and family, and can radically alter a person’s personality and behavior. Fortunately, the medical industry today is always ready and willing to help Americans who are addicted to heroin or addicted to opioids, as well as anonymous programs for recovering alcoholics. Heroin treatment may take the form of methadone, a legal drug that can help ease an addict out of their opioid habit. Someone interested in this can search “methadone centers chicago” to find a clinic that offers these services, and searching “methadone centers chicago” can be refined with a nearby ZIP code if need be. As well as “methadone centers chicago”, a seeker might look for “detox centers near me” if they want.
Americans and Drug Abuse
Many statistics and surveys are kept performed or tracked to monitor the overall health of Americans, and this includes the use, or abuse, of drugs and alcohol. Tragically, abusing drugs can often lead to death, as drug overdoses are fairly common, such as with opioids. In 2015, for a recent example, drug overdoses ranked as the leading cause of accidental death among Americans, claiming 52,404 lives in that year. Often, Americans start abusing heroin or opioids with a legal and over-the-counter painkiller prescription that gets out of control. Even adolescents sometimes end up abusing these substances, and a heroin habit often grows into a full-blown addiction in many cases. The good news is that friends and family may launch an intervention for an addict, and sometimes addicts might even seek recovery on their own accord. Either way, a drug user may not have to look far to find treatment.
Kicking a Drug Habit
Residents of Chicago, Illinois may use a broad search online for treatment, such as “methadone centers chicago” or “detox centers in chicago il” to find local clinics. What might happen when a drug addict visits one of these clinics? Methadone may be one such solution. For those not familiar, methadone is a legal drug that can be prescribed over the counter by a doctor, and this drug can help ease a heroin or opioid addict out of their habit smoothly and relatively painlessly. As long as the patient takes care to not develop a methadone addiction in place of the opioid problem, the addict may put themselves on a secure road to recovery, and they may visit doctors for checkups on their progress. When used properly, methadone can do a lot of good, and clinics offering this treatment might be close by. An addict may be encouraged to find one and make use of its services.
There is another option: detox centers. When a drug addict has resolved to kick their habit and gain a clean lifestyle, that person must first clear their body of all drugs before they can start rehab in earnest. This means going through an unpleasant but necessary process of detoxing, and the time frame may vary based on the drugs being used. But this should not be attempted alone in the privacy of one’s residency. Why not? If detoxing is attempted in private, the addict may succumb to the temptation to use their drugs again to escape the discomfort, undoing the entire process. What is more, detoxing may have some risky side effects, and an addict may be in serious trouble if there are no medical professionals on hand to help.
Thus, an addict may visit a detox center, where they will spend a few nights detoxing while under the supervision of medical staff. These staff can provide any support needed during this process and ensure the patient’s safety. Once the patient is clean, they may undergo therapy and rehab, learning to embrace a new, drug-free lifestyle. This may involve some emotional support and validation from friends and family, as well as from the counselors and therapists themselves.
