Alcoholism is a serious problem all over the United States, but there is no denying that it has become an even bigger problem in the State of Colorado. So many people there have a need for alcohol rehab, and a lot of them do not realize it. It is difficult to say why it has become so rampant, but it is possible that it can be attributed to the drug’s availability; as long as they are old enough to purchase it.
Alcohol’s availability tends to cause people to view it as safe. However, once you take a look at the statistics, it is easy to see where it is quite possibly one of the more dangerous substances on the market.
Alcohol rehab offers an opportunity for those who are addicted to stop drinking with the right kind of professional support. The problem is that many people do not realize that it often requires alcoholism treatment before they can begin their recoveries.
Perhaps you feel the same way. You may know you drink too much because you feel the effects of it the next day, but you have never really thought about it as being a big problem for you. So many people fall into this category, and they do not see a need for alcohol addiction treatment. A few of the questions you might need answers to include:
Getting answers to these questions will help you know how you should proceed with getting help for your addiction. You do not have to continue living your life struggling with alcoholism, and if you get professional help, you will see that recovery is possible.
Home › Drug Information › Colorado Addiction Information InformationThe State of Colorado is an amazing place to live. The people are so friendly, and the state itself is home to many growing tech companies that are paving the way for the future. The word “Colorado” means “ruddy,” and more than 5,400,000 people live there. Most of the Southern Rocky Mountain range is located in Colorado, which makes for some breathtaking views. It is no wonder hiking, biking, rock climbing and other major outdoor sports and activities are so popular in Colorado. But, the state is also home to deserts, plains and canyons.
Colorado is a very popular state for college students because of the incredible educational possibilities there, as well as because of the many employment opportunities. Colorado State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and the University of Colorado Boulder are just some of the options available to college students who are looking for stellar educational institutions as the enter the next phases of their lives.
In addition, Colorado is home to more than 2 million families and almost 160,000 employers. It is truly not surprising that the population of Colorado grows every single year.
It is clear that something needs to be done to help improve these statistics. Far too many people are experiencing legal problems, most likely having medical issues, or dying because of alcohol.
Unfortunately, people in Colorado often do not get the recovery help they need. There are so many who struggle because of alcohol use disorder, but going to rehab is not something people always consider. They may think that treatment is only for people who are worse off than they are, or that they can recover on their own.
According to data collected by SAMHSA in 2017:
Additionally, there were many people who needed to go to rehab because of alcohol use disorder:
All in all, only about half the people in Colorado who need treatment for alcoholism ever get the help they need to recover.
Maybe you realize that alcohol has become a problem for you, and you need to stop drinking. It is wonderful that you have come to that conclusion, if that is the case. But, most people tend to want to try quitting their use of alcohol on their own, and then if they are not able to, they will consider getting professional help. This can lead to dangerous consequences.
It is not uncommon for people to experience medical complications when they try to quit drinking on their own; even if they have only been struggling with alcoholism for a fairly short period of time. Heart issues can develop when you suddenly stop drinking, and you could experience heart palpitations or even a heart attack. However, the most dangerous complication that can occur is Delirium Tremens or DTs.
DTs refers to a condition that occurs in withdrawal, and it mostly affects alcoholics. You may experience tremors, hallucinations, disorientation and/or anxiety if you have DTs. Statistics show that more than 5% of people who quit drinking on their own will experience this condition, and they may even have seizures. In fact, 5-25% of people who have DTs will die from them.
Other common withdrawal symptoms than can occur if you stop drinking alcohol cold turkey include:
It can be so dangerous to stop drinking on your own, but most people find that they are not able to get past the initial withdrawal phase on their own without professional help.
Going to an alcohol rehab center can help to equip you with the knowledge you need to empower your quit. But what is even more important is the fact that they can address your withdrawal symptoms and assist you with alleviating them.
Read great recovery stories, learn about the latest treatments, and find out how addiction affects yourself and your loved ones in our blog.
Read Our BlogAlcoholism can be defined as continuing to drink alcohol despite the negative consequences. It is possible that you do not really think of yourself as an alcoholic. You enjoy drinking, and you drink frequently, but you have never thought of it as being something that required treatment.
There are certain symptoms of alcoholism that you can look for to determine whether or not you are just heavy drinker, or if you are someone who would benefit from going to rehab. They include:
Any of these indicators is a clear sign that you have a problem, and you should talk with someone who can offer you guidance on what your next step should be. Alcohol treatment centers are prepared to help those who suffer from alcoholism, and they are the best way to get the help you need.
Because the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are so severe, and because there is the potential for dangerous medical complications, it is important to talk with a professional about alcohol detox. This is recommended for almost everyone who struggles with this type of addiction because it is so effective. There are a few different methods that are commonly used when you go to a detoxification center.
Medication-Centered Alcohol Detox – Medications can be a very effective way to alleviate and minimize the severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. This is often referred to as medical detox, and while it is beneficial, it should not be the only method that is used. Today, there are some really good medications on the market for treating alcohol withdrawal. One of them is called Vivitrol, and it is a drug that has proven to be quite effective when used properly. Unlike other medications, there is also no risk of a secondary addiction forming.
Holistic Alcohol Detox – Holistic alcohol detox is considered to be an excellent solution to help patients through their withdrawal symptoms. This method does not use medication in any form, and it relies on a more natural way of detoxification.
Research has shown that the human body is actually a really good detox system all on its own. However, it has to be given the right tools in order to detox itself effectively. This generally means that by improving your diet, and giving your body the vitamins and nutrients it needs, you can effectively go through an efficient alcohol detox without having to rely on medication. Talking with a nutritionist about your diet will help you understand what things need to change in order to help your body do what it was designed to do. In addition, regular physical exercise will also speed up the detox phase, and move toxins out of your body quicker.
When most people think about getting help for their addictions, inpatient rehab is the first thing that comes to their minds. That is because it is considered to be the “gold standard” method of treatment.
When you go to inpatient treatment, you have the opportunity to get away from the stress you experience in your everyday life. Maybe your addiction is causing problems for you with your family, or perhaps you are struggling at work, which only causes you to drink more as a way to escape those feelings of aggravation. Attending an inpatient program removes you from these or any other situations you are facing, and allows you to focus on getting better.
When you have never been to alcohol addiction treatment before, it is difficult to know what you can expect. Fear of the unknown can easily cause you to even avoid reaching out for help. There is no need to fear. Rehab programs are designed to make you feel right at home and comfortable. You will experience:
This is a question that a lot of people have, and the short answer to it is yes, it is. It is normal to feel like you are ready to move on with your life after you have gone through the detox phase. Your withdrawal symptoms are more under control, and you feel better both physically and mentally. But the reality is that there is still so much more work that needs to be done.
Going to alcohol rehab allows you the opportunity to talk with professionals who can help you determine what caused your alcoholism. It could be that you started drinking as a way to cope with a terrible situation you have faced. Drinking might help you deal with stress. The vast majority of alcoholics actually drink because they are trying to self-medicate away the symptoms of a mental health issue. This is called having a co-occurring disorder.
Co-occurring disorders are very common among people who battle all types of addictions. Alcoholics often have them, and most of them do not realize it. This type of condition can go undiagnosed for years because people “treat” their symptoms with substances.
For example, some common co-occurring disorders include:
Ignoring any of these conditions is a sure-fire way to ensure that a person will relapse. It is vital to treat them while the addiction is being treated. This is called receiving dual diagnosis treatment. The individual will have a much better chance of experiencing long-term recovery.
If you have looked online to find alcohol rehab centers near you, it is possible that you have come up with a long list that is difficult to choose from. In fact, according to the SAMHSA Rehab Finder tool, there are more than 400 of them in Colorado alone. It can be pretty confusing to look at that list because you are just not sure what you should be looking for. However, you should search for facilities that:
One of the reasons people worry about going to rehab is that they wonder if it will work for them. They may have known others who have gotten treatment in the past and ended up going right back to using again. This is a valid concern, but the effectiveness of rehab has more to do with the type of program you invest in.
A high quality treatment center will address your needs as a patient, specifically. They do not give the same treatment plans to every patient who walks through the door. They take the time to listen to what your needs are on an individual basis. Once they understand your addiction, they will take the proper steps to put together a treatment plan that will benefit you.
When this type of time and attention is given to patients, overall success rates are very high. This is why it is so important for you to find a quality rehab center that will address your specific needs.
People often say that they do not want to go to rehab because they are afraid it will not be effective for them. They may have known someone in the past who tried going to rehab and did not do well with the program. Or they may simply have negative thoughts about professional treatment in general.
It is important to take a look at the statistics to find out just how effective going to rehab can be. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, treating an addiction results in similar statistical outcomes as treating other types of diseases.
40%-60% of people who go to rehab will end up relapsing. This is slightly more than the number of people who relapse while receiving treatment for Type I Diabetes (30%-50%). It is slightly less than people receiving treatment for hypertension and asthma (both are between 50% and 70%).
40%-60% might seem like a lot, but that also means that 40%-60% of people who get professional treatment are successful. Just like with other diseases, ongoing treatment is essential for a positive long-term outcome.
A lot of people who live in Colorado who need alcohol rehab will start by looking at what is available locally. While there are some stellar programs in the state, attending a treatment center that is close to home is not always the best idea. In fact, it might be better to leave your hometown to get help if you are an alcoholic.
Of course, there are some benefits to going to rehab near where you live in Colorado. Your friends and family will be able to visit you regularly, and you will be in a familiar area. But those benefits might come at a pretty big cost.
The reason you are choosing to get treatment is because you want your life to change. Quite often, this means that you need to make some drastic adjustments to your life early on. It might mean re-establishing yourself in a new community that you will eventually call home. Or, it might simply mean taking some time away so that you can really focus on your recovery.
The choice is completely up to you. But more often than not, people are happy they made the decision to leave Colorado to get help for their addictions; even if it was just for a short time.
People who have been diagnosed with alcohol use disorder should strongly consider getting ongoing support. A 28-day stay at a rehab facility is important, but it should not be the end of the road. Unfortunately, there is no cure for alcoholism. But there are many ways to treat it and help people remain in recovery.
Avoiding a relapse is easier with ongoing support. Of course, as time goes on, the levels of care that are required will change. For example, people who finish a 28-day inpatient program generally transition into a lower level of care afterward. They might move into an intensive outpatient program for several weeks, or they may be ready for outpatient therapy and AA meetings.
It can be challenging to think of alcohol addiction as a life-long battle. It is something that most people would rather just put behind them. But with the right mindset, it can be done. There is so much to gain from continuing to get support, including the ability to remain sober.
There is no denying that the cost of alcohol treatment is often a deterrent for a lot of people who need it. Many people just assume that they cannot afford to go to rehab, so they do not even consider it to be an option. If that has always been your understanding, this is information you need to know.
Your health insurance company is required by law to provide you with addiction treatment benefits. This is because of The Affordable Care Act, which was passed in 2010. This law offers you protection, and it means that you can get help paying for both detox and rehab. Depending on the type of treatment you need, it may even be covered in full.
If you do not have health insurance, there are some other steps you can take. You may want to start by visiting HealthCare.gov to shop for a policy. Your local Department of Social Services can be an excellent resource for you as well.
If neither of these will work for you, it might be worth considering other options to help cover the cost of treatment. There may be a close family member who would be willing to help you. Some community centers offer scholarship programs, and it is even possible to go to rehab on a grant offered by SAMHSA.
Where there is a will, there is a way. If you have the desire to go to treatment, there is a way to make it happen for you.
There could be any number of reasons a person might not be able to physically go to alcohol rehab in Colorado. These include:
If you are going to take the time to go to alcohol rehab, you only want to invest in one of the best treatment programs you can find. That might mean attending detox and rehab outside of your home state of Colorado.
Here at Northpoint Recovery, we offer you a smaller population of patients and inpatient alcohol rehab services that incorporate the most modern treatment methods. Our staff members always treat each patient as an individual with his or her own needs, because that is what you are. Your addiction is going to be different from another patient’s, and so you will receive a treatment plan that addresses your needs specifically.
Sometimes one of the hardest things you can do is reach out and admit that you have an addiction that you are powerless to beat on your own. However, when you choose Northpoint Recovery, you will be choosing to partner with a team of professionals who only have your best interests at heart. Together, we are confident that we can help you overcome your addiction and find the freedom you are looking for.
To learn more about how we can help you, or to get started with your alcohol rehab right away, please contact us today.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states that alcohol use disorder is, “A chronic relapsing brain disorder characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences.”
It is estimated that all across the United States, 15 million people have alcohol use disorder. In Colorado, 20.8% of adults admit to regular, excessive drinking behaviors. That number is slightly higher than it was in 2015, when it was 19%.
Getting diagnosed with alcohol use disorder means meeting the criteria for AUD as it is outlined in the DSM-5. That criteria is:
The CDC defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings your blood alcohol level (BAC) to 0.08 g/dl or above. This can happen when people consume a lot of alcohol within a short timeframe. For men, it means consuming 5 or more drinks within about 2 hours. For women, it is consuming 4 or more drinks within 2 hours. Binge drinking is known to be the most common, deadly and expensive pattern of excessive alcohol use in our country.
But interestingly enough, most people who participate in binge drinking behaviors do not have alcohol use disorder. But some do, and anyone who binges on alcohol has a higher risk of being diagnosed with AUD in the future.
Consider the following statistics:
In general, alcoholism is caused by alcohol abuse. When a person drinks excessively, and this becomes a pattern, their body and brain begins to believe that they need to drink. This is because of the internal changes that can occur with this type of behavior. But it is important to dig a little deeper to determine what causes some people to become alcoholics and not others.
One study has found that when testing the potential for alcohol addiction in rats, those that became addicted had an impaired brain mechanism that is similar to what is seen in alcoholic humans post-mortem. The faulty mechanism is the failure to clear away GABA, which inhibits brain cell signaling in the central amygdala. This part of the brain is most concerned with emotion, learning, motivation and memory. The same has been observed happening within the human brain.
But there are other causes as well. It is usually a blend of physical, psychological, genetic, social and environmental factors. A person’s chances of becoming an alcoholic are as much as four times greater if one of their parents is also an alcoholic.
There are three different medications that have been approved by the FDA to treat alcohol use disorder. They are:
A lot of people believe that because they do not have health insurance, they cannot go to rehab. But that is not the case at all. It is possible to go to rehab in Colorado without health insurance and not pay anything for treatment at all. This is made possible because of grant money that is offered through SAMHSA each year.
This grant money can be used for both alcohol detox and rehab programs in Colorado. People must meet certain criteria in order to qualify.
Two types of rehab programs that are available in Colorado are public and private treatment centers. Both can offer effective treatment, but they are very different as far as their approaches go.
Public rehab programs are open to accepting more patients than private ones. In fact, their patient loads are often excessive, which is not always desirable. But many do offer excellent care, and a lot of people have recovered successfully with public rehab.
Private rehab facilities tend to be smaller, and they usually have a smaller patient population too. The patients get more time with staff members because of their size. They are also much more likely to have personalized treatment plans. They offer a more home-like atmosphere (as opposed to public rehabs, which often look more like hospitals) and some many even offer luxurious amenities.
Yes, there are several sober living homes in Colorado, and we wish more people knew about this treatment option. Sober living can be life-changing for people who have recently completed an inpatient alcohol treatment program. They allow people to stay for several months at a time and give them safe places to live while they are in recovery.
After rehab, too many people return to toxic environments at home that only facilitate their next relapse. Sober living requires residents to follow specific rules to prevent them from relapsing. It can be a great source of support.
Our admissions coordinators are here to help you get started with treatment the right way. They'll verify your health insurance, help set up travel arrangements, and make sure your transition into treatment is smooth and hassle-free.
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