The rate of alcohol and substance abuse in the US remains as concerning as ever, with over 48.5 million people fighting the complex disease in the past year, per the United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).
Alcohol maintains its spot as the fifth leading cause of preventable death, while over 100,000 Americans die from substance overdoses every year. That’s equivalent to one person dying of a drug-related cause every five minutes.
In the Prairie State, the situation is similarly grim, with the Illinois Department of Health reporting 3,908 overdose fatalities just in 2022, nearly 10% increase from the previous year.
Alcohol abuse in Illinois residents is just as alarming. There had been 21,975 documented DUI arrests in 2022, and the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS) attributes alcohol to over 5,000 annual deaths in the state.
Addiction is a complicated behavioral health issue that plagues millions worldwide. If you or any of your loved ones are living with substance use disorder (SUD) in Fairview Heights, it’s crucial to seek expert help and support services.
Educating yourself about substance addiction is a vital step toward recovery. Here’s everything you should know about how SUD affects your life and the best treatment options available.
Table of Contents
The Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Addiction changes the person’s brain in ways that could have a lasting impact on their cognitive and physical health. It does this by hijacking the central nervous system’s reward mechanism, causing powerful dopamine floods, and prompting continued drug use.
Over time, the body gets used to functioning with the substance, and quitting results in intense cravings and uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there.
Tolerance and Dependence
Substance use disorder can result in various health and behavioral problems. Blackouts, poisoning, overdose, and death are all well-documented possible results of unrestrained drug and alcohol use.
Tolerance and dependence are also well-known results of regular and long-term drug ingestion. When someone becomes tolerant, that means their body has adapted to the substance and requires higher doses to get the same effects.
People who have developed a higher tolerance, particularly with opioid drugs, have an increased likelihood of dependence, addiction, and overdose.
Dependence, on the other hand, is when the individual starts to depend on their drinking or drug use to function normally. When this happens, they need to keep taking the substance to prevent uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.
It’s worth noting dependence doesn’t necessarily mean addiction.
Dependence just means your body has gotten used to the drugs, without the compulsive behavioral pattern attributed to substance use disorder. In fact, some prescription drugs are known to cause dependence.
Health and Behavioral Issues
Apart from drug dependence, chronic addiction can also result in serious health complications, especially for people with a dual diagnosis or a co-occurring disorder. These consequences can be short-term or long-term, depending on the type of drug.
- Alcohol: As a depressant, excessive alcohol drinking can have negative behavioral outcomes, such as physical injuries and violent tendencies. People with AUD are more likely to have cardiovascular, liver, and digestive issues.
- Marijuana: The chemical compounds in cannabis have been linked to mental health illnesses, including schizophrenia, anxiety, and paranoia, as well as asthma, bronchitis, and mouth, throat, tongue, and lung cancer.
- Cocaine: A powerful stimulant, cocaine use can result in overstimulation of important organs, and could lead to seizures, brain hemorrhage, stroke, heart attack, and miscarriage for pregnant women.
- Ecstasy: Heavy MDMA use is attributed to severe memory loss, depression, and anxiety. Typical effects can include overheating, dehydration, confusion, paranoia, and psychosis.
- Amphetamine: Amphetamine use may result in lethargy and confusion, as well as high blood pressure and a heart attack. Others reported contracting infectious diseases like hepatitis and HIV from injecting the stimulant.
The specific effects can vary from one person to another. Your age, body size, mood, and the amount of drugs taken can all contribute to the severity of the repercussions. Using drugs together with alcohol also compounds the risks of overdose and death.
If you suspect yourself or someone else near you is experiencing an overdose, promptly call your local helpline (911) for immediate medical assistance.
Identifying SUD Risk Factors
Substance misuse is prevalent among Illinois youth. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS), about 61% of high school students in Illinois had experimented with alcohol, and 36% had tried using illicit drugs.
Peer pressure is a significant factor for teens and young adults using alcohol and drugs. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing found that over 21% of teenage substance use has been caused by social influence.
Youth who experienced neglect, academic failure, mental health disorders, and abuse as children also face a higher risk of turning to drinking or drug use.
Recent studies indicate that some people may be more predisposed to developing SUD. Individuals with family members who have a history of chronic substance misuse are twice as likely to fall into similar behavioral patterns.
Recognizing Early Signs of Addiction
Recognizing signs of addiction early on is crucial to administering effective interventions. These initial red flags can include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Noticeable changes in behavior, such as loss of interest in their hobbies or something they used to care about.
- Neglecting their relationships and withdrawing socially from friends and loved ones.
- Missing important commitments and obligations, resulting in poor work or academic performance.
- Engaging in risky situations and behaviors to get more of the substance.
- Thinking of getting the substance all the time.
- Being secretive and lying about the amount of drugs they take.
- Someone developing an addiction may start spending more money on drugs even though they can’t afford it.
A person with chronic addiction is often aware of the harm their drug misuse brings. They may try to stop using but fail on several occasions. At this stage, support from loved ones can be invaluable in encouraging them to seek help.
Evidence-based Treatment Services For Substance Use Disorder
Drug rehab centers, also known as addiction treatment centers, offer comprehensive evidence-based programs for SUD and its comorbid illnesses. Depending on the level of care you need, they may offer one or more of the following interventions:
Detox and Medication
Withdrawal is a dangerous phase of substance abuse treatment, which is why most recovery centers make supervised detoxification in secure treatment facilities a key first step.
Detox expels the substance from your system. The process can take anywhere from a week to several months, depending on the type, amount, frequency, and duration of your drug use.
Some people can experience acute withdrawal accompanied by a variety of physical problems, ranging from moderate flu-like symptoms to severe seizures and death. To ensure safer withdrawal, healthcare providers prescribe medication to alleviate these symptoms.
Mental Health Services
Addiction is a mental health issue. Counseling and talk therapy are standard in most drug and alcohol rehab programs to identify and address the underlying causes of substance use.
Talk therapy as a mental health treatment can be done individually or in groups. Both solo and group therapy can help offer insight, guidance, and support for recovering SUD patients.
Inpatient Treatment vs Outpatient Treatment
SUD treatment programs typically fall under two categories: outpatient and residential treatment.
Inpatient drug and alcohol treatment means you need to be admitted to a controlled facility, where they provide round-the-clock emotional and medical support. This type of rehab is primarily applied to more serious cases of SUD.
Outpatient programs, on the other hand, are more flexible and don’t require the patient to stay in a controlled environment. It’s a lower level of care suitable for people who prefer to continue working while receiving support and guidance.
A typical residential care lasts anywhere from 60 to 90 days or more, depending on individual needs. Outpatient interventions are shorter and less frequent, lasting 45 to 60 days of 3 to 6 hours daily treatment.
Aftercare and Relapse Prevention
Aftercare refers to services offered after completing inpatient and outpatient addiction recovery programs. These initiatives aim to help the recovering SUD patients transition back to community life, lowering the risk of relapse.
Common examples of aftercare are sober living houses (SLHs), 12-step programs, and continued care for rehab alumni.
Bottom Line: Drug and Alcohol Addiction Support Services In Illinois
One of the hallmarks of substance use disorder is its ability to isolate the person from society, making it difficult to reach out for help. But you’re not alone, and recovery may not be as far as you think.
Illinois Recovery Center offers holistic treatment programs for drug and alcohol addiction. We serve Illinois communities, including Fairview Heights, Belleville, Caseyville, Edwardsville, and Granite City across St.Louis.
Message us to verify your HMO, Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, or other health insurance coverage. Take the step towards lifelong healing today!
