With world-class festivals, fantastic golf courses, museums, and beaches that bring in travelers from all over the world, West Palm Beach, Florida, is in a league of its own. Residents and tourists alike can’t get enough of this gorgeous city that truly has something for everyone.
While most people spend their days lounging on the beach or hitting the links, there is a more sinister side to West Palm Beach that many people know. It’s the side where drug and alcohol abuse runs rampant. If you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, it’s hard to enjoy your surroundings.
You can’t escape your addiction, but you can confront it by entering a drug and alcohol rehab facility near West Palm Beach, FL.
Alcohol Abuse in West Palm Beach, Florida
Alcohol is a significant problem in West Palm Beach, Florida. It’s estimated that almost 13 percent of residents in West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Florida, are binge drinkers. This has led to a spike in traffic deaths. Between 2014 and 2015, alcohol-related traffic fatalities in Palm Beach County increased by 58 percent. In the same year, one third of people who were admitted into an addiction treatment program reported alcohol as their primary substance. The community has also seen a rise in criminal acts and homelessness due to alcoholism.
Many people don’t realize they have a problem until it’s too late. They end up behind bars or lose their lives due to a drunk-driving accident or other issues related to alcoholism. It’s critical to look for signs of addiction, such as:
- Temporary blackouts
- Drinking alone
- Making excuses to drink
- Choosing alcohol over friends, family, and obligations
- Developing withdrawal symptoms when you don’t drink
If you think your drinking has become a problem, seek treatment. A rehabilitation facility can help you get your life back.
Drug Abuse in West Palm Beach, Florida
Florida is known as ground zero for the opioid epidemic. For years, people could walk into one of the pill mills and get prescription drugs as long as they had enough cash. The pill mills have closed down, but the opioid epidemic is still in full swing. Between 2015 and 2016 there was a 185% increase in opioid related deaths in Palm Beach County. Many people who started with prescription pills have turned to heroin, and heroin-related deaths are on the rise.
In 2016, 571 Palm Beach County residents died of a heroin overdose. That is an increase of 110 percent when compared to 2015.
Heroin is just part of the problem. West Palm Beach is also dealing with a fentanyl crisis. This synthetic opioid is 80-100 times stronger than morphine, and residents now realize just how deadly it is.
In 2016, 313 West Palm Beach residents died of a fentanyl overdose. That same year, 158 people died by overdosing on fentanyl analogs. Carfentanil is the most dangerous of the analogs available right now, and it is incredibly deadly.
While some people choose to take fentanyl or fentanyl-analogs, accidental use is more common. Drug dealers use fentanyl and fentanyl analogs to cut cocaine, heroin, and other street drugs. The fentanyl used is rarely prescription-grade. Instead, Chinese chemicals are used to manufacture fentanyl in Mexico. Illicitly-made substances are even more dangerous, creating a crisis of epic proportions.
Alcohol and Drug Detox
If you have a drug or alcohol problem, you likely feel hopeless. You might think you are too far gone to get help, but that isn’t the case. Our drug and alcohol detox center near West Palm Beach, FL, can help you turn your life around.
When you enter our facility, a compassionate intake counselor will immediately put you at ease. The counselor will ask you a series of questions about your drug or alcohol use history, and you will undergo a medical and mental health exam.
After your evaluation, your care team will determine if you are physically addicted to drugs or alcohol. If you are, you will begin your journey at our detox center. It’s located on Lakeview Health’s beautiful campus. You will get settled in, and your care team will help you through the process every step of the way.
You’ve likely heard some frightening details about detox, but that’s because far too many people try to navigate the process on their own. Our team will use medications and counseling to help you manage the symptoms. Medications can reduce symptoms like anxiety while decreasing cravings. While the medications get to work, a counselor will help you deal with the emotions that come to the surface as the substance leaves your system.
Once you are stabilized, it will be time to prepare for treatment. A counselor or doctor will go over your treatment plan with you so that you will know exactly what to expect on the next leg of your journey.
Alcohol and Drug Rehab
Our drug and alcohol treatment center near West Palm Beach, FL, is not your average rehabilitation facility. You likely expect it to look like a hospital and have a cold, clinical feel. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to see the warm, inviting setting with ample spaces for rest, relaxation, and making new friends. Public spaces include a recreation area, a fitness center, a swimming pool, and common areas with comfortable furniture. You will also have access to a semi-private room you can use to decompress after a day full of treatment and activities.
While you will have ample downtime during your stay at Lakeview Health, you will also undergo at least six hours of customized treatment each day. Treatment might include:
- Expressive therapy groups
- Process groups
- Life trauma groups
- Family therapy
- Meditation therapy
You will also have individual therapy, as well as phone therapy sessions with family members if needed. Also, Lakeview Health understands the importance of wellness activities to round out your treatment schedule. Activities like yoga are used to help patients recover from drug or alcohol addiction.
We take a gender-specific approach to treatment, so your group will consist of people of your gender. You will also stay in a gender-specific section of the facility, meaning you will live with men if you are a man or with women if you are a woman.
We find that gender-specific treatment makes it easier for men and women to process their emotions, identify their triggers, and overcome their addictions.
Treatment for Co-Occurring Conditions
Many of the people who check into Lakeview Health aren’t just fighting a substance abuse issue. They are also dealing with a mental health disorder. This is called a co-occurring condition, and it can make you feel lost and hopeless.
There was a time when the medical community believed that co-occurring conditions had to be treated separately. The belief was you had to overcome your substance abuse issue before getting treatment for your mental health condition. That is the old way of thinking, and it’s been proven wrong. Now, medical professionals realize that it is important to treat co-occurring conditions at the same time. Addressing your mental health and substance abuse disorders together is the best way to stabilize your mood and help you stop abusing substances.
Lakeview Health offers medical and psychiatric care onsite. Our team of professionals will work together to develop a treatment plan that addresses your substance abuse and your mental health problems, such as: