From the Cascade Range mountains to the Puget Sound, this Pacific Northwest state’s natural splendor provides a breathtaking backdrop for the state’s cultural achievements. Despite this abundant beauty, drug and alcohol abuse continues to tear apart the lives of countless Washington residents each year.
The good news is that Washington addiction treatment programs provide compassionate and comprehensive treatment services to help these individuals regain a healthy, sober life.
Washington Substance Abuse Statistics
Methamphetamine and opioid abuse rates run high in Washington. To combat these and other forms of drug abuse, Washington addiction awareness and drug prevention efforts offer hope for all ages and walks of life.
The Opioid Epidemic
Even though total opioid overdose death rates have somewhat stabilized in Washington, opioid drug abuse remains a potentially deadly practice for all who abuse these substances.
Unlike many areas of the country, prescription opioid overdose deaths declined in Washington in recent years. However, deaths from heroin and synthetic opioids increased.
Heroin and synthetic opioid-related overdose deaths as reported by the Washington State Department of Health:
- In 2006 there were 53 heroin overdose deaths, compared to at least 287 in 2016—a 441.5 percent increase.
- In 2006 there were 51 synthetic opioid overdose deaths, compared to at least 87 in 2016, for an increase of almost 71 percent.
Opioid drug abuse can cause a variety of serious medical problems. These include neonatal abstinence syndrome and transmissible diseases contracted through injection drug abuse, such as HIV/AIDs and hepatitis C.
Illicit And Prescription Drug Abuse
Methamphetamine, cocaine, and benzodiazepines (Ativan, Valium, Xanax) are abused at high rates in Washington. In King County, which includes Seattle, overdose deaths have hit a record high. This trend includes increased overdose deaths caused by these substances. From 2011 to 2016, methamphetamine-related deaths increased nearly 400 percent in King County, climbing from 20 fatalities to 98.
Methamphetamine is a problem throughout Washington, particularly among people who inject drugs. In Washington, meth is frequently abused by people who use heroin.
The University of Washington found that “over three-quarters (78%) of people whose main drug was heroin reported they had used methamphetamine by itself in the last three months and over half (52%) had used it in combination with heroin.”
Washington Outreach Programs
Battle Ground Public School’s Project AWARE grant is committed to improving mental health and decreasing drug use in Washington schools. This funding helps to increase access to community-based mental health services while also supporting clubs in schools that focus on drug-abuse prevention.
The publicly-funded Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative works in high-need communities to reduce and prevent substance abuse. These services are promoted in 39 counties and makeup 52 communities and nine educational service districts.
With high amounts of heroin abuse, Washington officials and community leaders continue to fight the dangers of injection drug abuse. As of January 2018, Washington had, 25 syringe exchange programs in 18 counties. These programs give people who inject drugs clean, sterile needles to reduce the transmission of bloodborne diseases.
Washington Addiction Treatment Programs
For a person living with addiction, life can be overwhelming and difficult to manage. On top of this, chronic drug and alcohol abuse can change the way a person’s body and brain function, making life even more stressful.
Customized Washington addiction treatment programs use targeted therapies to treat the physical and mental damage done by drugs or alcohol. Ideally, every step of a person’s recovery journey should be based on their individual needs. One way of achieving this is through a clinical assessment.
A clinical assessment determines the severity of the addiction, identifies any other factors that underlie the addiction and evaluate the way it’s changed a person’s life. This information helps treatment providers to build a customized treatment plan. When used within an individualized approach, the following services and therapies can increase a person’s odds of achieving long-term recovery.
Sometimes family members and close friends feel powerless to help a loved one who doesn’t see the damage that substance abuse is causing in their life.
Washington intervention services can help loved ones get their family member the help they need. In addition to planning and conducting the intervention, a professional interventionist will also help arrange to get the person to treatment.
Drug And Alcohol Detox Programs
Chronic drug abuse takes an immense toll on a person’s body and brain. The physical impact of addiction to certain substances is so intense that a person’s body becomes dependent on the drug. This can lead to withdrawal when substance use is stopped.
Withdrawal is very common among individuals who heavily abuse alcohol, benzodiazepines or opioid drugs. These are also the types of dependencies that are most frequently directed to a medically supported drug and alcohol detox due to sometimes life-threatening withdrawal symptoms.
Highly trained medical professionals constantly supervise patients during this time. Clinicians administer medications (such as Suboxone) as necessary to reduce or prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Inpatient Addiction Treatment
In a customized Washington inpatient addiction treatment program, a person will be guided to address areas of their life that need strengthening and healing.
A key aspect of successful addiction treatment is removing the negative thoughts, emotions and behaviors that contribute to substance abuse. Patients also learn how to make healthy decisions that improve their health, family lives, and careers.
Inpatient drug rehab centers provide intensive treatments and therapies that can help a person achieve these goals. Washington inpatient addiction treatment offers the most time in therapy so patients are better supported while developing lifelong relapse-prevention and sober-living skills.
Outpatient Addiction Treatment
Outpatient programs provide therapy and treatment services during the day, and patients return home or to a sober-living home in the evenings. Though some people find success in outpatient programs alone, outpatient drug rehab isn’t typically the best option for first-line addiction treatment. Instead, outpatient programs, including intensive outpatient programs, work best as a follow-up to an inpatient program.
Outpatient programs help a person to transition from the fully supported environment of a Washington residential program to independent life. This continuity of care helps to decrease the likelihood of relapse. Outpatient programs may also be a good option for people who need to brush up on recovery skills due to a setback in their recovery.
Aftercare And Alumni Services
Washington aftercare and alumni support services can help a person stay strong in the face of life’s challenges.
Peer support groups and alumni mentorship programs are two beneficial resources that help keep a person inspired and focused on their recovery. Some people have an easier time transitioning from a treatment program to independent, sober life by residing in a sober-living home after they complete treatment.
Specialized Washington Addiction Treatment Programs
Addiction treatment may be delivered in a traditional 12-step approach or a more holistically focused non-12-step format. Many Washington facilities also offer specialized programs for people with specific needs.
Medications are used with behavioral therapy to help deter substance use and maintain a drug-free life. Maintenance medications for opioid addictions include Buprenorphine (Suboxone) and methadone. Medications used to discourage alcohol use include disulfiram (Antabuse) and acamprosate (Campral).
Individuals with co-occurring disorders—both a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder—receive compassionate dual-diagnosis therapy that treats both conditions simultaneously.
These programs offer gender-specific therapies and therapy groups. Some Washington programs offer LGBTQIA-friendly programs for individuals in this community who seek help.
Washington Addiction Treatment Therapies
The following research-based addiction treatment therapies have shown great success in treating both substance use disorders and mental health disorders:
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
Because addiction can affect people on an individual, family and social level, these therapies are often delivered through a combination of individual, family and group sessions. This better ensures that a person learns transformative life skills so that they can heal and grow in every aspect challenged by addiction.
While these therapies can be impactful on their own, many individuals reach a greater level of personal development when they’re supported by alternative or holistic therapies. Stress is a major contributor to addiction and relapse. Some Washington addiction treatment programs offer mindfulness and stress-management classes, yoga, massage, acupuncture or other therapies that help a person’s body and brain to release stress.
Many treatment centers offer exciting nutritional and exercise programs to further improve overall wellness. In addition to these, some centers take advantage of Washington’s beautiful wilderness areas by offering equine, adventure or wilderness therapies.
Finding The Best Addiction Treatment Programs In Washington
Length Of Treatment
It can be tempting to choose a short-term program close to home, however, this format isn’t the best option for everyone. Shorter, 30-day programs can help a person achieve abstinence, however, many individuals have greater success in long-term programs. These more intensive programs range from 60, 90 and 120 days to a year or more.
Traveling For Treatment
A new environment, away from the triggers of a person’s old stomping grounds, can make it easier for an individual to focus on their treatment goals. Traveling to treatment can remove the temptation to spend time with people who use or leave treatment early. This can reduce the likelihood of relapse and improve the chances for long-term sobriety.
Paying For Treatment
Once a person determines their program length and location, they need to establish how they’re going to pay for treatment.
The following Washington health insurance plans may help a person cover some or all of the cost of addiction treatment:
- Asuris Northwest Health
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington
- Premera Blue Cross
- Regence BlueShield
Many Washington addiction treatment centers offer or accept scholarships and grants. In addition to these, treatment financing programs and sliding-scale fee structures based on income may help to make a person’s expenses more affordable.
Whatever the demands and background of a person’s life, a variety of Washington addiction treatment options exist that can help a person find the path to sobriety.
Addiction Campuses offers effective, compassionate treatment in several states across the country, and we can help people find the care they need—wherever they are.Article Sources