Despite being a bustling metropolis, Raleigh has many lush, tree-lined streets and numerous parks and green spaces. Raleigh is home to the North Carolina Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History and Museum of Natural Science. Other arts destinations in the city include the Carolina Ballet, the North Carolina Symphony, and the North Carolina Theatre.
Drug and alcohol use can deplete a person’s health and make it difficult for them to find meaning in their life and community. The most effective Raleigh addiction treatment programs will help a person find not just sobriety, but an improved quality of life.
Addiction Treatment In Raleigh, NC
Residents of Raleigh who struggle with drug or alcohol addiction can take comfort in knowing that comprehensive addiction treatment services exist in their community.
These services may be available for a person who:
- Is seeking treatment for the first time
- Has been enrolled in treatment before
- Has had multiple relapses
- Has a co-occurring mental health disorder
Individualized Raleigh treatment services reduce the likelihood of relapse and equip a person for the strongest recovery possible. This customized care treats the specific ways that each person has been affected by addiction. In Raleigh, these personalized services may include:
- Professional intervention services
- Medical detox programs
- Inpatient addiction treatment
- Outpatient addiction treatment
- Aftercare and alumni support services
Intervention Services
People put off treatment for a variety of reasons, but commonly it’s because a person is scared or because they don’t believe they need help. Raleigh intervention services can help to remove the fear, uncertainty or denial associated with addiction or addiction treatment.
A professional intervention helps families to confront the pain of addiction. The interventionist will guide family members in the most effective ways to communicate with their loved one throughout the intervention process. The interventionist will help families select treatment, so they can get their loved one help as soon as the intervention is successful.
Drug And Alcohol Detox Programs
A Raleigh medical detox program oversees and manages acute withdrawal symptoms. Without professional help, these symptoms, including cravings, can become so severe that a person relapses to end them. To reduce withdrawal symptoms and decrease the risk of relapse, medications may be used.
Inpatient Addiction Treatment
Every person who walks into a Raleigh inpatient drug rehab program has a different background, different needs, and different treatment goals. Treating each person with the same treatment plan ignores these unique factors in a way that could undermine a person’s recovery.
The most effective Raleigh inpatient rehab programs take time to get to know each client. Once treatment providers thoroughly understand a person and the ways addiction has altered their life, they can create an individualized treatment plan.
As part of this personalized care, a person should have an opportunity to take part in therapy or counseling sessions where they can discuss the issues that are most closely tied to the addiction. During these sessions, a person can troubleshoot and build positive solutions for the negative behaviors that fuel addiction.
Therapy and counseling sessions are generally offered in an individual, group or family setting. This grants a person the opportunity to build self-confidence and communication skills so they can succeed in all aspects of their life. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy are two research-based therapies that have proven effective when used to treat addiction.
The following specialized addiction inpatient treatment programs in Raleigh may be available:
- Adventure or wilderness therapy
- Art or music therapy
- Dual-diagnosis care
- Equine or pet therapy
- Executive or professional programs
- LGBTQIA+ friendly
- Gender-specific treatment
- 12-step groups and 12-step alternatives
- Faith-based or religious programs
Medication-assisted treatment programs are becoming one of the most critical types of specialized addiction treatment as North Carolina faces the opioid epidemic. These programs combine behavioral therapies and medication, such as Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone) or methadone, to treat opioid addiction.
Outpatient Addiction Treatment
When a person returns to their life after residential treatment, they may find it challenging. This adjustment period can be made easier by enrolling in an outpatient program.
When used as a transitional support tool, outpatient treatment helps a person to adjust to life after inpatient treatment. This offers support, continued access to treatment clinicians and protection against relapse.
Raleigh outpatient treatment options include traditional outpatient programs and intensive outpatient programs. These services may also be used to treat mild addiction or a minor relapse.
Aftercare And Alumni Services
Raleigh aftercare and alumni services can be a vital part of a person’s recovery. Though a person will likely be glad to see their friends and family after they leave treatment, they may feel like these people don’t understand them or what they’re going through.
Raleigh aftercare programs can connect a person to other people who know the challenges and joys of recovery. Becoming engaged in a recovery community can boost morale and keep a person focused on sobriety when challenges arise.
Alumni services may be part of a person’s discharge plan when they finish a treatment program. If they aren’t, or if a person wants additional options, they may find community-based aftercare programs nearby. In Raleigh, a number of resources may be available, such as:
- Alumni mentorship programs
- Family therapy and support programs
- Individual and group therapy or counseling
- Job skills training
- Online recovery resources
- Self-improvement classes
- Sober activities sponsored by the local recovery community
- Sober living homes
Addiction Treatment Program Length
Addiction can change a person’s brain and body chemistry. Undoing this damage and helping the mind and body to regain normal functioning can take time. Additionally, addiction can create psychological changes that need intensive therapy or counseling sessions to overcome.
While some people are able to find sobriety in a short-term program, the longer a person is able to commit to treatment, the better. Some programs will discharge a person at a set amount of time, however, the most committed programs discharge a person when they’re ready.
In Raleigh, treatment program lengths are available to fit a range of needs and lifestyles, and may include:
- 14-day to 30-day programs
- 60-day programs
- 90-day programs
- 120-day programs
- Six-month programs
- Programs lasting a year or more
How To Pay For Addiction Treatment
As a person is planning for treatment, they’re likely wondering how they’ll pay for it. Many people are quick to think that if they can’t pay for treatment themselves, they’re out of options. On the contrary, there are many resources that can help a person cover the cost of rehab.
Many health insurance companies offer benefits that cover a portion of treatment. Some may even cover the whole amount. In Raleigh, these health plans may be offered by:
- Aetna
- Ambetter
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
- Cigna
A number of treatment centers may offer or accept the following forms of assistance:
- Medical credit cards
- Monthly payment plans
- Scholarships or grants
- Sliding-scale fees
Substance Use Trends In Raleigh, NC
Opioid Overdose Deaths
From 1999 to 2017, the rate of unintentional opioid-related deaths in North Carolina rose 1,000 percent. The 22 percent increase in these deaths from 2016 to 2017 alone was the second-highest increase in the nation during this period. These deaths involved heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioids.
In 2017, just over 78 percent of opioid overdoses were linked to heroin and fentanyl. As a major urban center, Raleigh has been hit hard by drug overdoses, including those caused by opioids.
In Wake County, in 2017, there were:
- 238 Wake resident emergency department visits for opioid overdose
- 133 naloxone reversals
- 113 unintentional opioid overdose deaths
Methamphetamine Use
Methamphetamine use is becoming more widespread in North Carolina. In the spring of 2018, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office took part in a $90 million meth seizure. A significant portion of the meth that is being trafficked into the state comes from Georgia by way of I-85.
Even though the number of deaths caused by meth in North Carolina is lower than deaths related to opioids, the rate by which these deaths are climbing is faster. From 2016 to 2017, methamphetamine-related deaths increased by about 25 percent. At this rate, the number of meth overdose deaths would surpass opioid-related deaths in 15 years.
Signs Of Substance Use And Addiction
Signs of chronic substance use are similar across the board, however, each class of drugs also carries unique side effects of use.
Signs Of Alcohol Use
When a person has an alcohol use disorder, they may not be able to control how much they drink. Their day may become increasingly disrupted by finding and using alcohol or by being hungover.
A person may also have:
- Bouts of depression
- Hand tremors
- Impaired judgment
- Loss of coordination
- Memory loss
- Mood swings
- Red or glazed eyes
- Trouble talking
Signs Of Marijuana Or Cannabis Use
Marijuana or cannabis use can cause a person to lose motivation or become forgetful. After smoking or otherwise consuming pot, a person may have intense food cravings. The smell of marijuana may also be carried on a person’s breath or clothes. Besides smoking marijuana, the drug can also be vaporized or eaten.
When a person is high on marijuana, they may experience:
- Anxiety or nervousness
- Dry mouth
- Increased sensory stimulation
- Laughter
- A loss of control
- Paranoia
- Poor reaction time
- Red eyes
- Slowed thoughts
Marijuana is used in several forms, including:
- The bud of the plant
- Concentrates
- Hashish
- Edibles
- Oils
Signs Of Opioid Use
When a person is abusing opioid painkillers, they may take these medications in higher-than-prescribed doses. Some people may alter the drug by crushing it and then attempting to smoke, snort or inject it. People who use heroin may go “on the nod,” or alternate between a state of wakefulness and drowsiness.
In addition to these effects, opioid use may also cause:
- Blurry vision
- Changes in libido
- Constipation
- Extreme mood shifts
- Flushed or itchy skin
- Pinpoint pupils
- A reduced sense of pain
- Slowed breathing
Frequently used opioids include:
- Heroin
- Fentanyl
- Codeine
- Actiq (fentanyl)
- Duragesic (fentanyl)
- Norco (hydrocodone)
- Vicodin (hydrocodone)
- Dilaudid (hydromorphone)
- Demerol (meperidine)
- Dolophine (methadone)
- Methadose (methadone)
- Duramorph (morphine)
- MS Contin (morphine)
- OxyContin (oxycodone)
- Percocet (oxycodone)
- Opana (oxymorphone)
Signs Of Sedative-Hypnotic Use
Prescription sedative-hypnotics create a calming effect that is useful for people who suffer from anxiety or insomnia. However, when used, negative and even dangerous side effects can occur. As central nervous system depressants, use of these drugs can cause respiratory depression and overdose.
These medications may cause:
- Drowsiness
- Impaired judgment
- Inability to concentrate
- Intense calm
- Lightheadedness
- Poor motor skills
- Slowed reflexes
- Slurred speech
Commonly used sedative-hypnotics are:
- Barbiturates
- Benzodiazepines
- Ativan (lorazepam)
- Klonopin (clonazepam)
- Librium (chlordiazepoxide)
- Restoril (temazepam)
- Valium (diazepam)
- Xanax (alprazolam)
- Z-drugs
- Ambien (zolpidem)
- Lunesta (eszopiclone)
- Sonata (zaleplon)
Signs Of Stimulant Use
When used, stimulants can cause a high or euphoric state. They can also speed up a person’s body and brain, resulting in fast thoughts and increased blood pressure, breathing, heart and temperature rates.
Additional side effects may include:
- Anxiety
- Energy surges
- Excessive talking
- Extreme happiness
- Insomnia
- Jumpiness
- Wakefulness
- Weight loss
Commonly used stimulant drugs include:
- Illicit stimulants
- Cocaine, including crack
- Methamphetamine
- Prescription stimulant ADHD medications
- Adderall (dextroamphetamine/amphetamine)
- Concerta (methylphenidate)
- Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine)
- Ritalin (methylphenidate)
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)
