Life in Seattle means excellent views of the Cascade Range and the Olympic Mountains. It also means living in a cultural and financial hub for the region. Boeing’s aircraft assembly plants, Amazon’s headquarters, Microsoft’s headquarters and much more provide enduring economic opportunity.
Yet in spite of the stable local economy and natural beauty of Seattle, many who live in this urban region suffer from the pain of addiction. Comprehensive addiction treatment in Seattle and the surrounding communities brings hope to those who are struggling with the realities of addiction and the devastation it can bring.
Addiction Treatment In Seattle, WA
Getting treatment for addiction in Seattle starts with identifying the underlying issues that contributed to the development of the addiction. Factors like mental health, family history and genetics can all make it easier for someone to fall into addiction.
Effective Seattle addiction treatment will address each patient as an individual, creating a customized treatment plan that will effectively address all aspects of their addiction. This may involve a full continuum of care that can take a patient from detox through learning how to navigate life free of addiction.
Throughout this continuum of care, a number of therapies and programs can help a person find recovery. These programs include:
- Intervention services
- Medically assisted detox
- Inpatient addiction treatment
- Outpatient addiction treatment
- Sober living houses
- Aftercare and alumni support
Intervention Services In Seattle
Many who struggle with addiction will experience denial, which makes getting help difficult. Intervention services are often the starting point for families seeking to get help for their loved ones. These programs help to bring the individual and their family together to make the decision to pursue addiction treatment.
Drug And Alcohol Detox
Once a person has accepted that they need treatment, a Seattle medical detox program may be the next step. A medically supported detox will give the individual a safe place to go through withdrawal, with medical intervention when needed to keep the patient safe and to minimize or prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Inpatient Addiction Treatment
Inpatient drug rehab centers in Seattle allow patients to participate in treatment while in a protected, monitored environment. These residential addiction treatment programs use therapy and counseling to help patients to understand addiction and heal from it. Therapy may be held in group, individual, or family sessions, depending on the structure of the program and the needs of the patient.
Inpatient addiction treatment can be further specialized to meet a patient’s unique needs. Some examples of specialized inpatient Seattle drug rehab programs include:
- Pet-friendly facilities
- Holistic therapies
- Men-only or women-only treatment groups
- LGBTQIA-friendly programs
- Executive programs for professionals
- Dual-diagnosis treatment plans for co-occurring disorders
- Equine therapy
Many Seattle addiction treatment programs also offer medication-assisted treatment using medications like Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone) or Diskets (methadone) to help with treatment, prevent withdrawal and reinforce sobriety.
Outpatient Addiction Treatment
After completing an inpatient addiction treatment program, or in lieu of inpatient treatment for those who are experiencing mild addiction, outpatient treatment is often the next step. Outpatient drug rehab programs offer support to help a person transition to an independent life in sobriety. Patients attend therapy sessions at the treatment facility but live at home while enrolled in the program.
Aftercare And Alumni Services
After completing treatment, patients should have the right support in place to help maintain their sobriety. Triggers are common and cravings can be strong, but alumni support and aftercare can help individuals stay strong as they maintain long-term recovery.
Addiction treatment aftercare and alumni services available in Seattle may include:
- Job coaching
- Mentorship from other alumni
- Support groups
- Sober living homes
- Online resources
Addiction Treatment Program Length
Recovery takes time. The more time someone spends in an addiction treatment program, the better the outcome will be. Research indicates that at least 90 days of treatment is necessary for success.
Carefully researching options to find a program that has the right length and the right therapies is essential to finding success in recovery. A number of options for treatment length exist. In Seattle, each treatment center will have its own recommended plan for patients, but some options may include:
- 30-day programs
- 90-day programs
- 120-day programs
- Extensive programs lasting up to a year or longer
Paying For Addiction Treatment
Drug addiction treatment can be costly. For many patients, insurance will cover some or all of the cost of treatment, so that is a good starting point. Popular providers offering health insurance coverage in Seattle include:
- Asuris Northwest Health
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan
- Regence BlueCross BlueShield
- Community Health Plan of Washington
- Premera Blue Cross
If a patient finds that, even with insurance, they need help to pay for treatment, other options may be available:
- Sliding-scale fees
- Medical credit cards
- Payment plans
- Personal loans
- Grants
- Scholarships
- Donations from family
- Crowdfunding
Substance Use Trends In Seattle, WA
Opioid Painkiller Use
In 2017, a record 332 people died due to drug overdoses in Seattle, the majority of which were opioid-related. Of these, deaths from prescription drugs were on the increase, with opioid drugs like fentanyl taking hundreds of lives and the surrounding communities.
Prescription opioid painkillers are helpful to many patients, but they have a high potential for use and can lead to addiction. Some common medications used this way include:
- Codeine
- Fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic)
- Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
- Morphine (Duramorph, MS Contin)
- Oxymorphone (Opana)
Methamphetamine Use
Methamphetamine addiction remains a serious problem in Seattle. Some King County statistics surrounding methamphetamine use include:
- 1,094 admissions to treatment programs for meth addiction in 2016
- 113 treatment admissions for 18-25-year-olds
- 98 fatalities from methamphetamine use
Alcohol Addiction Trends
Alcohol is easily accessible, but in Seattle, alcohol addiction is ruining lives.
From 2012 to 2014, 354,340 people from King County admitted to binge alcohol use over a one-month period of time. In a youth risk behavior study, 50 percent of surveyed high school students reported lifestyle use of alcohol, and 14 percent indicated binge alcohol use in the past month. 122,820 people in King County reported an alcohol use disorder.
Drug And Alcohol Use
Legal substances, prescription medications, and illegal drugs are all a problem in Seattle. Regardless of whether a substance is considered socially acceptable, addiction causes serious harm to health and well-being for thousands of residents.
Some addictive substances common in Seattle include:
- Alcohol
- Fentanyl
- Heroin
- Cocaine
- Marijuana
- Methamphetamine
- Oxycodone
Signs And Symptoms Of Addiction In Seattle, WA
Drug and alcohol addiction can manifest differently for different people. Spotting the signs of addiction is the starting point to finding an effective treatment for someone who is struggling. Some of the most common signs of drug addiction include:
- Cravings: the person is thinking constantly about drugs or drug use, to the point that it interferes with daily life.
- Dependence: the person’s body cannot function normally without the substance.
- Withdrawal: This occurs when the body reacts negatively when the substance is withheld.
- Tolerance: An addicted individual will need more and more of the substance to get the desired effect.
Families can watch for these more subtle signs of addiction:
- Changes in behavior
- Increased aggression
- Ignoring personal hygiene
- Anger when drug or alcohol use is discussed
- Changes to sleep patterns
- Isolation or alienation
- Withdrawal from normal activities
