Benzodiazepines are in a class of prescription medications used to treat multiple issues, including insomnia, anxiety disorders, muscle tension and spasticity, and even alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Benzodiazepines are central nervous system depressants, which means they work by slowing down activity in your nervous system. They were first introduced in the 1960s, and they quickly became extremely popular. By the 1970s, they were the most commonly prescribed drug in the world. They are considered safer than barbiturates, which were replaced by benzodiazepines for many of their most common purposes.
However, benzodiazepines do come with a few side effects, and they can be dangerous when they are misused.
Benzodiazepines can cause chemical dependence and substance use disorders when they’re used for long periods or when they’re misused. Since they are in the depressant category like alcohol, they can be used as a recreational drug to reach alcohol-like intoxication. Benzodiazepines can also be deadly when combined with other drugs like alcohol and opioids. With the addiction and overdose crisis in New York, opioid misuse has become a significant problem. When mixed with common drugs like benzodiazepines, opioids can cause respiratory depression and death. However, a substance use disorder that involves benzodiazepines can be treated.
Learn more about benzodiazepine treatment in New York and how treatment works at Summit Behavioral Health.
Drug Addiction in New York
Addiction is characterized by compulsive use of a drug despite consequences. Substance use disorders can be chronic and progressive. In many cases, addiction leads to dangerous or deadly overdoses. In the United States, drug addiction has led to a crisis of overdose deaths. These deaths are largely due to the misuse of prescription and illicit opioids. In 2018, there were 2,991 opioid overdose deaths in New York. Overdose deaths often involve more than one substance and benzodiazepines are often involved in deadly cocktails that involve alcohol or opioids.
The COVID-19 pandemic is thought to have increased the rate of overdose deaths in 2020 due to stress, isolation, and mental health complications. An estimated 93,000 overdose deaths are expected to have occurred in 2020, vastly exceeding previous records. New York City experienced around 1,463 overdose deaths in 2019. There were around 503 overdose deaths in New York City in the third quarter of 2020 alone. While there are many overdose deaths, many more people in New York are living with substance use disorders. Close to 2 million New Yorkers have substance use disorders, and the pandemic may have increased that number as well.
Drug Rehab in New York
Summit Behavioral Health provides multiple levels of outpatient treatment. When you’re seeking addiction treatment for the first time, a meeting with your doctor or a treatment professional can help you find the right level of care for your needs. If you have high-level medical or psychological needs or if you’re going through intense withdrawal symptoms, you may need to go through medical detox or inpatient treatment first. Many people with a substance use disorder that involves a depressant like benzodiazepines should start with medical detox.
However, if you have lower-level needs or if you’ve already gone through inpatient care, outpatient services may be right for you.
- Partial Hospitalization. Partial hospitalization (PHP), or partial care, is the highest level of care in outpatient addiction treatment. To qualify as partial hospitalization, medical and clinical professionals must provide 20 or more hours of care. PHP is reserved for people that are able to live on their own without a significant threat to their health or sobriety. But it also provides more intensive care than other outpatient options.
- Intensive Outpatient. Intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) is the next highest level of care in outpatient treatment after partial hospitalization. IOP offers nine or more hours of treatment services each week. You may go through a variety of individual and group therapies.
- Outpatient Treatment. Outpatient treatment is the lowest form of outpatient care and involves fewer than nine hours of treatment services each week. Outpatient may be an important step in treatment as clients prepare for independence in recovery and the end of formal drug rehab.
- Aftercare. Addiction recovery is a lifelong process, and it shouldn’t end with formal addiction treatment. Summit’s aftercare program can help connect you with community resources that can help you continue your pursuit of recovery.
Through each level of care in addiction treatment, you will go through a personalized treatment plan that may include several therapy options. Individual and group therapy sessions are common in addiction treatment. At Summit, you may go through cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, motivational interviewing, relapse prevention education, and other treatment options.
Drug Rehab in New York FAQ
When you’re looking for drug rehab options in New York, you may have several important questions. If you are interested in addiction treatment at Summit Behavioral Health, there are some answers to common questions here. Learn more about important factors in addiction treatment, like the length of rehab and insurance coverage.
How Long is Rehab?
Drug rehab is a complex process that takes time to be effective. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), having enough time to treat a substance use disorder is one of the principles of effective treatment. NIDA also reports that research has shown that 90 days is the ideal minimum duration for addiction treatment. For some people, longer treatment times may be necessary. Ultimately, treatment plans are highly unique, and individualized treatment is another important principle of effective addiction treatment. The length of time you spend in treatment will depend on your treatment plan and the therapies that you go through. Each level of care may have unique treatment times. Medical detox often requires five to ten days. Inpatient treatment may last a few weeks, and outpatient treatment can be more variable.
Does Summit Behavioral Health Provide Transportation?
Transportation can be an unfortunate barrier to treatment for some, and Summit Behavioral Health will help in any way we can. If you’re coming to Summit from out of town and you need to fly, you will be responsible for booking flights. However, when you land, we can help by picking you up and getting you to the facility or to where you are staying. If you’re going through outpatient services, you will need to be able to come to and from treatment from wherever you live locally.
Do I Have to Travel?
Summit Behavioral Health offers in-person individual and group therapy, as well as several other treatment options that require you to be physically present. Whether you live down the street or across the country, you will need to travel some distance to participate in treatment. If you don’t live near Summit and you would like to attend treatment here, there are some benefits to getting out of your hometown to go through treatment. You may feel like it’s a fresh start, and you may be less connected to people, places, and things that remind you of your life in active addiction. However, if you are from out of the area and you can’t travel, there may be treatment options closer to home.
How Much Does Drug Rehab Cost?
The cost of drug rehab is another highly variable part of addiction treatment. Because your treatment plan may be very different from someone else’s, the final cost of treatment may also be different. That’s why treatment can cost anywhere from a few thousand to several thousand dollars. There are several factors that go into the cost of treatment, including the therapies you go through, the length of time you spend in treatment, and the medications you need.
What Insurance Carriers Does Summit Behavioral Health Take?
The good news about the cost of rehab is that it can usually be at least partially covered by insurance. Insurance companies are required by law to provide coverage for substance use disorders and mental health needs. If you have an insurance plan, it will likely offer some coverage for drug rehab. Summit Behavioral Health accepts coverage from most private insurance companies, though we do not currently accept federally funded options like Medicare or Medicaid.
Summit is an in-network treatment provider with several insurance companies, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and Lower Hudson Valley. Even if we are not in-network with your insurance providers, you still may be able to get treatment at Summit covered. For answers to more specific questions, feel free to call Summit Behavioral Health.
