The beautiful city of Boulder, Colorado is located half an hour from Denver, boasting the spectacular Rocky Mountains as part of its backdrop. With a population of just over 100,000, about one-third of its residents attend the University of Colorado. While known for snow and a spectacular skiing area, Boulder also enjoys upwards of 300 sunny days a year. Residents and visitors alike enjoy the many outdoor activities, museums, art galleries, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, and fantastic dining options.
Unfortunately, all the beauty that Boulder has to offer cannot mask the town’s inability to escape the drug and alcohol addictions. Addiction grips the lives of many Boulder, CO residents. This makes it critical that people seeking a drug rehab center in Boulder, CO have options for treatment for their substance use disorders. These rehabilitation programs make it possible to embrace recovery and move on with their lives.
How Drug Use Impacts Boulder
In 2017, over 1,000 Coloradans died from a drug overdose; of those deaths, 57% involved opioid drugs. This showed an increase of 9% in opioid-related deaths. In the same time period, overdose deaths related to stimulants rose 49%. From 2013-2017, overdose deaths involving heroin rose by 77%.
When it comes to excessive alcohol drinking, Colorado tends towards higher numbers of incidents than many states. In a report issued in 2020, while 14.1% of women in the U.S. reported binge drinking or drinking heavily, 17.0% of Colorado women fell into this category. While 25.2% of people ages 18-44 binge drink or drink heavily nationwide, in Colorado, 27.6% report doing so.
A report issued in 2019 showed that while 7.7% of American adults reported having a substance use disorder, in Colorado that number climbed to 11.9%. This elevated number makes Boulder drug rehab center options imperative for residents and those interested in out-of-town treatment. More than 95,000 Coloradans in need of treatment for their addiction did not seek treatment. The groups most likely to report needing help but not receiving it included men, millennials, and people with lower incomes.
A report issued by Bouldercounty.org stated approximately one in four Boulder County high school students do not feel they have a trusted adult they can talk to about serious subjects such as drug addiction.
Programs to Help Prevent and Reduce Drug-Related Harm
The Colorado State Board of Pharmacy monitors the Colorado Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). The PDMP is a database that keeps track of prescriptions for Schedule II-V controlled substances that are dispensed by pharmacies in Colorado. This program allows prescribers and pharmacists to monitor prescriptions written for drugs with a potential for addiction. This assists in stopping patients from doctor shopping. Doctor Shopping is visiting multiple doctors in order to secure several prescriptions for addictive drugs. The system also helps medical professionals be aware of a person taking drugs that may be dangerous when used in combination.
The heroin crisis reaches every community, including Boulder. The city of Boulder offers something called The Works Program. This program helps with harm reduction-related to injectable drugs such as heroin. The program also allows individuals to safely dispose of used needles. In addition, it helps pick up items such as clean syringes, alcohol wipes, and cotton.
In conjunction with The Works Program, Boulder County Public Health offers prescriptions for Narcan and training on how to use it. Narcan is a drug that is used by medical professionals to help reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. It is now being offered to certain members of the public who are either at risk of an overdose or are often around someone who is at risk.
Types of Treatment for Addiction
When it comes to seeking treatment for substance use disorders, many types are available, depending on a person’s needs. Most people start out with a detoxification program. A detox program involves medical supervision while the addictive toxins built up from long-term use of drugs or alcohol leave the body. Many people follow detoxing with a residential addiction treatment program. This can consist of a facility with round-the-clock clinicians working there. There are also less structured rehab options such as a sober living house.
For those ready to return home, but still in need of treatment, options include partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient programs. Even after completing some of the more intensive types of treatment, many people find it helpful to take advantage of less time-consuming options. These options include private therapy and/or support groups. Choices like medication-assisted therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and holistic treatment can help keep a person on track with their recovery and managing symptoms of mental illness.
Boulder Addiction Resources for Rehab Center Aftercare
Even after a person has left formal treatment for addiction to drugs or alcohol, finding ongoing support can serve as an important activity. Many resources exist for help after completing Boulder drug rehab, including 12-step groups. The most popular of these is Alcoholics Anonymous. The National Institutes of Health reports that people who attend 12-step groups for addiction maintain abstinence rates that are twice as high as those who don’t attend them. The more meetings they attended, the higher the amount of abstinence they maintained.
There are also other peer groups that are part of the Alcoholics Anonymous-based family. These include Al-Anon and Alateen programs. Al-Anon and Alateen programs help support loved ones of someone dealing with alcoholism and addiction. Narcotics Anonymous helps people with an addiction to drugs, while Nar-Anon provides support for their family and friends. Within the peer support groups for people with substance use disorders, mentors can be found. These individuals typically have a lot of time in recovery under their belts. Those with experience can serve as guides for those who are newer to living a sober life. Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART) meetings offer free, science-based support groups some prefer as an alternative to 12-step groups.
Boulder Drug Rehab Center
If you or someone you love needs help recovering from addiction, Continuum Recovery Center of Colorado can help you take that first step. We offer multiple treatment options, including outpatient, intensive outpatient, and partial hospitalization programs. We treat substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Contact us now and we can answer any questions you have about getting help. The beginning of your recovery journey can begin today.
