Drug and Alcohol Treatment Resources in Long Beach

Despite the sunny appearance of Long Beach, they have been fighting drug addiction for many years. Authorities are doing their best, but the scourge of drug addiction has claimed many lives already.

In 2016, 473,000 people were living in the city. Of that total, 44,694 were regular drug users and the majority of them were using drugs in amounts that would have them classified as drug addicts. Most of these people admitted to using mostly illicit drugs, bought off the street, from a friend, or a friend’s friend.

Analysis of the figures of drug users in Long Beach is as follows:

Alcohol—7,062 people have been documented as regular alcohol consumers and combine drugs with their alcohol. The number of deaths connected to alcohol consumption is rising. The number of drunk driving cases has also been increasing.
Marijuana—6,749 people have been documented as marijuana abusers in Long Beach and that was before it was legalized. Marijuana is now easily available since the legalization, but the business says more legislation is needed to compete against the thriving illicit market.
Heroin—Along with other opiates, heroin is not something new to the drug scene in Long Beach. Approximately 1.18% of the population is addicted to heroin which is more than 5,000 people. It is popular because it is relatively easy to get and affordable.
Crack cocaine—Cocaine in rock form, known as crack, has about 3,400 documented users in Long Beach that believe they can’t live without it.
Powdered cocaine—Cocaine in powder form is the preferred drug of about 1,300 people.
Prescription medicine—Prescription opiates (not heroin) are growing in popularity in the city. Of the 44,000 drug addicts in the city, 1,430 abuse prescription medicine. The most commonly abused are OxyContin and Percocet. Children and teenagers who are exposed to the medications at home have reported that they have taken the drugs or had received them from someone they knew.
Tranquilizers and sedatives—Tranquilizers are not that popular but still affect almost 100 people in the city. Sedatives are also not as popular but have had several people die from overdosing on them and about 50 people are addicted.
PCP and hallucinogens—According to the DEA, 49 people in the city are addicted to PCP. Hallucinogens are drugs that cause the person to have unrealistic visions and alters their state of mind. Ecstasy and LSD are favorites in the party and club scene.

Finding Treatment that Works for You in Long Beach CA

Did you recognize yourself in the statistics? Want to get treatment but not sure what that entails? Because you are a unique individual, and everyone’s addiction is different, some factors will help you determine what will work best for you. Consider these questions:

Will you need medically supervised detoxification? If you have had a substance abuse disorder (SUD) for an extended period and your tolerance is growing, you will very likely need detoxification. Substance withdrawal is physically and psychologically painful. Some symptoms are mild but may lead to psychosis and depression. You will need medical supervision and medications that can be prescribed to help you through.
Are you dealing with a severe medical or mental issue along with your SUD? If so, these issues need to be treated simultaneously. Inpatient treatment, where you live at a hospital or medical center, may be the best choice for you. It isn’t common but it may be necessary if you have a dual diagnosis with severe aspects.
Are you prone to relapsing? Have you stopped before and then gone back to using it? Have you been through outpatient treatment but subsequently relapsed, then a residential program might be best for you. Residential programs isolate you 24-hours a day from outside triggers in a controlled and structured environment. This typically lasts 1 to 6 months.
Is it possible for you to live away from home for several months? Do you have the support of family, friends, and your employer? If you are a moderate user, do not have a long-term history of substance use, and are in otherwise good mental and physical health, then an outpatient program could work for you.

Mental Health Treatment in Long Beach CA

Mental illness is a social problem that frequently needs to be resolved by law enforcement. Federal and local cuts in funding for inpatient psychiatric beds have added to the number of mentally ill people using law enforcement’s time and having an effect on hospital emergency room beds.

Thirteen percent of residents of Long Beach disclosed needing help for emotional or mental health problems or problems associated with the use of alcohol or a drug. Over half a million people in LA County tried to enter mental health care in the past year but only 37% of them had a hard time getting any mental health care.

The psychiatric hospitalization rates per 100,000 people in the last census was 889 for West Central Long Beach and 551 statewide. Among children, teenagers, and young adults (age 5-24), the rate of mental hospital admission rates vary considerably by race/ethnicity. White people and Black or African American children are 3 to 4 times more likely to be hospitalized for a mental health condition than any other ethnic group.

California’s Mental Health Delivery System

California counties are accountable for Medi-Cal specialty mental health services and safety-net (non-Medi-Cal) services. Typically, the counties provided most Medi-Cal mental health services through county mental health plans, fee-for-service plans, and people with less serious issues can get services through Medi-Cal managed care health plans. California expanded the extent of mental health benefits available to Medi-Cal Beneficiaries in 2014. Coordinating among the key delivery systems is still a work in progress:

Federal Medicaid funds
State sales tax and vehicle license fees
The Mental Health Services Act which imposes a 1% surtax on personal income over $1 million.

SUD Treatment Programs in Long Beach, CA

As you now know, a successful treatment program for you is one that is designed just for you. LA Detox Center in Long Beach has the resources and medical professionals who can customize a treatment plan to suit your needs. These are the programs that are offered:

Detox—Most people need a medically assisted and supervised detox program to get through the symptoms of withdrawal without giving up and to combat the symptoms which can be very painful emotionally, physically, and psychologically. Alcohol and opioids produce severe withdrawal symptoms including nausea and sweating. Cocaine and marijuana are typically present as irritability and depression. These symptoms can lead to serious complications if not monitored and treated.
Residential Treatment Program—You will remain onsite for 30 to 90 days. You will participate in many therapy sessions and meetings that will deeply involve you in the treatment process. Your environment will be structured and free from any of the distractions or stressors that would trigger your substance use previously.
Intensive Outpatient Program—After completing Residential treatment, taking part in an intensive outpatient program is recommended. Most of your day will be spent at the treatment center, but you can go home each night. This is an effective way to gradually ease your way into life outside the treatment center.
Professionals Addiction Treatment Program—A lot of people with addiction issues are business professionals who don’t have the personal support they need to receive treatment. If this applies to you, it will give you privacy and allow you to continue your responsibilities at work. It also teaches you to manage the stress from work if that is one of your issues.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment Program—If you are suffering from a substance use disorder and a mental health problem, that is a dual diagnosis. They need to be treated at the same time. Your SUD might not have caused the co-occurring condition, but your addiction will most definitely make it worse and vice versa.

What Kind of Therapies Are Available at LA Detox in Long Beach?

Your counselor or therapist will prescribe you a range of therapies depending on your needs and issues. Some of the more commonly used therapeutics are:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)—CBT usually involves efforts to change thinking patterns in part by learning to recognize and reevaluate thinking patterns that are not helpful to your life.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)—Dialectical behavior therapy will provide you with new skills to help manage painful emotions and decrease conflict in relationships.
Psychodrama Therapy—The original form of group therapy is psychodrama. You will bring an issue to the group and through role-playing and reenactment, discover alternate endings, which would empower you to correct the situation.
Family Therapy—You are likely to have some hard feelings and broken relationships in your family. This is a form of psychotherapy that investigates ways to reduce conflict by improving the ways you interact with your family members.
Trauma Therapy—This is a distinct application of therapy that emphasizes how childhood trauma affects a child’s mental, behavioral, and physical well-being, and helps you learn healthier ways of coping.
Group Therapy—At first it sounds intimidating to join a group of strangers, but groups act as a support network and hold you accountable for your actions. Often, they can come up with ideas for you to handle a difficult life situation.

You Can Achieve Life-Long Sobriety in Long Beach, CA

LA Detox in Long Beach has programs that can help you transition into independent living and continuing sobriety. This is a tremendous aid in preventing relapse. For continuing support, you will need an aftercare program.

Aftercare Addiction Treatment Programs

Facility-Based Programs—Outpatient treatment is a facility-based program. It is a step-down form of treatment where you travel to the treatment facility to receive treatment and go home afterward.
Sober Living Homes—These are residential facilities for people recovering from a substance use disorder. Benefits include 12-Step programs, structure and accountability, and creating a sober fellowship.
Therapy and Counseling—Continuing therapy and counseling after your treatment program is critical to help you continue to learn healthy coping strategies and to conquer cravings.
Support Groups—Groups of individuals who are currently in recovery meet to give and get motivation from each other.

Recovery Meetings in Long Beach

Alcoholics Anonymous—The Harbor Central Office of AA has meetings available from 6:00 am until 10:00 pm. The meetings are held in various locations in the area, but you should always be able to find one at any time. You can check the schedule at www.hacoaa.org/meetings.

Narcotics Anonymous—NA also has meetings that go from early morning to 10:00 pm. There are 414 locations within 20 miles of Long Beach. Check the schedule and locations at www.na.org/meetingsearch.

SMART Recovery—At SMART Recovery meetings, people help each other with any issues, concerning any addiction including drugs, alcohol, gambling or over-eating. Meetings are held on Tuesday from 7:00 to 8:15 pm.

How You Can Pay for Treatment in Long Beach, CA

Insurance—The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act requires insurance companies to provide the same amount of treatment for mental health and addiction treatment as it provides for medical care. We can help you verify your insurance coverage for addiction treatment.

Personal Financing—This is a common way to pay for rehab. Since insurance usually only covers part of your addiction treatment, paying the balance yourself is a good option if you can afford it. It would be one of the best investments you have ever made.

Personal Loans—Most friends and family members will be reluctant to loan you money. You could use a credit card or a bank loan. There are special healthcare credit cards available with deferred interest. You can apply for a CareCredit card at www.carecredit.com.

Medi-Cal—Medi-Cal is basically the California term for Medicaid. Medi-Cal is a Federal-State run program that generally covers low-income families and single adults. You do not pay for Medi-Cal.

Why Would I Go to “The LBC”?

Long Beach was originally named Willmore City by the developer William Willmore in 1882. By 1888, residents of Willmore City renamed their city Long Beach after its long, wide beaches. The addition of the Pacific Electric trolley brought about the growth of the city as a resort and commercial center. From 1902 to 1910, Long Beach was the fastest growing city in the United States.

Known as “the LBC” by the locals, Long Beach is a city of about half a million people, directly south of downtown L.A. It’s best known for the urban waterfront attractions.

Wouldn’t you like to roam the decks or spend the night on a luxury ocean liner? You can take a tour or stay in a stateroom of the Queen Mary which is docked in Long Beach. Or you can take a journey through the world’s largest ocean at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Long Beach has more music festivals each year than anywhere else in Southern California. The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach turns the downtown streets into a raceway every year in April.

Despite all that, it still has a small-town feel with bike-friendly streets, neighborhood associations, and artist collectives.

Mental Health and Substance Use in Long Beach, California

In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area), 892,000 people, aged 12 or older, were classified as having a SUD in the past year. That’s a rate of 8.7% which is lower than the rate in California. In the same MSA, among adults 18 or older, 5.4% (495,000) experienced a major depressive episode in the past year. That rate is similar to the California rate but lower than the national rate.

Untreated mental illness has many side effects that can lead to divided families, addiction, self-harm, and suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people 15-24. The suicide rate for Long Beach is 10.4 per 100,000 and the rate for Los Angeles County is 7.6.

A study done by the California Health Care Foundation summarized its study this way, “An increased number of youth in California experience mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The incidence of major depressive episodes in adolescents has increased over the last five years…Unfortunately, access to mental health and SUD treatment falls short: A majority of youth do not receive treatment.”

For teenagers, mental illnesses and SUDs typically occur together. It is estimated that as many as 60% to 75% of teens with substance use disorders have a co-occurring mental illness.

Why Wouldn’t You Call LA Detox?

Now that you are armed with the facts and information, you should be ready to make the easiest and the hardest decision for yourself or someone close to you. There are medical professionals at LA Detox center that can help you get successfully through treatment from detox to aftercare.

Contact us today! You wouldn’t hesitate with any other life-altering disease. This is the time to focus on gaining a full and fulfilling life for yourself, for your family, for your friends.