Skip To Rehab Listing
Mobile, AL: Center Of The Opioid Epidemic And Meth On The Rise
In addition to its famously beautiful southern live oaks and legendary place in baseball history (having produced more players in Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame than any city except New York and Los Angeles,) Mobile, Alabama is sadly becoming famous for something else- an out of control opioid epidemic.
Studies show that doctors in Alabama prescribe more opioids per person than in anywhere else in the country, and Mobile currently has the 5th highest rate of painkiller prescriptions in the state. Drugs like Oxycodone, morphine, and hydrocodone can be legally prescribed purchased, but these prescription painkillers are highly addictive because they target the body's pain receptors, blocking them and creating feelings of happiness, euphoria, and well-being. Just one or two of these pills can get even the most vigilant person hooked and start them down a long spiral down into the throes of full-on addiction.
It is estimated that at least 30,000 people in Alabama have an opioid or heroin dependence, and in 2016, Alabama recorded 343 deaths due to opioid overdose alone. In recent years, Mobile authorities have encountered large supplies of heroin (often the next step after prescription pain pills, as heroin is cheaper and much easier to obtain on the street) laced with fentanyl, a cheap, powerful and extremely deadly synthetic opioid.
Meth Abuse & Trafficking On the Rise
As if the opioid epidemic wasn't enough for Mobile to deal with, Methamphetamine use is growing in the city at an alarming rate. In fact, almost half of all drug cases handled by law enforcement in Alabama in 2017 were related to meth, and in recent years, Mobile County has sadly become a center for large-scale methamphetamine production. In 2016, authorities discovered sixteen meth labs in the area and at least nine were found in 2017. In that same year, drug enforcement agents arrested a Mobile drug trafficker carrying at least $50,000 worth of methamphetamine, with an obvious intent to sell.
An Uphill Battle
Police in cities like Mobile face an uphill battle, because every time they take a drug or drug dealer off the street, another substance and the people who peddle it rise up to fill the void. As the police continue to close meth labs throughout the city, drug dealers continue to adapt, introducing slightly different—and often more harmful—drugs into the market like "Ice," an even more potent version of methamphetamine. For the sake of countless valuable American lives, we can only hope that authorities gain the upper hand.
With addiction treatment readily available, those struggling with alcohol and drug addiction can find assistance within their local area.
Substance Abuse Therapy Service Settings and Recovery Approaches In Mobile
The settings of rehab programs in Mobile include the following: inpatient addiction treatment programs, long term drug rehab centers, detox centers, outpatient day treatment, short term drug rehab programs.
People seeking treatment can find conveniently located programs close by with an array of rehabilitation approaches designed for effective treatment. These methods, which include both traditional and recently developed methods, can consist of the following: group therapy, 12-step facilitation approach, vocational rehabilitation services, matrix model, rational emotive behavioral therapy, couple/family therapy.
Programs Addressing Special Requirements for Addiction Recovery
Addiction can differ based off of factors, such as the kind of substance causing the addiction. Many rehabilitation centers in the Mobile area deliver facilities designed to tailor treatment to a patient's unique needs. These rehabs contain the following: clients referred from the court/judicial system, self-help groups, persons with eating disorders, veterans, co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, treatment for spanish-speaking clients.
Clients who are not sure what their needs are can contact these facilities to get patient resources that can direct them toward the exact program.
Paying For Recovery - Payment & Financing Flexibility
People struggling with alcohol and drug dependency come from differing economic situations, but a variety of financing options makes rehabilitation economically accessible for anyone. Funding alternatives include the following: private health insurance, cash or self-payment, sliding fee scale, payment assistance, county or local government funds, state corrections or juvenile justice funds.
People seeking treatment can get in touch with a rehabilitation center to learn more about what funding options are available to them.
Mobile, AL.'s substance abuse centers, resources, and payment options provide people who are struggling with alcohol and drug addiction an opportunity to start a sustainable sobriety plan.
