Missouri Addiction Treatment and Info

Missouri has seen a rise in the rates of substance abuse. In particular, many people who are addicted in this state find themselves with this condition as a result of abusing opioid drugs. the opioid epidemic is so severe that it has been claiming more lives every year through a drug overdose death.

Addiction in Missouri

Missouri is widely known across the United States for its sprawling Ozark Mountains as well as vibrant urban centers. All these attractions continue making it one of the best places to visit and live.

Even so, there are thousands of residents who have been affected by the substance abuse crisis being seen across the country. From licit substances like tobacco and alcohol to illicit drugs like meth and cocaine, substance abuse continues taking a great toll on the state.

From recent research studies, close to 420,000 residents of Missouri struggle with a substance use disorder. Of this number, about 17,000 - roughly 4 percent - are aged between 12 and 17 years, which goes to show that even teens have not been spared by the ongoing addiction crisis in the state.

In 2016, a total of 38170 people were enrolled in an addiction treatment and rehabilitation program. Of this number:

  • 27 percent - or about 10470 people - were parents that had children who were dependent on intoxicating and addictive substances
  • 47 percent - about 17837 people - were also struggling with another co-occurring medical or mental health disorder

Missouri Opioid Epidemic

The rates of opioid abuse - including pain relief medications like Vicodin and OxyContin, heroin, and fentanyl - have been rising in this state. As a result, it is not exactly surprising that Missouri has seen a corresponding increase in the rates of death involving this class of drugs.

The CDC - the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - reported that the state was among the 26 in the country that saw a major rise in the deaths involving drug overdose between 2015 and 2016. At the end of the study period:

  • Opioids and heroin were responsible for 1 out of every 66 fatalities reported in the state
  • That year - in 2016 - Missouri experienced 908 deaths involving opioids, a number that was 35 percent higher than that reported in 2015
  • The state had an average rate of mortality of 23.6 lives for every segment of 100000 people - which amounted to 1371 fatalities, a figure that was higher than similar rates at the national level of 19.8

The same report from the CDC also showed that between 2012 and 2016:

  • Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, on the other hand, rose from 97 fatalities to 441 deaths - an increase of about 355 percent
  • The state experienced an increase of over 81 percent in terms of overdose deaths involving heroin from 210 deaths to 380 fatalities

The greatest number of deaths were reported in St. Louis County as well as St. Louis City as well as eastern part of Missouri. At the same time, the city experienced the 6th highest rates of drug overdose deaths across the United States. In fact, about 70 percent of all these deaths were either in St. Louis or in its neighboring counties.

Today, experts opine that this increase in opioid related overdoses might be as a result of the improvements in the purity of the opioids being sold in Missouri. It could also be due to injection drug use, combining substances, and the rise in the number of prescriptions written for opioid pain relief medications.

For instance, in 2015 physicians in this state wrote 90 such prescriptions for every segment of 100 people - which amounted to about 1 prescription for every resident of Missouri. The same year, 70 prescriptions for opioids were written per every segment of 100 people in the United States.

Commonly Abused Substances in Missouri

But which substances of abuse are most popular in this state? From admissions into addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers, the following are the drugs that were most commonly reported among people seeking help with a substance use disorder:

1. Alcohol

A total of 10600 people enrolled in an addiction treatment center in Missouri for abusing alcohol as their primary drug. Another 8605 people received similar services for abusing alcohol with another secondary substance of abuse.

2. Cocaine

The same year, 3277 checked into a drug rehab for abusing cocaine. Among these people, the majority had been smoking this substance. However, a total of 673 people received such treatment for abusing the drug through other routes of administration, such as snorting.

3. Marijuana

In 2007, patients checking into a drug rehab center in Missouri reported that marijuana was the main substance of abuse. In 2010, a total of 12052 people received such treatment for developing a substance use disorder due to taking this drug. Most of these people were between the ages of 21 and 25. Of the total number, 79 percent were male while the remaining 21 percent were female.

4. Amphetamines and Methamphetamine

The same year, the state admitted 5088 people into its addiction treatment facilities for abusing amphetamines. Although there have not been any reports on the number of people who sought treatment for meth abuse and addiction, it is clear that this number is on a steady increase.

5. Other Drugs

In 2010 also, tranquilizers were responsible for 486 admissions into addiction recovery programs in the state. They were closely followed by PCP, which led to 326 admissions - a rate that was higher than in most other states across the nation.

6. Heroin

A total of 4341 people received addiction treatment and rehabilitation services in Missouri in 2010 for abusing heroin and developing an opioid use disorder as a result. Certain counties have also reported a significant rise in the rates of heroin abuse, addiction, and overdose.

7. Other Opiates

TEDS also reported that 2922 people received help for a substance use disorder involving opioids other than heroin. Most of these admissions were among people between the ages of 21 and 25.

Drug Related Fatalities and Injuries in Missouri

Although the rates of meth lab seizures have been reducing in some states, this has not been the case in Missouri. In particular, a total of 1261 labs were seized in 2007. By 2009, this number had gone up to 1732 incidents.

In 2007, Missouri had a total of 16 task forces working with law enforcement bodies to grapple with the high rates of substance use, abuse, sale, trafficking, and trade. That year, drugs were responsible for 730 fatalities in the state. At the same time, 1054 people died in accidents involving motor vehicles while another 759 residents lost their lives in incidents involving firearms.

The State Attorney for Madison County also reported in 2011 that there was an increase of between 30 and 40 percent in the crimes linked to heroin. Deaths involving this substance had also more than doubled since 2010.

Addiction Prevention in Missouri

The state has been attempting to reduce the rates of substance abuse and addiction among its residents by improving access to professional addiction recovery services and programs. Additionally, there are several initiatives in place designed to decrease as well as prevent the high rates of addiction. These initiatives include but are not limited to:

a) Overdose Rescue and Education Project (MORE)

This project is designed to decrease the total number of people who suffer death as a result of abusing opioids. It has been training and educating medical emergency first responders particularly in the rural areas of the state. Furthermore, the program has been distributing naloxone to help reverse more cases of opioid overdose.

b) Strategic Plan for Prevention

Additionally, Missouri runs a prevention program that is targeted at the community level. It involves policy changes that are designed to reduce the rates of drug and alcohol abuse among its residents - but mostly focusing on pregnant women and young people.

c) Partners in Prevention

In the same way, the state runs a coalition that has the primary goal of trying to reduce the rates of drug taking among college students. At the time of writing, a total of 21 private and public colleges and universities were participating in this program. They provide support and other services that are focused on preventing substance abuse, mental health issues, suicide, and underage drinking.

d) School-Based Prevention, Intervention and Resources Initiative

Finally, Missouri has a SPIRIT program in place that is targeted at people of school age. All agencies that participate make use of evidence based methodologies to attempt this goal while also reducing violence and improving academic performance.

It is also important to note that there are syringe services and needle exchange programs in place in the state. These programs provide intravenous drug users with sterilized injection supplies to try and reduce the risks involved with intravenous substance abuse - such as the transmission of diseases like HIV and hepatitis.

Addiction Treatment in Missouri

According to TEDS - the Treatment Episode Data Set - a total of 48628 people were enrolled in an addiction treatment and rehabilitation program in Missouri in 2010. Of this number, 32 percent were female while 68 percent were male.

Four years earlier in 2006, the state had a total of 257 facilities offering professional addiction recovery services. This number had not changed much since 2002. Of this number, 67 centers were providing inpatient or residential rehab services while 10 facilities had an opioid program in place.

When you abuse drugs, they might initially provide you with a sense of euphoria and happiness. Over time, however, they will quickly take over your life - to such an extent that you will no longer be able to enjoy your life in Missouri or continue living as you once used to before you started taking these substances.

Eventually, you will develop tolerance to the drugs that you have been using. When this happens, you will increasingly find yourself taking the substances in higher doses or more frequently than you initially used to.

After tolerance has developed, it will soon be followed by psychological and physical dependence. Once this happens, you will not be able to recover from your condition unless you receive the following addiction treatment and rehabilitation services:

i) Medical Detox

The goal of detox would be to help you overcome your physical dependence. In the process - and as you reduce or completely eliminate the amount of drugs that you abuse - you may develop withdrawal symptoms.

A medically supervised detox program will provide you with the assistance and care you need to ensure that you do not succumb to these symptoms of withdrawal - some of which might be so painful that you will soon find yourself abusing the drugs that have already ruined your life.

ii) Inpatient Drug Rehab

Inpatient addiction treatment would be the natural course to follow. It will allow you to live at the recovery center while receiving various treatments to help you overcome your psychological, behavioral, and emotional dependence on drugs and alcohol.

iii) Outpatient Drug Rehab

You can also enjoy these services on an outpatient basis. This means that you will only have to go to the recovery center a few times every week for several hours each time. During this time, you will work on overcoming your addiction.

Outpatient rehab might be preferred if your addiction is relatively mild, you have no co-occurring mental health or medical disorders, have already been through an inpatient program, and need to continue staying out of impatient drug rehab to ensure you are able to meet your daily obligations and responsibilities.

Whether you are in an inpatient or an outpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, the following are some of the services that you may be able to enjoy:

  • 12 step support group meetings
  • Acupuncture
  • Addiction education
  • Adventure therapy
  • Aftercare programming
  • Alumni services
  • Art therapy
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy
  • Complementary, alternative, or holistic therapies like yoga and meditation
  • Couples counseling
  • Dialectical behavior therapy
  • Dual-diagnosis addiction treatment
  • Equine therapy
  • Family therapy
  • Gender specific treatment
  • Group counseling
  • Individual therapy
  • Journaling
  • Medication assisted treatment
  • Meditation
  • Mindfulness meditation
  • Missouri addiction treatment therapies
  • Motivational interviewing
  • Stress management
  • Vocational training

Getting Help

Irrespective of the nature, extent, and severity of your addiction in Missouri, it is recommended that you seek help from a professional drug and alcohol addiction treatment and rehabilitation center as soon as you realize you have a substance related issue.

CITATIONS

https://health.mo.gov/data/opioids/

https://www.carnevaleassociates.com/our-work/emerging-drug-trends-prevention-issue-brief.html

https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2018-11/DIR-032-18%202018%20NDTA%20final%20low%20resolution.pdf

https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-summaries-by-state/missouri-opioid-summary

https://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/news-statistics/emerging-drug-trends

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234579/

https://www.shadac.org/publications/50-state-analysis-drug-overdose-trends-evolving-opioid-crisis-across-states

https://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2010/2.0_Drug_statistics_and_Trends.pdf


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