As we live and observe the hardships of life, we often believe it could never happen to us. This is especially true with addiction and its dangerous consequences. Growing up, I believed drugs or alcohol would never affect me because I came from a middle-class, happy family, and a good school, but I was wrong. The same is true for the metropolitan Orlando area. You may believe it’s an area free from of addiction and suffering, but it’s not. Here are 10 shocking statistics about addiction and treatment in Orlando.

1. In Orlando, 0.2% of the total population receives treatment for addiction. This is a substantially lower rate of rehab admittances compared with other areas in the United States.

2. In 2012 the general trend of drug abuse in Orlando had risen 11.5% from the previous five years. This means that drug misuse is still prevalent and needs to be addressed.

3. The drug with the highest number of rehab admissions in the Orlando area is surprisingly marijuana/hashish at 28.8%. In close second is alcohol at 25.2%, followed by opiates and synthetics at 23.0%.

4. Of those admitted to rehab in Orlando, 54.6% used their drug of choice on a daily basis. This is high compared to the national level of daily drug use by those admitted to rehab, which is 38.9%.

5. Of those in treatment in Orlando, 15.4% of them were abusing three substances, 22.0% were abusing two substances, and 60.9% were abusing one substance. It is not uncommon for an addict to use alcohol as well as other drugs.

6. Most substance users began using between the ages of 12-14 (24.0%) or between the ages of 15-17 (23.4%). This is a dangerous indication as drug use at a younger age can impair or alter brain development.

7. The state of Florida prescribes 10 times more oxycodone pills than all other states combined. In other words, 85% of oxy pills sold in the U.S. come from Florida. Source: justice.gov

8. The percentage of people who also suffer from a psychiatric disorder, as well as substance abuse issues is 92.3% in Orlando, compared with 67.5% nationally. These are known as co-occurring disorders. It’s important to seek treatment from a center that treats both issues.

9. Among education levels, 34.0% of those admitted to rehab finished high school, and 19.7% had some college education. This proves that addiction doesn’t discriminate according to socioeconomic status.

10. For some it may take more than one stay in rehab to sustain recovery. Among Orlando rehab admits, 10.8% had been once before, while 4.3% had been twice before. 80.7% were spending their first time in rehab.

Although these statistics may be staggering in some respects, there is help available for those who are still sick and suffering in the Orlando area. Treatment works and recovery is possible.

Make the best change for your life today. Call us now: 833.620.2266.

All statistics and facts in this article were gathered from HealthGrove unless otherwise noted.