Bolingbrook's Top Addiction Resource & Information Guide

Bolingbrook, the 16th largest city (actually, a village) in Illinois, has a population of 73,922 (in the 2020 Census). It straddles Will and DuPage counties, the second and third largest counties in the state.

That’s less than 3% of the population of Chicago and only a little more than one-half of one percent (0.0057%) of Illinois. It still faces problems of gun violence, COVID-19, and substance use disorder.

Demographics of Bolingbrook, Illinois

The median age in Bolingbrook, Illinois, is 36.2, younger than Will County, 38.6, DuPage County, 39.8, Illinois, 38.6, and the United States, 38.5.

Racially and ethnically, Bolingbrook, Illinois, is more racially and ethnically diverse than Will and DuPage counties, Illinois, and the U.S. as a whole.

The total Hispanic population in Bolingbrook, Illinois, was (25.4%), greater than Will County (18.2%), DuPage County (14.6%), Illinois (17.5%), and the U.S. (18.4%).

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Economics of Bolingbrook, Illinois

In 2019, in Bolingbrook, Illinois:

• The poverty rate was 6.7%, about the same as Will County (6.75%) and DuPage County (6.37%), but lower than Illinois (12.5%) and the U.S. (12.3%).
• The median annual household income was $91,290, lower than DuPage County ($96,403), about the same as Will County ($90,134), but higher than Illinois ($69,187), and the U.S. ($65,712).
• The median property value was $223,600, lower than DuPage County ($316,600), Will County ($251,600), and the U.S. ($240,500), but higher than Illinois ($209,100).

In general, people in Bolingbrook, Illinois, tended to achieve higher education, at least once past high school, than Will and DuPage counties, Illinois, and the United States as a whole:

• A higher percentage in Bolingbrook, Illinois, has no high school diploma (11.7%) than in DuPage County (7.6%), Will County (9.2%), Illinois (11.7%), and the United States (13%) overall.
• More have a bachelor’s degree in Bolingbrook, Illinois, (36.5%) than Will County (33.5%), Illinois (32.9%), and the U.S. (30.3%), but fewer than DuPage County (47.3%).
• More (3%) have an advanced degree (MBA, PhD, MD) than Will County (2.4%), but fewer than DuPage County (4.8%), Illinois (3.4%), and the U.S. (3.3%).

Problems Facing Bolingbrook, Illinois

As a village, Bolingbrook is less likely to experience as much gun-related violence and opioid-related overdose deaths as larger cities such as Chicago. Even so, it’s not immune. On Nov. 1, 2021, Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared gun violence a public health crisis throughout the state.

Bolingbrook didn’t appear on MoneyGeek’s list of the 303 safest cities in the US—Chicago was no. 273rd—but that’s most likely due to its size. In a ranking of the safest cities in Illinois, Bolingbrook:

• Ranked 84th safest city in Illinois out of 265.
• Had 1.6 violent crimes per 1,000 people.
• Had 8.6 property crimes per 1,000 people.

To contrast, Chicago:

• Ranked 242nd safest city in Illinois
• Had 9.4 violent crimes per 1,000 people (more than five times the rate).
• Had 29.8 property crimes per 1,000 people (more than three times the rate).

It’s not entirely immune, however. Bolingbrook’s crime rate per square mile was about the same as Illinois as a whole and higher than the national median rate.

Substance Use Disorder in Bolingbrook, Illinois

It’s not always possible to separate Bolingbrook’s substance use disorder problems from nearby communities. In the larger Will/DuPage County area, the worst substance use disorders involve:

Opioids

Illinois had the nation’s 24th highest overdose death rate in 2020 with 28 per 100,000, a more than 25% increase over 2019 (22), based on preliminary CDC data. (The rate was more than three times as high in West Virginia, the highest, with 74. South Dakota was last with eight. The overall U.S. rate was 29.4.) That’s a 40% increase over the average number of deaths from 2015 to 2019 (20).

Of the 95 overdose deaths recorded in Will County through Aug. 20, 2021:

• 73 (almost 77%) involved an opioid (heroin and/or fentanyl)
• 47 (50%) involved cocaine
• 34 (36%) involved both

Another eight involved alcohol, and seven involved all three. One involved a benzodiazepine with alcohol—a frequently lethal combination—and one a horse tranquilizer.

In DuPage County, there were 112 opioid overdose deaths in 2020, a 17% increase over 2019.

In non-dated year-to-date statistics online in October 2021, the DuPage County coroner had already recorded 202 accidental deaths of which 27 were due to alcohol, 69 to drugs and 16 to both.

The deadliest opioid, both in terms of potency and widespread use and availability, is fentanyl. Usually said to be 50 times as strong as heroin, an accidental overdose requires only a small miscalculation.

Most of the time, people don’t know they are using fentanyl because it is often substituted for or added to and sold as other drugs—not only other opioids, such as oxycodone or heroin, but also cocaine and meth.

Alcohol

Alcohol is one of the most abused substances because it is widely and legally available and socially acceptable. People who would never tolerate heroin or even marijuana use in their presence are more accepting of alcohol.

Despite this, alcohol is dangerous not just to those who have an alcohol use disorder (AUD) but to others who drink excessively. Binge drinking—consuming more than five drinks in two hours for men, four for women—while not necessarily a sign of an AUD, can be fatal.

In Chicago 2017:

• More than half a million people (505,000) binge drank.
• 8% did so more than five times in the previous month.
• 223 died due to alcohol use
• 257 died from alcohol-related diseases such as cirrhosis and chronic liver disease.

Those figures do not include deaths caused by alcohol impairment (such as auto accidents) or diseases that are made worse by alcohol use but not caused by it.

Student Substance Use Disorder in Bolingbrook, Illinois, Colleges

There are more than 20 universities near Bolingbrook, IL (though none within its borders), including more than a dozen private colleges and about six community colleges. A dozen have little or no online instruction, while four are all or mostly online.

There are more schools, including state universities, in Chicago.

Close to half of all undergraduate college students—in Illinois and nationwide—are younger than 21, too young to legally drink alcohol, which doesn’t prevent underage drinking.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a third of college students engage in binge drinking. On average, more college students drink, drink heavily, and binge drink than non-college students of the same age.

Not all of these underage drinkers have an alcohol use disorder. Some substance use disorder is just habit, not addiction, though behavior can become a use disorder. The first six weeks of college may set the pattern.

Whether or not alcohol use is due to an alcohol use disorder or just peer pressure, it can still be deadly, especially to a first-time drinker. New drinkers haven’t built up a tolerance and can be goaded into drinking so much they experience alcohol poisoning.

All substance use disorders are more likely to develop and are especially damaging if they start before age 25, when the brain is still developing.

According to a 2016 study, heroin use:

• Was most likely to develop if prescription opioids were used non-medically between the ages of 10 and 12.
• Most often begins between ages 17 and 18.
• Is at its highest rate in the U.S. between ages 18 and 25.

Some Illinois universities—including The University of Chicago and DePaul University—utilize the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) program to help students with alcohol and drug use issues.

Substance Use Disorder Treatment in Bolingbrook, Illinois

Substance use disorders (SUDs), including addiction, are not entirely due to drug-using behavior. SUDs are in part a genetic predisposition that, when triggered, become a chronic illness like diabetes. That’s why some people can drink, smoke, and even use opioids or other illicit drugs without developing a dependence.

Other people become hooked almost the first time they use a substance.

Drug Rehab

Substance use disorder usually means a drug use disorder. That includes the illegal use of legal prescription drugs and any use of illegal drugs. Treatment usually takes place in drug rehab. Drug rehab is available in a vast majority of rehab centers, even those that are in Des Plaines, IL.

Types of drugs requiring rehab include: Oxycodone, hydrocodone, heroin, fentanyl, K2, spice, synthetic marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, ritalin, concerta, adderall, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, other sedatives, tranquilizers, etc.

Alcohol Rehab

Alcohol is usually considered separately from drugs, but it also can affect and alter the brain and can require rehab.

Dual Diagnosis Rehab in Bolingbrook, Illinois

SUDs are also a form of mental illness, like anxiety, stress, and depression. Recovery from SUDs requires that these connections are recognized and treated. Dual diagnosis treatment can be a necessity for those with co-occurring disorders. If needed, seek out a rehab center in a nearby area that may have dual diagnosis treatment if Bolingbrook does not—a rehab facility in Orland Park, for example.

Sometimes a substance use disorder and a mental illness co-occur, such as when:

• They have a common origin, such as trauma.
• An individual with a mental illness tries to treat the symptoms by abusing substances.
• An individual’s substance use causes or triggers a mental illness.

This co-occurrence is known as co-occurring disorders or a dual diagnosis. Among people with an SUD:

• More than a quarter (28%) also had a serious mental illness (SMI)
• Almost one-fifth (19.3%) had any mental illness (AMI)
• Only 5% had no mental illness.

Among youth in community-based substance use disorder treatment programs, the rate is even higher. More than 60% were also diagnosed with a mental illness.

For long-term recovery, both disorders need to be treated, but both aren’t always diagnosed. Even when they are, some addiction specialists think only the primary disorder needs treatment, that since it caused the other disorder, treating it will correct both disorders.

The problem is that it’s not always apparent which disorder came first. Even if it is, once a substance use disorder starts, it doesn’t just go away. SUDs change the brain physically; relapse always remains a possibility.

The best science currently believes both mental illnesses and SUDs must be treated. The only disagreement is when:

• Complete treatment for one disorder before treatment for the other begins.
• Have separate teams treat each disorder at the same time.
• Have one team treat both disorders concurrently.

Holistic Rehab

Abstinence alone will not end most substance use disorders. Healing, both physical and mental, is required. That requires a variety of mental and physical practices. Many rehabs offer these practices as holistic rehab.

Types of holistic rehab include:

• Mindfulness and other meditation methods.
• Movement exercises, such as yoga and tai chi.
• Art and music therapy.
• Physical therapies, such as massage and acupuncture.
• Nutritional therapy.
• Equine therapy.

Luxury Rehab

Not all drug or alcohol rehabs are the same. Some offer more options in treatments and services, as well as personal attention and comforts.

If individuals want or need private rooms, Internet access, exercise facilities, a tranquil natural surrounding, or healthy and tasty meals, they may want to consider a luxury rehab. Luxury rehab is still a rehab, however, not a resort. Prospective clients should make sure the basic rehab is in place.

Any rehab, luxury or otherwise, still requires hard work to change, learn new coping behaviors, and avoid people, places, and situations that could trigger a relapse. A failure to do so may send clients right back to rehab in a month or a year. Better yet, contact the best facility you plan to enroll in for your 30-day drug treatment programs or alcohol treatment programs. Also make sure to ask them if your insurance will cover you for 60 day treatment, 90 day treatment, 120 day addiction treatment or even 7-14 day addiction rehab.

Choosing From Rehabs in Bolingbrook, Illinois

Choosing a rehab should involve careful consideration of the facility and what services it offers. Keep in mind, a big city may have centers that have all or most of these things. With that being said, looking for rehabs in Chicago may prove helpful. Among the things to consider:

Accreditation

In the past, so-called rehab centers have been operated by scam artists with no intention or ability to help clients reach recovery. To avoid such charlatans, make sure they are properly accredited and meet at least the minimum requirements for an alcohol or drug rehabilitation center.

The Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Services Association (SAMHSA) has approved three accreditation bodies:

• CARF International
• Council on Accreditation (COA)
• The Joint Commission

In Illinois, counselors also must be certified by the Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association (IAODAPCA). In addition, social media (Google, Facebook) requires LegitScript approval before allowing advertising. Another designation some addiction treatment centers may seek is Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) or a designated collaborative organization (DCO).

If a local facility doesn’t meet accepted accreditations, consider looking to nearby rehabs, such as a rehab in Evanston, IL.

Client-to-Staff Ratio

All things being equal, the more staff, the better the care, so look for facilities with fewer clients per staff member. There are no industry-wide standards, but it’s another factor to consider.

Treatment Options at Rehab Centers in Bolingbrook, Illinois

While there are many types of treatment programs and treatment approaches—and more than one is usually employed—Illinois recommends that alcohol, drug, and other substance use disorder services include:

• Early Intervention. Treatment may begin as soon as SUD-related risk factors appear.
• Case Management. Finding and coordinating SUD treatment services.
• Outpatient Treatment. Clients come to the treatment center for counseling and therapy for a few hours a week, nine or fewer, then go home, work, or attend school.
• Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP). Still outpatient treatment, but for a few hours almost every day, up to 19 hours weekly.
• Detoxification. For clients who still need to complete withdrawal, a medically monitored detox is provided.
• Inpatient Rehab. Also known as residential rehabilitation, the client stays at the rehab center 24/7, including eating and sleeping, while undergoing treatment.
• Residential Aftercare. Rehab only lasts for a limited time, and not always the 90 days that the National Institute on Drug Abuse feels is the minimum for effective treatment. For clients who feel they aren’t ready to face addiction outside of rehab, there are halfway house-like recovery residences.

Inpatient Drug Rehab in Bolingbrook, Illinois

Here are some other services most rehabs offer:

• Intake. The process of interviewing and assessing each client’s substance use disorder upon admission so that a course of treatment (including aftercare) can be designed.
• Medication-assisted treatment (MAT). This includes narcotic replacement therapy (NRT), the use of other drugs to control or reduce withdrawal symptoms without causing euphoria. This allows clients to taper off the use of alcohol or drugs and begin recovery. Approved NRT/MAT drugs include:
• Methadone or buprenorphine (Suboxone) for opioids
• Acamprosate (Campral) for alcohol.

Other non-NRT MATs include:

• Naltrexone (Vivitrol): Cancels or prevents euphoria from opioids.
• Disulfiram (Antabuse): Causes nausea if alcohol is consumed.
• Behavioral therapies. Variations on classic talk therapy or psychotherapy that help train the brain to use healthier coping mechanisms instead of misusing drugs or alcohol. These include Cognitive-behavioral therapy, Dialectical behavior therapy, Rational emotive behavior therapy

Other related therapies include:

• Motivational interviewing,
• Contingency management
• The Matrix Model.

Aftercare Planning Procedures

Addiction recovery requires a continuum of care. That means clients are not cured once they leave rehab. By the best science today, that’s not a possible goal. Even decades after their last drug or alcohol use, individuals can relapse.

Recovery requires constant reinforcement. People with diabetes must avoid sugar and/or take insulin for the rest of their lives. So too, must people with SUDs avoid not only substances but the triggers for substance use.

An aftercare plan will help. It may mean new friends, a new home, new hobbies, and new activities. Membership in a peer fellowship or support group may help, too.

Support groups

A support group can provide real-world advice on abstaining from alcohol and drugs from people who have and are doing so. They may have more in common with newly sober individuals than just the former substance use. They may become friends. They also may meet for leisure activities.

There are two main types of support groups:

Twelve-step rehab

Alcoholics Anonymous established the Twelve Steps model and shared it with other groups specializing in other substances. They also established the model of free meetings, led not by addiction professionals but by others with the same SUD.

The hallmark of 12-step meetings is the testimony. Each member is encouraged to acknowledge their SUDs, to talk about their attempts to stay sober, to work the steps, and to help others with less sobriety.

Some 12-step groups have a separate group for family and friends.

Here are some currently active 12-step groups:

1. Alcoholics Anonymous. For people with alcohol use disorders (AUDs). There are about seven meetings weekly in Bolingbrook, IL, but more meetings in nearby cities and online.
2. Al-Anon and Alateen. For family and friends of those with AUDs. There is only one in Bolingbrook, Illinois, but more than 100 within 25 miles (fou18 Alateen), plus electronic meetings.
3. Adult Children of Alcoholics. For people whose family members include people with an AUD. There are no face-to-face meetings in Bolingbrook, but more than 25 within 30 miles, plus online and telephone meetings.
4. Narcotics Anonymous. For people with narcotic use disorders. Two meetings are listed in Bolingbrook, with another 75 or so within 20 miles, plus 14 virtual meetings.
5. Nar-Anon and Narateen. For the family and friends of people with drug use disorders. No Nar-Anon meeting is listed in Bolingbrook, but there are virtual meetings (Narateen, too).
6. Cocaine Anonymous. No meeting is listed in Bolingbrook, but there are meetings in nearby cities plus two virtual meetings.
7. Dual Recovery Anonymous. For those with co-occurring disorders. No meetings were listed in Bolingbrook, but several were within 25 miles.
8. Marijuana Anonymous. No meetings in Bolingbrook, but seven within 11 to 41 miles.
9. Local Celebrate Recovery groups. A Christ-centered program for all SUDs or other types of hurt or pain. There are no meetings listed in Bolingbrook, Illinois, but 21 are within 25 miles.
10. Crystal Meth Anonymous. No meetings in Bolingbrook, but nine weekly nearby in Chicago, plus 13 online meetings.

Non-12-step rehab

Not all support groups use the Twelve Steps. Some are secular or use a different model, including:

1. SMART (Self-Management and Recovery Training) Recovery. Trained facilitators use science-based tools and techniques to change behaviors. There are no meetings in Bolingbrook, Illinois, but about 20 within 25 miles and several that have moved online.
2. LifeRing Secular Recovery. Members design recovery plans themselves. The only meeting near Bolingbrook, IL, is in Chicago and has moved online.
3. Women for Sobriety. By and for women in recovery. There are no meetings listed in Bolingbrook, Illinois, but several in Chicago.
4. Moderation Management. Controlled and limited drinking, not total abstinence, is the goal. There don’t seem to be any face-to-face meetings in or near Illinois, only phone and video meetings.
5. Parents of Addicted Loved Ones. While there are no meetings in or near Bolingbrook, Illinois (and only one in Illinois), there are online meetings.
6. Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing (GRASP). For family and friends of those who died due to a substance use overdose. There are no meetings in Bolingbrook, Illinois, but four meetings within 23 to 38 miles of Bolingbrook.

Veterans Affairs Addiction Treatment

About 3.9% (2,919) of Bolingbrook’s 2019 population were veterans, less than their 4.5% representation in Illinois or 5.5% across the US. Still, many of them will deal with mental and physical damage caused by their service, including:

• Chronic pain.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.
• Substance use disorders, including alcohol, prescription, and illicit drugs, and marijuana.

While there are no Veterans Health Administration facilities in Bolingbrook, Illinois, there are many in Chicago that provide mental health services, including:

• Jesse Brown VA Medical Center.
• Auburn Gresham VA Clinic.
• Lakeside Clinic.
• Chicago Vet Center.

Other nationwide Veterans resources include:

• VA Vet Call Centers: 877-WAR-VETS
• Guide to VA Mental Health Services for Veterans & Families
• Veterans Health Administration (VHA): Mental Health Services Overview

Paying for Rehabs in Bolingbrook, Illinois

While employers provide healthcare coverage to more than half of all Americans, Illinois provides additional help for those with no insurance or low incomes.

The Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) treatment system of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) provides SUD rehab treatment through Medicare and Medicaid.

Illinois also has addiction treatment services—including inpatient detox, rehab services, and continuing care—provided by the Addictions Treatment Program (ATP). It’s not free—it accepts Medicaid—but there is a sliding fee schedule based on ability to pay, and no one is turned away because they can’t pay.

Will County’s Safe Passage Network allows people to access SUD treatment, even without insurance, by reporting to a participating police station without fear of arrest.

DuPage County also provides substance use treatment through Medicaid/Managed Care Organizations, on a sliding scale based on ability pay, or in some cases, through a state contract.

Traveling to Bolingbrook, Illinois, Rehab Centers

Ways to travel to Bolingbrook include by plane, bus, and automobile, usually via Chicago.

• Plane: The two airports closest to Bolingbrook are both in Chicago, and only one has high connectivity to other airports: Chicago O’Hare International Airport (21.36 miles).
• Bus: There don’t seem to be any direct bus lines between Bolingbrook and Chicago, but the trip is possible by walking part of the way then taking a subway, changing from one bus line to another.
• Motor vehicle: The only direct route to or from Bolingbrook seems to be by personal car, rideshare service (Uber, Lyft), or taxi. Bolingbrook is 29 miles from Chicago by road.