Bridgeport, Connecticut

Introduction to Bridgeport

Settled in 1639, Bridgeport is located in the southwest corner of Connecticut. The city lies where the Pequonnock River empties into Long Island Sound, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It was incorporated as a borough in 1800, as a town in 1821, and as a city in 1836. Bridgeport has had a series of names - Pequonnock, New Fairfield, Stratford, and Fairfield Village. In 1800 it received it's present name when a drawbridge was built over the Pequonnock River. Measured by population, Bridgeport is the largest city in the state.

Known as Park City, Bridgeport contains 27 parks. Seaside Park, which lies along the shore, covers 210 acres. Beardsley Park encompasses winding roads and paths through woodlands, Beardsley Zoo, and a golf course within its 234 acres. Both were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York City.

Many outsiders may know the city only by viewing the industrial buildings in the enterprise zone as they drive through on Interstate 95. It is indeed an economic contrast to nearby cities on the state's Gold Coast. But the city is determined to bounce back from de-industrialization. A redevelopment of the South End began when the city purchased the Jenkins Valve Company site for $1 and the forgiveness of back taxes. In 2005, America's Promise bestowed on Bridgeport an award for being one of America's "100 Best Communities for Young People". It is also not without spirit. If you venture off the interstate you may well hear a rendition of a song written for New York, but with the revised title of "Its up to you Bridgeport, Bridgeport".

With no fewer than 54 Registered Historic Places, Bridgeport is rich in history. The architecture is rich and diverse. Small distances make this an easily walkable city. Lincoln spoke here after his speaking tour which began at Cooper Union in New York City, as did George W. Bush. P.T. Barnum made this place his home, wintering his circus here, and serving as mayor.

The earliest years of Bridgeport's economy were driven by fishing and agriculture. The mid 1800's saw shipbuilding and whaling due to the presence of a deep harbor. The late 1800's brought industrialization. Well known companies and products from Bridgeport include Singer Manufacturing Co., Remington Arms Co., Underwood Elliot Fisher typewriters, Dictaphone Corp., Bridgeport milling machines, and Crane Valves. Beginning in the late 1900's, de-industrialization took a heavy toll on the city. The 2000's see Bridgeport transitioning into a service economy and providing affordable housing. Perhaps the most well known product evolution began at the Frisbie Pie Company, which was located in Bridgeport. Yale students discovered that flinging the pie plates was a great source of entertainment, and the concept of the Frisbie toy was born.

There are many events and attractions. The Barnum Festival is a series of dozens of events such as dances, food fares, galas, concerts, and sports competitions. Captain's Cove Seaport is the largest tourist attraction.

Cultural institutions include the Greater Bridgeport Symphony, the Downtown Cabaret Theatre, the Playhouse on the Green, and Discovery Museum and Planetarium. Admission is free at the Housatonic Museum of Art which houses works by Picasso, Rodin, and Warhol. Institutions of higher education include the University of Bridgeport and Housatonic Community College.

Sports fans have several outlets to choose from. The Bridgeport Bluefish of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball play at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard. Note that this team has no connection to the minor leagues associated with Major League Baseball. The Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL hockey team and Fairfield University's basketball team both play at the Arena at Harbor Yard.

The city is blessed with many transportation options. Paralleling the shore line are Interstate 95 and Route 1. Also paralleling the shore, but about 6 miles inland, is the Merritt Parkway (Route 15), before it makes a change of direction to the northeast. Routes 8 and 25 run generally northeasterly. Commuting to New York, Stamford, New Haven, and Waterbury can also be accomplished by train using Amtrak or Metro-North. Greyhound and Peter Pan bus lines provide access to major cities. The Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority (GBTA) runs within the city and nearby suburbs. A ferry boat transports vehicles and passengers to Port Jefferson on Long Island.

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPop.Median Family
Income (2000)
Bridgeport139,529$39,571
Ansonia18,554$53,718
Derby12,391$54,715
New Haven123,626$35,950
Norwalk82,951$68,219
Shelton38,101$75,523
West Haven52,360$51,631

High Points

Bridgeport strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Connecticut):

CategoryTrophy
Racial Diversity
(vs. Peers)
Top 3%Bridgeport Racial Diversity
Public Transportation Use
(vs. State)
Top 15%Bridgeport Public Transportation Use


The listings in Bridgeport, Connecticut and surrounding areas provide the following services:

(5) Residential Care Long-term 30 to 90 Days Treatment
(6) Teens and Adolescents
(1) Halfway House
(16) Outpatient
(2) Partial Hospitalization/Day Treatment
(2) Short term Residential Care 30 Days or Less
(3) Clients With Legal Issues
(3) American Sign Language
(12) Spanish Speaking
(7) Females
(9) Mix of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
(9) Drug/Alcohol Detoxification
(6) Methadone Detoxification
(4) Hospital Inpatient
(9) Services for Co-occurring Mental and Substance Abuse Disorders
(6) Persons with HIV/AIDS
(2) Males
(5) Methadone Maintenance
(1) Driving Under The Influence/Driving While Intoxicated Offenders
(1) Seniors/Older Adults
(2) Women That Are Pregnant or Postpartum
(1) Gay and Lesbian
(1) Mental Health Services



Your Name
Phone Number
E-mail Address
City
State
Type of Treatment your looking for
Person's Age Group
Adult – 24 and over
Young Adult – 18 to 24
Adolescent – 17 and under
Any Additional Information
Please type the following number in the box below

If you or a loved one in Bridgeport has been struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction, chances are you feel helpless and do not even know where to begin to look for a viable solution. We know what you are going through and our compassionate staff can help you through every step in the process of finding a Bridgeport drug or alcohol treatment.

Quality Alcohol Rehab or Drug Rehabilitation Centers are available in and around Bridgeport, CT., but you will need help in knowing exactly where to look for treatment. We will help you to know what questions to ask; the most important thing that you should inquire about is the long term success rate of the Bridgeport Alcohol Rehab or Drug Treatment Center. By the time an individual from Bridgeport, Connecticut is ready to get help for their drug or alcohol addiction, they may have already experienced many negative consequences in relation to this toxic lifestyle. Their relatives in Bridgeport may have finally come to a place where they could no longer watch the addict self destruct because of their drug or alcohol addiction.

The reason it is so important to have assistance in choosing an Alcohol Rehab or Drug Rehabilitation Center is that there is such a wide array of options in and around Bridgeport, Connecticut. These drug and alcohol rehabilitation treatment options in Bridgeport, Connecticut may include Long-term Drug and Alcohol Rehabs, Outpatient Drug Rehab Centers, Short-term Drug Rehab Centers, Inpatient Drug and Alcohol Rehab Programs, halfway houses, support group meetings and individual or group drug counseling. Our number one goal is to help you to sort through all of these drug and alcohol rehab options and to help you to find the perfect fit in treatment for you or your loved one in Bridgeport.

A quality Bridgeport Alcohol Rehabilitation or Drug Rehab Program will address the physical and the psychological aspects of the drug or alcohol addiction. The first step in the Bridgeport treatment program is the detox; this process will help to rid the body of the toxins that have accumulated during the drug or alcohol addiction. The reason it is so important for an individual from Bridgeport, Connecticut to have professional assistance during this process is because the staff at the Drug Rehabilitation or Alcohol Rehab Facility can help to alleviate many of the associated withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal symptoms occur during detox because the individual from Bridgeport used drugs or alcohol consistently and the brain has adapted to the presence of the substance; after a period of time, an individual will have to increase the dosages in order to experience the same effects. This occurs as the individual from Bridgeport develops a tolerance to alcohol or various types of drugs such as marijuana, heroin, or cocaine. Depending on the type of drug an individual from Bridgeport, Connecticut has been addicted to and the length of the addiction, it could be a long time before the body is able to function normally in the absence of the substance.

The way that an Alcohol Rehab or Drug Treatment Facility in Bridgeport, CT. addresses the psychological aspect of the drug or alcohol addiction is generally through some type of counseling or group sessions; relapse prevention is also addressed during treatment. The main objective in utilizing all of these different elements of treatment is to help the individual to return home to Bridgeport after completing the Drug Rehabilitation or Alcohol Treatment Center and be able to live successfully, while remaining sober.

An individual from Bridgeport, Connecticut that wants to recover from a drug or alcohol addiction, will need to relearn many of the skills that came naturally to them before they started to abuse drugs or alcohol. By the time many individuals from Bridgeport get to treatment, they may not even be able to remember the last time that they interacted socially with others while sober; at the Alcohol Rehab or Drug Rehabilitation Program, they will learn how to, once again, relate to others without the use of drugs or alcohol. Individuals from Bridgeport, CT. that attends treatment should be educated in drug relapse prevention techniques; they will learn how to deal with the familiar triggers that they may come into contact with upon returning home. An Alcohol Rehabilitation or Drug Treatment Facility will teach the individual from Bridgeport how to respond to these triggers without using drugs or alcohol.

Because of the way drugs and alcohol affect the various functions of the brain, most people from Bridgeport, Connecticut that try to stop using drugs on their own, will be fighting a losing battle. By the time an individual from Bridgeport finally succumbs to an Alcohol Treatment or Drug Rehabilitation Facility, they have probably experienced failure in this area numerous times. Many times, this is the reason that the individual from Bridgeport is able to recognize that they need professional help.

Getting Help

Getting help is the easiest part, just dial toll free 855 Stop-Drugs (855-786-7378), so that you can speak to a registered addiction specialist or simply fill out the Bridgeport, Connecticut Drug Rehab or Alcohol Rehabilitation Program request form and a counselor will contact you shortly. Don't wait, call right now, you will be so glad that you did.

There are 12 local Alcohol Rehab and Drug Treatment Facilities in Bridgeport, Connecticut. We have also provided 8 additional Drug Rehabilitation and Alcohol Rehab Programs that are closest geographically to Bridgeport:

APT Foundation Inc Bridgeport, CT
Primary Service: Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Center
Services Offered: Teens and Adolescents, Residential Care Long-term 30 to 90 Days Treatment
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment
Chemical Abuse Services Agency Inc Bridgeport, CT
Primary Service: Drug and Alcohol Rehab Center
Services Offered: American Sign Language, Clients With Legal Issues, Halfway House, Outpatient, Partial Hospitalization/Day Treatment, Residential Care Long-term 30 to 90 Days Treatment, Short term Residential Care 30 Days or Less, Spanish Speaking
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid)
Connection Inc Bridgeport, CT
Primary Service: Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Facility
Services Offered: Outpatient, Residential Care Long-term 30 to 90 Days Treatment, Females
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Medicare, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid), Private health insurance
Daytop Bridgeport, CT
Primary Service: Drug and Alcohol Rehab Facility
Services Offered: Residential Care Long-term 30 to 90 Days Treatment
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment
Greater Bridgeport Community MH Center Bridgeport, CT
Primary Service: Drug and Alcohol Rehab
Services Offered: Services for Co-occurring Mental and Substance Abuse Disorders, Methadone Detoxification, Drug/Alcohol Detoxification, Hospital Inpatient, Mix of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Spanish Speaking
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Medicare, Private health insurance
Helping Hand Center Inc Bridgeport, CT
Primary Service: Drug Rehab and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program
Services Offered: Clients With Legal Issues, Persons with HIV/AIDS, Males, Outpatient, Residential Care Long-term 30 to 90 Days Treatment, Short term Residential Care 30 Days or Less, Spanish Speaking
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Medicare, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid), Private health insurance, Military insurance (e.g., VA,TRICARE)
Liberation Programs Inc Bridgeport, CT
Primary Service: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center
Services Offered: Services for Co-occurring Mental and Substance Abuse Disorders, Methadone Detoxification, Drug/Alcohol Detoxification, Driving Under The Influence/Driving While Intoxicated Offenders, Persons with HIV/AIDS, Mix of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Methadone Maintenance, Outpatient, Spanish Speaking, Females
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Medicare, Private health insurance
LMG Programs Bridgeport, CT
Primary Service: Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program
Services Offered: Methadone Detoxification, Drug/Alcohol Detoxification, Persons with HIV/AIDS, Methadone Maintenance, Outpatient, Seniors/Older Adults, Spanish Speaking, Females
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid), Private health insurance
New Era Rehabilitation Bridgeport, CT
Primary Service: Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Center
Services Offered: Methadone Detoxification, Drug/Alcohol Detoxification, Persons with HIV/AIDS, Methadone Maintenance, Males, Outpatient, Women That Are Pregnant or Postpartum, Spanish Speaking, Females
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Medicare, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid), Private health insurance, Military insurance (e.g., VA,TRICARE)
New Era Rehabilitation Center Inc Bridgeport, CT
Primary Service: Alcohol Rehab and Drug Treatment Facility
Services Offered: Services for Co-occurring Mental and Substance Abuse Disorders, Methadone Detoxification, Drug/Alcohol Detoxification, Mix of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Methadone Maintenance, Outpatient, Women That Are Pregnant or Postpartum, Spanish Speaking, Females
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Medicare, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid), Private health insurance, Military insurance (e.g., VA,TRICARE), Access to Recovery
Recovery Network of Programs Inc Bridgeport, CT
Primary Service: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program
Services Offered: Teens and Adolescents, American Sign Language, Services for Co-occurring Mental and Substance Abuse Disorders, Mix of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Outpatient, Spanish Speaking
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Medicare, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid)
Regional Network of Programs Inc Bridgeport, CT
Primary Service: Alcohol Treatment and Drug Rehabilitation Center
Services Offered: Methadone Detoxification, Drug/Alcohol Detoxification, Persons with HIV/AIDS, Outpatient, Spanish Speaking
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid
Family Resource Associates Stratford, CT 3.6 miles from Bridgeport
Primary Service: Alcohol Treatment and Drug Rehab Program
Services Offered: Teens and Adolescents, Mix of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Outpatient
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Medicare, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid), Private health insurance
Fairfield Counseling Services Inc Fairfield, CT 5.0 miles from Bridgeport
Primary Service: Drug Rehab and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center
Services Offered: Services for Co-occurring Mental and Substance Abuse Disorders, Gay and Lesbian, Mix of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Outpatient
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Medicare, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid), Private health insurance, Military insurance (e.g., VA,TRICARE)
Positive Directions Westport, CT 8.5 miles from Bridgeport
Primary Service: Alcohol Rehabilitation and Drug Rehab Program
Services Offered: Teens and Adolescents, Outpatient
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment
Saint Vincents Medical Center Westport, CT 8.7 miles from Bridgeport
Primary Service: Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Program
Services Offered: Teens and Adolescents, American Sign Language, Services for Co-occurring Mental and Substance Abuse Disorders, Drug/Alcohol Detoxification, Hospital Inpatient, Mix of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Spanish Speaking
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Medicare, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid), Private health insurance, Military insurance (e.g., VA,TRICARE)
Griffin Hospital Derby, CT 11.0 miles from Bridgeport
Primary Service: Drug Rehab and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center
Services Offered: Services for Co-occurring Mental and Substance Abuse Disorders, Drug/Alcohol Detoxification, Hospital Inpatient, Mental Health Services, Outpatient, Partial Hospitalization/Day Treatment, Females
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Medicare, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid), Private health insurance, Military insurance (e.g., VA,TRICARE)
Connecticut Renaissance Inc Norwalk, CT 12.2 miles from Bridgeport
Primary Service: Drug Treatment and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center
Services Offered: Teens and Adolescents, Clients With Legal Issues, Services for Co-occurring Mental and Substance Abuse Disorders, Mix of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Outpatient
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Medicare, Private health insurance, Military insurance (e.g., VA,TRICARE)
Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Norwalk, CT 13.1 miles from Bridgeport
Primary Service: Alcohol and Drug Treatment Center
Services Offered: Services for Co-occurring Mental and Substance Abuse Disorders, Drug/Alcohol Detoxification, Hospital Inpatient, Mix of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Outpatient, Spanish Speaking, Females
Payment Forms Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Medicare, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid), Private health insurance, Military insurance (e.g., VA,TRICARE)

Did You Know? ...
Interesting Facts and Statistics:

The graduates of drug rehab that are deemed to have benefited long term from a successful treatment program are those individuals who can stand on their own feet and live drug-free and productive lives.

Rates of SMI in 2008 were highest for adults aged 18 to 25 (7.4 percent) and lowest for adults aged 50 or older (2.3 percent).

Contrary to popular belief, the 'typical' overdose victim is not a young novice or inexperienced user. Rather, the average age of death reported is in the late twenties and early thirties. Eighty per cent of deaths were classified as dependent, regular users. Given that the mean age of death reported in most studies is approximately 30 years, and that heroin-using careers typically start in the late teens, most fatal cases have been using heroin for a considerable amount of time prior to death. They do not, on the whole, appear to be novice users but older dependent heroin users. Deaths do occur among recreational heroin users as well. It is estimated that 17% of heroin overdose deaths are by recreational/weekend users.

During the 1990s, heroin incidence rates rose to a level not reached since the 1970s. The annual number of new users ranged from 55,000 to 69,000 between 1989 and 1992. However, there were 110,000 new heroin users in 1994 and 146,000 in 2000. Between 1975 and 1977, there were approximately 120,000 to 140,000 new users of heroin per year.

The average age at first smokeless tobacco use among recent initiates aged 12 to 49 in 2005 was 18.3 years. Averages were 18.2 years for boys and 18.9 years for girls.

Marijuana was the most commonly used illegal drug (15.2 million past month users). In 2008, marijuana was used by 75.7 percent of current illegal drug users and was the only drug used by 57.3 percent of them. Illegal drugs other than marijuana were used by 8.6 million persons or 42.7 percent of illegal drug users aged 12 or older. Current use of other drugs but not marijuana was reported by 24.3 percent of illegal drug users, and 18.4 percent used both marijuana and other drugs.


Strong support groups and sober friends are very helpful for recovering Alcoholics after rehab. Alcoholics Anonymous provides meetings that recovering alcoholics can attend to help stay focused on their sobriety. You can find AA meetings at the following locations in Bridgeport:

Midway Men's Group
Midway Plaza
13451 Ne Route 27 Alt.
Bridgeport, Connecticut 6607

AA Meeting Days and Times
Wednesday, 7:30 PM

Primary Purpose
St. Ann's Church
481 Brewster Street
Bridgeport, Connecticut 6605

AA Meeting Days and Times
Thursday, 10:00 AM
The following survey was completed by residents of Bridgeport, Connecticut as part of the USNODRUGS monitoring program. The survey below is a representation of perceptual drug and alcohol usage rates in Bridgeport, Connecticut. We cannot guarantee complete accuracy, but our monitoring team uses the highest standards for survey compilation.
You do not have to answer all of the survey questions, you should only answer questions that are relevant to your thoughts and experiences.
Survey results as of May 1, 2012
Perception of marijuana in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Do you believe that using marijuana can be harmful?
Maybe
No
Yes
77%
21%
2%
Marijuana use in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Have you used marijuana in your lifetime?
No
Yes
88%
12%
Have you used marijuana in the past month?
No
Yes
93%
7%
Do you use marijuana regularly?
Maybe
No
Yes
19%
77%
4%
Perception of Alcohol in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Do you believe that drinking alcohol can be harmful?
Maybe
No
Yes
0%
4%
96%
Have you had a binge drinking experience in the past month?
No
Yes
94%
6%
Do you consume alcohol daily?
Maybe
No
Yes
11%
87%
2%
How old were you when you first experimented with alcohol?
0-10
11-21
22-31
32 or older
4%
8%
63%
25%
What motivated you to use drugs or alcohol for the first time in Bridgeport, Connecticut?
Boredom
Curiousity
Drugs were all around
Family problem
Hopelessness
It was easy to get
None of the above
Peer Pressure
To fit in
Unhappiness
3%
22%
1%
6%
3%
3%
46%
7%
3%
6%
Most common first drug experience in Bridgeport, Connecticut?
Alcohol
Club Drug
Crack Cocaine
Ecstasy
Heroin
Inhalants
Marijuana
Meth
Over The Counter Drug
Powder Cocaine
Prescription Drug
Psychedelic Drug
23%
2%
2%
4%
2%
3%
13%
4%
7%
6%
24%
10%
Use of drugs and alcohol in Bridgeport, Connecticut schools.
Have you ever gone to school in Bridgeport, Connecticut under the influence of marijuana?
Maybe
No
Yes
0%
97%
3%
Have you ever gone to school in Bridgeport, Connecticut under the influence of alcohol?
Maybe
No
Yes
17%
77%
6%
What is the most common drug used in your school in Bridgeport, Connecticut?
Alcohol
Club Drug
Crack Cocaine
Ecstasy
Heroin
Inhalants
Marijuana
Meth
Over The Counter Drug
Powder Cocaine
Prescription Drug
Psychedelic Drug
20%
3%
2%
3%
2%
2%
12%
2%
10%
4%
33%
7%
Your Age?
0-10
11-21
22-31
32 or older
6%
6%
67%
21%
Your Gender?
Female
Male
35%
65%
Surveys updated monthly.

Please, do not fill out our drug and alcohol monitoring survey on this page if you do not live in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Thanks for participating in our drug and alcohol abuse monitoring program.

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