No one is immune to the effects of an opioid addiction. What might feel like a few extra hits for fun here and there can easily turn into a full-fledged dependence on getting high several times a week. As a college student, I’ve seen people make the wrong decisions and hang out with people who can easily persuade them into taking opioids for fun. This makes sense, we all want to be seen as a little cooler right? Yet, the person who takes the leap to consume opioids for the first time, even if it was actually prescribed to them by a doctor, will never realize how quickly their body will start strongly craving it.
Usually, it’s too late before they’re too affected by symptoms and greatly need opioid withdrawal treatment. Let’s look at what treatment options are available if you happen to know someone who’s struggling and want to help spread the word.
Opioid Withdrawal Treatment Methods
Knowing what options are available for opioid withdrawal treatment is vital for success. Without the assistance of a medically-supervised detox program a person can have numerous risks during withdrawal symptoms. These are intense physical and mental health experiences that can often relapse and prevent successful sobriety. This is because opiate drugs easily form an intense physical dependence which can be extremely painful if not consumption isn’t tapered off correctly. As a result, it’ll take far more than simply strong willpower to break free of opioid drug abuse. While it might be a long-term process, using the right mix of medications and counseling can drastically improve a patient’s chances of success.
Opioid withdrawal treatmentsneed to be conducted with the help from professionally trained medical staff members because going “cold turkey” during a detox can be lethal. Tapering gradually is extremely necessary. .
One of the most major medicines used for opioid withdrawal treatment isDolophine, an opioid that works for a long duration and targets the same areas of your body that opioids do. Patients can usually take it every day after going to a specialized addiction clinic that provides it. With the right dose, it works to combat cravings and the intense withdrawal symptoms people have a hard time dealing with.
Buprenorphineis another medication that lasts for a shorter time but also concentrates on the same receptors in your brain that opiates affect. While it has a much lower risk of lethal overdose, it doesn’t work as strongly. It comes in shot, pill, skin patch, and even a film form that attaches to the inside of your mouth to work. This is the most preferred method for treatment if you have a body that is especially sensitive to new drugs and chemicals.
The third most popular medication for opioid withdrawal treatment is Lucera, which helps to ease symptoms when a patient needs to have rapid detoxification from the drug. Doctors have approved it to be used for up to fourteen days, which typically follows the length of time that most patients need to quickly clear their system.
All things considered, there’s also a handful of new treatment medications for opioid addictionnow available to try and are clinically proven to help ease off withdrawal symptoms.
It Takes A Team
Regardless of the mediation that a patient chooses to use, their overall chances of beating opioid addiction and dependence are far higher with long-term talk therapy or support groups that strengthen their motivation. There are also many online addiction recovery resourcesthat can provide suggestions or advice. In the past few years, there has been a huge rise in the adoption of peer support services to assist recovery from drug use disorders. Having people who are going through the same type of issues makes a big difference to help a patient feel supported, accountable, and determined to reach full recovery. Being successfully sober from an intense drug is a long journey, but having people to walk with them along the way makes the bad days somewhat easier to deal with.
Additionally, it can immensely help a patient to seek a counselor who specializes in drug abuse to talk a few times a month to once a week. Having another safe space to talk about withdrawal symptoms, social struggles, and physical pain is incredibly useful for a patient. The people I know who took the leap to talk to a professional when they had drug issues have been finding it much easier to stay sober and do what’s right for their body. Look up what resources are open online and in your community if you or someone you know is trying to find help with their opioid addiction.
Don’t Give Up
Being held down by the withdrawal symptoms of an opioid addiction is extremely hard. Sometimes you’ll want to through in the bag and just go back to using the drug so you don’t have to deal with the mental and physical pain that it brings. Making the first choice to taper off your opioid consumption is already a great step in the right direction Remember that no one can go through addiction rehab alone either, so take your time to look at your schedule and find a time in the next week to see a professional who can help guide you to the right medication, therapy, and support groups. Nothing is impossible to overcome if you try your absolute best and stay consistent with your treatment!