Alex Atwood's Blog: Against The Current: Fighting Off Opiate Addiction and Moving Forward to Opiate Detox

Opiates, though considered as a class of drugs commonly prescribed to treat pain, can cause physical dependency and addiction. Morphine, heroin, or painkillers like Oxy are opiates.

Taking too much medication of opiates lead to desensitization to the effects. Moreover, prolonged usage of opiate changes the way nerve receptors work in your brain. It also changes the way the brain responds to stimuli and disrupts the pleasure and reward centers of the brain.

One indication of opiate dependency is if you become physically sick after a sudden halt of using opiate medication. Withdrawal symptoms depend on the level of withdrawal you are experiencing.

Other factors also dictate the intensity and length of time a person will experience the symptoms of withdrawal. Thus, withdrawal symptoms differ from one person to the other.

There can be symptoms of complication during the process of opiate withdrawal such as anxiety, nausea, insomnia, and vomiting. Another symptom would be diarrhea. Diarrhea can cause the heart to beat in an abnormal manner, which can lead to circulatory problems and heart attack.

Joint pain and muscle cramps can also be present during opiate withdrawal. Above all these symptoms is an overall mental anguish with depression and physical suffering. Support is available for the person facing an opiate withdrawal, support that can make the withdrawal experience tolerable.

Several kinds of treatment and detox options for the removal of opiate from the body vary, and some may provide a more complex treatment than others. A patient may consider undergoing a self-detoxification or cold turkey opiate withdrawal – that is, unassisted, without medication.

Few succeeded, some go back to opiate abuse while others end up attending medical detoxification after all. Withdrawal is a hard process that will power alone cannot sustain for many people.

It is preferable and necessary to attend medically monitored detoxification in any qualified detox center in order to withdraw from certain addictive substances safely. Medications used will differ depending on the substance abused.

Medications used In Opiate Detox

Medications used in opiate detox include suboxone, clonidine, Subutex, and methadone. When it comes to inpatient treatment settings, methadone is most typically used. Though it does not contradict withdrawal symptoms completely, it helps a user get off and resume a relatively normal lifestyle.

Medical detoxification includes psychological and pharmacological treatments in order to get rid of the harmful chemicals and toxins in the body while under the supervision of health specialists. Such treatment assures a safe and secure way to attaining successful results.

Again withdrawal symptoms cannot be eradicated during the process, but through medical detoxification, the patient may be able to feel less pain and discomfort. Moreover, under medical detoxification, the patient’s blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and other vital signs can be closely checked and monitored through medications to regulate brain and body functions.

Medical detoxification is a means to an end. It provides the stepping stones to what seems to be a complex process of recovery. The whole process of recovery and renewal is a struggle because temptations may occur; temptations to intake again substance in order to lessen the withdrawal symptoms.

Relapse

Relapse is common for individuals struggling with addiction who seek relief from all the symptoms by returning to drug abuse. The pleasure of such relief is so strong that it gives the patient a doubting mind. Nevertheless, if the patient can resist to those temptations, good result are just around the corner!

Within a certain period of not using drugs, tolerance to a specific level of drugs may be reduced. However, there is still a risk of relapse after detox, and it can be especially dangerous as it may increase the risk of a fatal dosage. The whole recovery and renewal treatment doesn’t stop after detoxification.

Holistic Approach

Opiate Detox in Miami is followed with continuous counseling, education, individual therapy, full support from family, friends and other support groups can help an individual stop using drugs and maintain a healthy and wholesome life.

Participation of friends and family can do a positive effect on the whole process of recovery. Since after the detoxification treatment, individual therapy and counseling comes next, the support and care of the family give a big impact on it.

Though at times, people around you wouldn’t be able to understand fully what you are undergoing, the desire to change for them becomes a driving force. It may seem hurtful and unsatisfying at times, but the result of such hurt can provide motivation to stay the sober course.

Takeaway

Asking and seeking help for an opiate addiction will improve your overall health and reduce the risk of accidental overdose, relapse and other complications related to opiate addiction. It may be a tough decision to consult and ask help from professionals, but it is the first step to achieving a healthy and fulfilling life.

You must be diligent enough to talk to any health specialist or healthcare provider about the needed treatment for such addiction. The overall reward on the physical and mental health improvement and the attainment of a lifelong drug-free and sobriety is worth the effort and pain of withdrawal. Contact Detox of South Florida to learn how you or your loved one can start the path to recovery!

The article Against The Current: Fighting Off Opiate Addiction and Moving Forward to Opiate Detox is available on detoxofsouthflorida.com

Source: http://detoxofsouthflorida.com/current-fighting-off-opiate-addiction-moving-forward-opiate-detox/