Opioid Detox Centers

Opioid abuse is a growing problem in America and across the rest of the globe. Drugs like prescription pain relievers, heroin, and morphine are being used by millions of people, who often find themselves addicted. Many users begin with a prescription opioid and find themselves deviating from their prescription’s directions. Other users obtain the drugs illegally and use them recreationally. Both routes to opioid use lead to addiction.

In fact, one can even lead to the other. The National Institute on Drug Abuse asserts that a number of opioid addicts who initially use prescription drugs to get high switch to heroin.

Experts surmise increased availability and decreased price make heroin attractive to those who develop an opioid addiction. And, any chronic user of an opioid is at risk of developing an addiction.

People who have an opioid addiction know that there best course of action is to seek out and participate in professional drug addiction treatment. It is associated with the highest rates of recovery. What people may not know is that professional detox program participation best prepares addicts for their drug addiction treatment, increasing positive outcomes and retention.

The following discussion will explain professional detox, cover the withdrawal symptoms that detox treats, and generally address the interventions used in professional detox. To learn more about the role it could play in your recovery from opioid abuse, call 800-315-1376 (Who Answers?). Our experts can answer all of your questions and direct you to treatment programs that will meet your needs.  Don’t wait; call now.

What Is Professional Opioid Detox?

You know that detox is about removing toxins because that’s what the name translates into and because the word is often used in the context of fasts and cleanses aimed at removing toxins from your body. But, professional drug detox isn’t really comparable to the fad diets and exercise trends that use the word detox.

Professional drug detox draws from hard science and uses a lot of medical know how. It’s not just about ridding the body of opioids and other substances. It’s about doing so in the least painful and most healthy way possible.

Whereas a home detox would focus simply on not doing drugs, a professional detox has an individualized treatment plan that takes the opioid users comprehensive health into account, treating all occurring health conditions along with the addiction. Further, multiple interventions that can’t be replicated at home are used to reduce or eliminate painful symptoms.

What Withdrawal Symptoms Does Opioid Detox Manage?

In general, opioids share some of the same withdrawal symptoms. Of course, the onset of the symptoms and their severity will depend upon things, like:

• The opioid being used
• The user’s tolerance
• The user’s general wellbeing and health
• The dosages being used
• The length of time the drug has been abused
• The degree of addiction

In most cases, larger doses, a longer history of use, and a more severe addiction are all linked to more severe symptoms. However, even mild symptoms can be excruciating.

It’s worth remembering that opioids are pain relievers and users who abuse them aren’t used to experiencing pain. When the drugs exit their system, the user not only has to confront existing pain, they also have the growing discomfort that accompanies withdrawals to attend to. This agony causes many users to relapse as a way of staving off further withdrawals. This is yet another reason that professional detox is so important: it eases this pain.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration lists the following opioid withdrawal signs and symptoms:

Sweating and high blood pressure are potential symptoms of opioid withdrawal.

• Anxiety
• Muscle and bone pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal cramping
• Muscle spasms
• Runny nose
• Yawning
• Tearing
• Increased respiration
• Gooseflesh
• Sweating
• Abnormally heightened reflexes
• Dilated pupils
• Insomnia
• High body temperature
• High blood pressure
• Fast pulse

How Does Professional Opioid Detox Treat These Signs and Symptoms?

Opioid detox will use a combination of interventions, including:

• Education: linked to pain relief and increased retention
• Therapy: eases pain and teaches coping skills
• Opioid withdrawal specific medications: buprenorphine, clonidine, methadone
• Supplementary medications for individual symptoms not addressed by other medications

To learn more about the methods used to ease and alleviate discomfort during the detox process, call 800-315-1376 (Who Answers?). We can walk you through a day in detox and show you the important role that a professional program should play in your recovery.