Facts About the Opiate Abuse Cure
Making the decision to find the opiate abuse cure is one of the most difficult decisions that you can make. Many people are afraid of finding the relief from opiate addiction that they need. Fortunately, there are a few simple facts about an opiate abuse cure that may help alleviate this fear.
1.Addiction is a Disease
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, opiate addiction is a chronic and relapsing disease of the brain. It is characterized by the compulsive need to use opiates despite the negative impact that it has on your life.
Opiates change the structure and function of your brain in many ways and can cause other life threatening illnesses. Fortunately, when caught these changes can be reversed through the use of addiction treatment.
2.There is no Cure only Treatment
There is no cure for opiate addiction only opiate addiction treatment. Although some may view this as a cure, it is technically not one. Many people find themselves craving opiates decades after undergoing treatment. The disease will always be there but treatment will help with the cravings and reduce the possibility of relapse.
3.Opiate Abuse Treatment is Available in Different Types of Facilities
When you undergo opiate abuse treatment, you have options. You can use an inpatient, outpatient, or combination facility. Inpatient facilities are residential, where you stay at the treatment center 24 hours a day. Outpatient facilities are not residential; you go home and attend either day sessions or appointments. Combination facilities offer an inpatient detox and outpatient therapy.
4.No Single Treatment Works for Everyone
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there is no single treatment that fits every person or every addiction. This is why it is important to select the treatment that is right for you.
Not All Treatment Programs are the Same
There are many different treatment programs for opiate addiction. This is why you need to check into what treatments a facility offers before entering that facility.
Finding the Opiate Abuse Cure
Opiate abuse comes in many forms and types. From prescription to illicit, they all have the same addictive qualities and horrifying withdrawal. Another thing they have in common is that they almost always require treatment to stop. Making the decision to seek out an opiate abuse cure is a difficult one. Unfortunately, it is impossible to cure opiate addiction.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, opiate addiction is a chronic and relapsing disease of the mind and brain. Due to its chronic nature, you can treat it but there is no opiate abuse cure. Fortunately, there are some highly effective treatments.
Medication Assisted Treatment
Medication assisted treatment is one of the most popular treatments for an opiate addiction. During medication assisted treatment, doctors use a combination of both medication and counseling in order to treat the symptoms of addiction and withdrawal. The medications they find most useful are:
- Methadone
- Buprenorphine
- Suboxone
- Subutex
- Naltrexone
These powerful medications either block opiate use or cause withdrawal symptoms if you take opiates. Buprenorphine, Suboxone, Subutex, and methadone may all act as painkillers as well.
Once the withdrawal symptoms are under control, counseling can begin. Some of the counseling methods that are useful are:
- Multidimensional family therapy
- 12 step facilitation therapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Contingency management
- Motivational interviewing
Once the withdrawal symptoms subside, doctors taper you off the medications so you are not dependent on them. You continue counseling until you are certain you will not return to opiate use.
Medication Management Therapy
Medication management is very similar to medication assisted treatment. You receive the same medications and counseling sessions except instead of tapering off these medications, you remain on them indefinitely. Doctors use this method when you also suffer from chronic pain or another pain disorder.
Finding the right opiate addiction treatment does not have to be difficult. These two therapies are highly effective in ending opiate issues.
Is There a Prescription Opiate Abuse Cure
Prescription opiate abuse, addiction, and overdose are all reaching epidemic proportions. Many health organizations are already calling them the worst drug epidemic in history. Unfortunately, there is no prescription opiate abuse cure. You cannot cure this chronic and relapsing disease you can only treat it.
How People Become Addicted to Prescription Opiates
The majority of people who become addicted to prescription opiates suffer do so because:
- They suffer from chronic pain
- They are addicted to the euphoric feeling
- They suffer from a mental disorder
- They were experimenting with drugs and it went too far
These are the most common causes of opiate addiction. If the cause is treatable, finding an opiate addiction treatment is almost possible.
Treating Opiate Abuse and Chronic Pain
Chronic pain and opiate abuse go hand in hand. Chronic pain is a treatable cause for opiate addiction. According to the National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke, chronic pain is pain that persists over weeks, months, or even years. Even though there may have been a trigger such as an accident or injury, the pain remains. Doctors can treat both chronic pain and prescription opiate addiction with:
- Methadone
- Buprenorphine
- Suboxone
- Subutex
Each of these medications can treat the pain with little risk of addiction. You can stay on these medications for years without negative consequences.
Treating Other Causes of Prescription Opiate Addiction
The same medications are useful in treating prescription opiate addiction without chronic pain. The only difference is the doctor will taper you down off the medications as your addiction improves.
Tapering involves gradually reducing the amount of the medication you are taking. This happens over a period of weeks or months depending on your level of addictions and needs. Most people taper at a rate of 10 percent every week to two weeks. This reduction allows your body to adjust to the decreased amount of the opiate.