Opioid abuse has become an epidemic in the country. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), a stunning 2.5 million Americans suffer from opioid addiction. Sadly, this results in thousands of deaths from overdose every year as many opioids are among the most unsafe drugs to use and the most likely to cause an overdose. This is why many will need to seek opioid addiction treatment before it’s too late. Here at Grace Counseling, we save as many of these lives as possible with our opioid addiction treatment program.

What Are Opioids?

doctor explaining opioid addiction

You may be aware of the more common illegal varients of opioids such as heroin, morphine, and narcotic painkillers that can be typically bought on the street. However, it may surprise you to learn that many legal painkillers, such as OxyContin, Vicodin, and Percocet, contribute to the opioid epidemic.

While initially prescribed in a controlled dose, these medications are nonetheless highly addictive and prone to abuse by those who use them to deal with pain.

Whether consumed as tablets, smoked, snorted, or injected, opioid use builds a tolerance. This tolerance then means you require a higher dose to produce the desired effect. Taken at first to suppress pain, they can be sometimes abused long after the pain has subsided because stopping use often results in severe withdrawal. Undergoing withdrawal without a medical detox program can be extremely uncomfortable, and leaves you at risk of relapsing. Getting professional help is often the best course forward.

Signs of Opioid Abuse

It may be difficult to know if a loved one is using or abusing opioids. However, some signs to look out for include:

  • Sudden and intense anxiety attacks
  • Mood swings- impaired decision-making
  • Abandoning or failing at routine responsibilities
  • Lack of motivation or direction
  • Drowsiness and inability or unwillingness to stay awake
  • Physical impairments such as nausea, vomiting, constipation

In more advanced cases, those suffering from opioid abuse may need larger doses of opioids which may compel them to engage in desperate or even criminal activity to obtain the drugs.

Opioid Addiction Treatment

Opioids are among the most difficult drugs to stop using once a person is addicted to them. One option other than trying the “cold turkey” approach is contacting professional help. It is quite dangerous to attempt to stop using opioids without medical supervision or observation at a detox facility. Grace Counseling’s opioid addiction treatment program can help you safely detox and begin the steps to recovery.

At our addiction treatment center, they first assess your needs for managing withdrawal and quitting opioids. This first step may allow a patient to focus on their recovery rather than on physical withdrawal from the drug. This type of treatment is most effective when combined with many other forms of therapy. Addiction therapies help you understand the underlying negative emotions and behaviors that contribute to addiction.

During treatment, you will be exposed to many therapies, including:

It will usually require a combination of the therapies listed above for a client addicted to opioids to achieve sobriety in the long term. It can be difficult for these individuals to see a life ahead of them that doesn’t have the drug in it. Our opioid addiction treatment program believes that all options should be on the table when it comes to treating these devastating addictions.

Reach out to Grace Counseling Today

If you or a loved one is suffering from the ravages of addiction to painkillers or other opioids, you can find the help you need at Grace Counseling. Don’t hesitate to call us at 844.564.0712 and take the first step toward a life without addiction.