How many lives are being affected by the current opiate addiction epidemic? It goes far beyond the unfortunate drug user. It also includes everyone else who dares to care about those individuals. It also includes the communities that encounter the collateral damage drug abuse does to any community.
The really sad thing about opiate abuse is it devastates the lives of the people who fall victim to these insidious substances. If the side effects don’t do great harm to the user, the simple act of stopping the abuse can cause equally serious damage. How? The list of potential withdrawal symptoms would certainly answer that question:
- Breathing and blood pressure problems
- Severe bouts of nausea and vomiting
- Convulsions and body tremors
- Nightmares and hallucinations
- Psychological issues like anxiety, depression and suicidal ideology
- Severe muscle cramping in the extremities and stomach region
- Exhaustion and sleeping problems
All of this is distressing information. However, the addiction sufferer always has a way out of addiction. The path goes through treatment from a reputable addiction treatment center.
When treatment is delivered depends on when the individual gets tired of the cycle of addiction and finally reaches out for help. At that point, how treatment is to be delivered depends a great deal on what an addiction treatment professional believes will provide the best path towards recovery.
Opiate Addiction Treatment Options
Given the serious nature and power of an opiate addiction, the patient can expect to go through a detox program before a clinician is ready to assign a treatment program. The detox process, which might take 5-7 days, will help the patient get safely past cravings and their withdrawal symptoms.
As for the actual treatment options a clinician might employ, the most likely choice is inpatient care. The least likely solution would be outpatient care. We’ll now discuss these options in more depth.
Inpatient Care
Inpatient programs will require the patient to take up residence in the treatment facility for between 30-90 days, depending on the extent of the addiction and the surrounding circumstances. If necessary, an extended inpatient program of over 90 days could be on the table.
While living among other patients with similar issues, the patient will go through a series of individual and group therapy sessions. During this time, they will be seeking the truth about their addiction. Understanding the causes of one’s addiction is important because it provides the basis for developing better coping skills and learning how to avoid triggers and temptations. For the patient’s part, they have to be focused, committed to the process, open and honest. Anything less and the counselor is likely to miss an important aspect of the addiction.
At the end of the day, the patient wants to walk out of rehab with the tools necessary to avoid relapse. They can certainly increase their chances of a successful recovery by remaining diligent over their addiction. That might require the individual to get involved in aftercare programs like 12-Step meeting, outpatient counseling and sober living.
Is Out patient treatment for Opiate Addiction Possible?
The short answer to the title question is yes, anything is possible. However, most addiction treatment professionals would need to see some rather restrictive circumstances before they would feel safe making such a recommendation.
Here’s a few circumstances that might make outpatient treatment the only viable solution:
- The patient has significant financial responsibilities that would be compromised is they were in a confined inpatient environment
- The patient might be the only source of care for a child or elderly parent
- The financial burden of inpatient treatment would serve to deter the patient from seeking any kind of help
- The patient has important work or school responsibilities that could be compromised by confinement
- The patent comes into rehab with a moderate addiction and a propensity for responsible behavior
Any combination of these reasons could well compel a treatment professional to prescribe outpatient treatment. When that becomes the chosen option, it’s up to the patient to stay sober and continue to make good progress towards recovery.
If you are suffering from an addiction to heroin or any other opiate, we know you face challenges. With that said, we can offer you the perfect treatment solution. For more information about our services, we encourage you to call our facility at 844-639-8371 . One call is all you need to start recovery.