The opium poppy plant is centuries old and has been the genesis of many beneficial medications. But it’s also been the source of misery. Opioids are highly addictive compounds that have turned millions of lives upside down, causing significant illness as well as tens of thousands of overdose deaths. If you worry that you or a loved one has gone too far, know that help is available. Consider seeking support from opiate addiction treatment centers, such as our Columbus opiate rehab, or a similar facility near your home.
Opiate addiction treatment centers can get you on the road to recovery. It will be a long and difficult journey, given the addictive nature of opioids, but it can be done. Millions have gone before you. Opiate addiction treatment centers hold the key.
How Addiction Looks
Unlike, say, when you have a cold, there are no truly objective ways to judge if you are suffering from opiate addiction. Every person is a little different in how they react and respond to the drugs. Some may have begun their slide to addiction via an opioid painkiller prescription; others got there in other more complex ways.
Addiction doesn’t announce itself when it arrives. It shows up in sometimes subtle patterns that initially may not seem troublesome at all. But some of the warning signs of opiate addiction include:
- Changes in sleeping habits
- Moodiness
- Nausea/vomiting
- Constipation
- Problems with balance or coordination
- Feeling agitated
Any one of these symptoms is a concern. When several occur at the same time, it may be time to seek help from opiate addiction treatment centers.
Opiate Addiction Treatment Centers
What can you expect at opiate addiction treatment centers? The course of treatment will be a little different for everybody. But there are common elements that will guide your recovery.
The process starts with a full medical assessment. Addiction counselors and doctors will want to know how you began using and the intensity of your usage patterns. From there, the doctors will build an individualized treatment plan that starts with detox.
Detox is a process through which you are medically supervised as you stop using opioids. The idea is to provide you the medical help you need to manage through withdrawal symptoms, which can be intense and even life-threatening.
After detox, you can expect a lengthy period of counseling, involving individual and group therapy. Therapy aims to help you understand your behavior and build coping skills.
The final stage, common to Ohio addiction treatment centers and other facilities like them, is after-care, to help guard against relapse.
Background of the Epidemic
The opioid epidemic toll is staggering and helps explain why the United States declared opioids as a public health emergency.
Opioid overdoses, including prescription forms of the drug, killed 47,000 people in 2018. That number represents two of every three of all drug overdoses in the United States.
The epidemic was initially triggered by prescription opioids. When physicians recognized the addictive nature of those drugs and rolled back the number of prescriptions, desperate individuals turned to heroin to deal with their addictions.
Prescriptions for opioids remain significant – an estimated 168 million prescriptions in 2018, according to the CDC.
This is why opiate addiction treatment centers remain so important as the country seeks ways of ending the epidemic.
Addressing the Complications
Opioids have created enormous pain for families across the country. Counselors, doctors, and individuals are working so hard to quell the emergency. The front lines are opiate addiction treatment centers, which provide the support you need to restore a life of sobriety. But in no way are opioids the only source of the nation’s drug problem. If you are concerned about yourself or a loved one, consider reaching out to Columbus drug addiction treatment programs or other centers like it. The sooner you act, the sooner your life can regain its stability.