Coping With Opiate Withdrawal Is Hard But Worth It

The opioid epidemic continues to be the dominant cause of drug overdoses and death from substance use. Millions of Americans have become addicted through the excessive prescribing of opioids, and this has lead to a rise in illegal opiate use. Opiates include illicit drugs like heroin and fentanyl (which is becoming more and more prevalent). One of the things that make treating opiate addiction so difficult is the intense opiate withdrawal symptoms.

Coping with opiate withdrawal is not always easy, but it can be done. While some individuals are addicted to prescription opiates, others have an addiction to drugs like heroin or meth. Out of these drugs, heroin is the fastest acting. It also has the shortest half-life for opiates. The half-life (length of time a drug is in your system) of the drug is a key reason why some drugs have longer withdrawal times than other drugs.

Coping With Opiate Withdrawal Symptoms

Once someone decides to quit using, they will most likely go through withdrawal symptoms. The severity of these symptoms depends on how long they were using, the amount they used, and the type of drug they abused. Co-occurring conditions like mental illness, family trauma, and a genetic predisposition toward addiction can make withdrawal harder.

During the first 6 to 12 hours after quitting, individuals may experience:

• Muscle aches
• Runny nose
• Crying
• Sleep problems
• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Sweating
• Hypertension
• Heart arrhythmia

As withdrawal symptoms peak at 72 hours, patients may experience more symptoms. These physical symptoms often last for about a week.

• Vomiting
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal cramps
• Goosebumps
• Nausea
• Drug cravings

Psychological symptoms and cravings may last for much longer than a week, so it is important to get therapy and support during treatment. To prevent serious side effects, patients should make sure that they undergo detox at a medical facility.

The Importance of Rehab After Detox

While detox may be the first step in opiate addiction treatment, it is not the only one. After coping with opiate withdrawal, it is important to get help from a rehab center. At the treatment facility, patients can attend group support groups, family therapy, and addiction education classes. The type of therapies offered depends on the treatment center, any co-occurring disorders, and individual choices. Here at Beaches Recovery, we provide a broad range of addiction therapies to help patients learn to identify and address the underlying mental health issues affecting their addiction or that spring from it. Some of our therapies include:

• Anger Management
• Equine Assisted Therapy
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
• Family Therapy Program
• Individual Therapy
• Mindfulness-Based Treatment
• Nutrition Therapy
• Trauma Therapy
• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy
• Yoga Therapy

It is extremely important to get help for co-occurring conditions and mental illnesses. Often, a mental disorder like depression or anxiety will fuel an addiction. If the individual has been self-medicating with drugs, they will need professional care to treat the co-occurring disorder. At the best rehabilitation centers like Beaches Recovery, patients can get holistic care for all facets of addiction treatment. Our counselors and therapists not only treat addiction but can address mental health issues causing it or that develop because of it. Some of the treatment programs we offer include:

• Anxiety Treatment Program
• Bipolar Disorder and Addiction
• Depression Treatment Program
• Social Anxiety Disorder Treatment Program

Beaches Recovery

While treating opiate addiction is not easy, it can be done. Opiate withdrawal is painful, but with medical supervision, individuals can detox and begin proper treatment. Once someone makes it through the withdrawal process and enters into addiction treatment, life gets better, and looking back on that previous life seems foreign. To learn how professional drug rehab can help, contact Beaches Recovery at 866.605.0532.