What are the Symptoms of Morphine Withdrawal?

Morphine is a derivative of the opium poppy. It affects the body’s opioid receptors that regulate pain responses. People also abuse the drug for recreational purposes. What are the symptoms of morphine withdrawal, and how do you deal with them?

How Severe are Symptoms of Morphine Withdrawal?

You find the drug in a variety of brand name medications. Examples include Anamorph, which usually contains 30mg. There is also MS Contin, which can go up to 200mg. Anticipating the severity of symptoms can be difficult. People taking higher doses more frequently have strong symptoms of morphine withdrawal.

For some, detoxing feels like a severe case of the flu. There’s a runny nose that’s so common when quitting opiates. You might also experience fever, headaches, muscle aches, and chills. For some, there are spikes in heart rate that can be dangerous without medical monitoring.

Dealing with Psychological Withdrawal

In addition to the physiological symptoms of morphine withdrawal, there are psychological ones as well. Examples include depression, anxiety, agitation, and irritability. When you suffer from co-occurring mental health disorders alongside addiction, withdrawal can make it worse. Getting dual diagnosis treatment at the detox level is, therefore, crucial to your overall wellbeing.

How Does Detox Work?

Detoxification is an inpatient process. You withdraw from using the morphine. However, you don’t do it alone. Instead, you work with medical professionals and therapists who guide and monitor you.

Doing so is vital for your safety. Medical professionals can provide pharmacological support that helps you stop using without feeling pain. They also assist if you need help with hydration or encounter a rapid heartbeat. That’s why medical detox at a facility is safer and more comfortable than trying to do it cold turkey at home.

Rehab Tackles the Psychological Addiction

Detox breaks the physiological dependency. Rehab deals with the psychological aspect. Whereas detox takes about three to five days, rehab can take a month or longer. Usually, you work with a substance abuse counselor to decide on inpatient or outpatient treatment.

Next, therapists customize a set of modalities for you. Examples of treatments include:

• Nutritional counseling that helps you to undo some of the morphine side effects your kidneys are dealing with
• Talk therapy for learning the triggers that caused you to use and then disarming them
• Anger management classes for program participants with a need to find positive ways of expressing upset
• Continuous dual diagnosis treatment that you may have started during detox and continue throughout rehab
• Family therapy, which allows loved ones to participate in the healing
• Group therapy sessions that help with peer learning, relapse prevention, and coping strategies
• 12 Step approach and Non 12 Step approach to long-term sobriety

There’s no shortcut to healing. Because addiction is a disease, the right medical and clinical care modalities are essential for recovery. If you’re struggling with the symptoms of morphine withdrawal and addiction right now, therapists at Beaches Recovery can help. Call 866.605.0532 to talk with an intake counselor for answers to your questions.