What Are Addiction Treatment Services?

What Are Addiction Treatment Services?

The truth is that most people that are alive on the planet have seen the effects of a toxic addiction. Only valuable resources such as addiction treatment services have enough power to bring a person suffering from addiction back to reality and sever the ties between them and their substance of choice.

Addiction is a strong and powerful ailment that can bring the people that struggle with it through extremely ugly and painful times. Most times when people are addicted to a substance they will not be able to stop using it of their own will. This is why there are programs and resources available for the people that are willing to do whatever it takes to be free and live a somewhat normal life.

Opioid Addiction

Opioids are highly addictive because they are made out of natural elements that the body can use in place of its own resources. There are synthetic opioids and there are semi-synthetic opioids. The man-made drugs were developed by scientists in order to completely mimic the naturally occurring elements in opium.

Some of the more popular semi-synthetic opioids that people abuse are:

  1. Heroin
  2. Oxycodone
  3. Hydrocodone
  4. Hydromorphone

Some of the fully-synthetic opioids that are abused today are:

  • Methadone
  • Fentanyl

The thing about opium and opioids that is so powerful is that it makes the user feel so good it’s like floating on a cloud without any discomfort at all. When a person ingests a good dose of an opiate they feel euphoric and content. On top of the world.

What happens is if the person continues to chase that great high eventually their body will begin to rely on opioids to provide luxuries such as pain relief, calmness, sleep, and relaxation. While the body naturally produces endorphins that help with pain and relaxation, continual use of opiates causes the body to stop producing these endorphins. 

When the addict stops putting the substance into their body, although the substance is no longer in use, the body takes a couple of weeks to start producing the endorphins it stopped producing. Heroin addicts, pill poppers, methadone users, and all other people that get strung out on opiates know this to be “kicking.”

People that struggle with opioid addiction not only have the psychological element of not being able to get that amazing “high” when they quit, their bodies actually go through a violent physical reaction when they stop using the drug.

One of the best ways to get off of opiates is to get medication-assisted opioid addiction treatment. The strategy is to replace the opioid of choice with a medication that helps to slowly wean off of the opiates and transition through a smooth transformation between needing the drug and not needing it.

Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol is probably the worst, yet most accepted, drug on the planet. It can be found in just about every convenience store and seems to be on every corner in town. Every advertisement that you see about it shows people laughing, partying, and having a good time. It is so socially acceptable that it can be easy for the drinker to deny the fact that it has become a problem.

Anybody can find alcohol in:

  • Bars
  • Grocery stores
  • Liquor stores
  • Gas stations
  • Airports
  • Train stations

Unlike heroin where you have to go through seedy channels and meet up with drug dealers in secret places, alcohol is right there in front of everybody and easy to get.

Alcohol is cheap, convenient, and enjoyable for the people that partake in it. However, it greatly impairs the ability to make wise decisions and think correctly. Drunks have a tendency to keep everything inside of them until they get good and smashed then they unload all of their emotional baggage on anybody that comes within hearing distance.

Some people become angry and violent, while others become loud and obnoxious. It is much easier to choose to drive while drunk when you’re drunk than when you’re not. Many people that swear they would never get behind the wheel of a vehicle when they are drunk change their minds after several drinks.

Alcohol causes much more pain and suffering in the end than it ever causes good times. Even if there are good times, they are forgotten by the next day.

The reason why so many people need alcohol addiction treatment is that by the time they do realize that they have a problem, much like opiates, the body becomes dependent on the alcohol and the drinker can suffer from delirium tremens, also known as DTs. 

Personalization in Addiction Care - Why is it Important?

It can be years or even decades before a person is ever willing to admit that they have a problem. So, when they do, it is crucial that they get help quickly. They will not be able to stop drinking without help.

Treating Addiction Issues

The tricky thing about addiction is that most of the time this type of behavior stems from underlying issues that nobody sees. 

Some people see addiction as a disease that if left untreated leads to death. The medical industry is beginning to see things in the same light. Time after time addicts struggle with the substance that rules them until they either stop using the substance, or they die.

In order for an establishment to properly treat addiction, they have to have knowledge about addiction and how to treat it as well as empathy and compassion for the people that are being treated. Some people that seek treatment will be ready to stop for good. Most will not.

Medically-Assisted Addiction Treatment

When a person has been struggling with substances such as opiates or alcohol, as we mentioned above, their body will go through some serious changes as soon as they stop using the substance. Usually after the first 24 hours or so the patient will begin to have some very unpleasant symptoms. 

  • Dizziness
  • Pain
  • Confusion
  • Irritability
  • Shaking
  • Loss of appetite
  • Vomiting
  • Fever

The thing to keep in mind when a person is trying to break an alcohol addiction is that they can actually die. This is why it is important to get the person to a treatment center, or a hospital that is equipped to help them.

Although withdrawals from opiates are very severe, it is uncommon for a person to die from them, unless they have other medical issues going on as well. 

When a person that is addicted to opioids is treated in an addiction treatment facility they will most likely be slowly and gently weaned away from their withdrawal symptoms.

Once an addict gets through their withdrawal period they can move on to the next phase of their treatment which can vary from center to center depending on the programs that are available.

The Sinclair Method

The Sinclair Method for the treatment of alcohol addiction is derived from a technique known as pharmacological extinction. This is when the treatment consists of a professional prescribing an opiate blocker to the addict so that if they drink, they will not feel the effects that they are looking for.

There is a growing number of treatment facilities that offer this type of treatment. It has proven to be an effective solution for problem drinkers.

Medication-Assisted Opioid Addiction Treatment

As we discussed earlier in this article opioid addicts have a very hard time stopping because of the physical addiction that befalls them after using for a prolonged amount of time. When treatment centers offer this type of treatment it is designed to give the addict a smooth segue from physical addiction to freedom.

In addition to variants of opioids that can soothe the withdrawal phase of recovery the treatment physicians can prescribe medications in addition to behavioral therapy treatment and counseling. Many of the people that struggle with severe addictions have deep psychological issues as well. An addiction treatment center that is willing to provide patients with a wide variety of options can be much more effective than one that only provides a few of the most common treatments.

Conclusion

Some places that treat addiction are only out for the money and do not care whether or not the people that come to them leave and never use drugs again. In fact, they might even prefer if most of the clients came back and paid for treatment again…and again. When a person really wants to stop using drugs they will be willing to do the things that it takes to stay clean. However, if the treatment facility that they go to in order to help them stop gives them the incentive and a reason to want to stay off drugs, they will have a fair chance of quitting for good. 

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