Morphine Addiction Treatment

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Morphine has a long history that dates back to the early nineteenth century. Scientists, notably Friedrich Sertürner, isolated alkaloid crystals from the opium plant, and noted its psychological effects on the body. This discovery paved the way for the various plant-derived medications in existence today. While morphine has certain medicinal, pain-killing properties, it also carries an extremely high risk for addiction.

Morphine addiction treatment centers specialize in treating the complex physical and psychological problems that drive a morphine dependency. Since everyone’s circumstances are different, the various approaches used by morphine addiction programs can adapt to meet your individual needs.

Morphine Addiction

Morphine addiction affects both brain and body processes. The brain itself contains opiate receptor cells that actually secrete morphine-like chemicals on their own. These cells play a vital role in managing nerve cell communications and regulating pain response. What happens is that when someone ingests morphine, the brain doesn’t differentiate between the ingested morphine and its natural chemical secretions, so it accepts morphine as its own.

While this seemingly normal exchange may seem inconsequential the first time, over time, the brain actually starts to depend on morphine to function normally the more a person uses. The effect spreads beyond the brain because opiate receptor cells exist all throughout the body. As a result, similar effects take place wherever opiate receptor cells operate. Once they become dependent on morphine, stopping the drug brings about excruciating withdrawal effects.

These processes soon combine with the drug-seeking behaviors users develop as dependency grow. The cravings and withdrawal symptoms work in tandem to encourage users to relapse. Morphine addiction treatment addresses both these physical and psychological imbalances caused by morphine misuse. Considering the severity of these addictions, morphine addiction treatment offers the best chance a person has of recovery.

Medically-Supervised Detoxification

Morphine addiction treatment can help you get your life back on track.

Medically-supervised detox is crucial to an accredited morphine addiction treatment program. Detoxification, or clearing out all traces of morphine from the body, can be a painful process. Morphine addiction treatment centers use various prescriptions to help wean the body off the effects of the drug.

Medications, such as buprenorphine and methadone actually mimic the effects of morphine without placing a person at risk of addiction. Controlled dosage amounts are gradually tapered down to a point where a person’s body can function without the medication’s effects. The use of medically supervised detox greatly reduces the likelihood of relapse so that participants won’t have to face withdrawal by themselves.

Residential & Outpatient Treatment Options

Once a person completes a detox program, morphine addiction treatment centers offer different levels of treatment that help better prepare a person for the challenges recovery brings. For someone who has used morphine for a long time, inpatient treatment helps develop coping skills needed to maintain abstinence. Inpatient treatment programs can run anywhere from one to six months, during which time a person lives at the facility while receiving psychotherapy and group counseling.

Since morphine addiction maintains a strong hold over a person’s body and willpower, most people in recovery require, at the very least, outpatient care. Rather than live at a facility, outpatient participants attend therapy sessions or peer recovery meetings on a scheduled basis throughout the week. This way participants can still meet work and family obligation while getting the help they need.

Benefits of Inpatient Morphine Addiction Treatment

In an inpatient program, clients are able to access care at all times and are surrounded by a supportive environment with people who are in a similar situation as they are themselves.

Medication Treatment

Morphine, whether abused or taken as prescribed, acts as a central nervous system depressant. Morphine slows physiological functions throughout the body. This includes heart, respiratory, digestive and cognitive functions. Over time, a morphine addiction throws all these processes out of balance.

As part of a morphine addiction treatment process, many people require ongoing medications to counteract ongoing withdrawal effects and maintain abstinence. Doctors prescribe meds, such as buprenorphine and naloxone to mitigate these cravings and to promote sobriety. Buprenorphine creates the same effects as morphine without the potential for addiction, while naloxone eliminates the effects of morphine on the body altogether.

Aftercare Treatment & Supports

Detoxification, inpatient and outpatient programs lay the foundation for the morphine addiction treatment process. Once a person completes these programs, ongoing support is essential to maintaining progress. Aftercare treatment services and 12-step programs like Narcotics Anonymous offer many support systems that help keep residents drug free.

For some people, housing may be an issue after completing a morphine addiction treatment program. Sober living programs offer those in recovery housing as well as ongoing treatment services designed to get them back on their feet.

For all recovering morphine users, 12-step program meetings can provide the guidance and support needed to develop a lifestyle of abstinence.

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