Overcoming Opioid Addiction at Rehab

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Anyone who has experienced addiction knows it’s not easy to admit that you need help. But overcoming the addiction and stopping abuse of a drug is even more difficult than that first step of asking for help. Fortunately, in opioid addiction rehab, you receive many treatment options and a lot of guidance and encouragement to overcome addiction to these drugs and to finally feel like yourself again.

Why Do People Choose Rehab?

Many people opt to try to quit drugs cold turkey. They might have heard of other folks who went through detox on their own or didn’t go to a rehab. By staying home, they might feel that they don’t have to meet others or that their addiction won’t become public. Others just attend outpatient detox course rather than commit to a full program. But this can actually be a dangerous choice, even if the withdrawal symptoms are not life-threatening.

Rehab helps patients with the many aspects of their addictions, not just during the time of withdrawal. Yes, opioid withdrawal is painful, and medications are given during rehab to help with that pain, along with curbing cravings and allowing patients the ability to focus. But patients who only withdraw or attend detox to treat their opioid addictions haven’t actually been treated at all.

Rehab programs help people recover from opiate addiction safely.

These individuals still feel cravings for the drug even after withdrawal symptoms are gone. If they give in and relapse, they’ll have a higher chance of experiencing a fatal overdose due to their diminished tolerances and lack of learned coping mechanisms. This is why longer-term treatment is essential for more folks who complete withdrawal, and rehab is a great choice.

Some other reasons people choose rehab are:

• Peer support reinforces their choice to stop abusing opioids.
• Programs and workshops make fighting addiction easier.
• They learn ways to change their behavior with the use of therapy.
• Patients who’ve recovered previously might need refresher courses as they experience issues down the road.
• Rehab comes in a wide variety of formats, from expensive luxury centers or free or low-cost facilities on a sliding fee scale.

Treatments Used in Rehab

There are many types of treatments used in rehab that help patients get their lives back from addictions. Drug addiction treatment can include prescriptions, behavioral therapies, or both. While every patient is different, the most successful treatment option for most individuals includes both medications and therapy. But how do these treatments help?

Medication

• Types: methadone, naltrexone, buprenorphine
• Medications curb withdrawal symptoms and cravings so patients can focus on therapy and the other aspects of recovery.
• They help prevent relapse and are usually inexpensive, which can help users and family members who are paying for treatment.
• Most opioid addiction medications can be taken for a short period and eventually taper off or used for a longer period of time, depending on the individual’s needs. Some people stay on methadone for years to prevent relapse.
• Medications make withdrawal less painful and traumatic and can sometimes even block the euphoric and sedation effects to keep patients from relapsing.

Is Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction Really Safe?

For many addicts, medication assisted treatment is necessary in order to refrain from continued opioid abuse.

Therapy

• Types: cognitive-behavioral therapy, contingency management, family therapy, group therapy, and other therapies.
• Patients who receive therapy as a treatment for addiction learn better coping skills to avoid abusing drugs in the future.
• They also learn how to recognize their triggers and cravings and how to deal with them.
• Patients in rehab often receive treatments for other co-occurring mental disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. According to the NIDA, people addicted to drugs tend to also have mental health conditions. In rehab, patients can be treated for both, which can make it easier to overcome their addictions.
• Patients can use everything they learn in therapy in real-life situations after rehab has ended, making their recoveries more solid.

The treatments used in rehab help patients overcome their addictions and empower them over the drugs that once made them feel extremely powerless. This feeling can be liberating as patients suddenly feel that they can once again recontrol their lives.

Healthcare Professionals in Rehab Centers

For many individuals, healthcare professionals at their rehab center are just as much a part of their recovery as the treatments. If a patient has a good relationship with the doctors, nurses, and counselors they are working with during rehab, they will often be more likely to stay in treatment longer as opposed to when they have bad relationships. One report noted that “participation for less than 90 days is of limited effectiveness” and longer stays tend to have better outcomes. In addition, many patients don’t experience the kind of support at home that they receive in rehab from the staff and from peers; peer support often encourages patients to push themselves harder to recover and prevent relapse.

The Role of Aftercare

Many patients feel that they conquer the hold that opioids have on them during rehab treatment, but it can be very difficult to go back out into the world with no safety net at all. This is why many rehab centers set up some kind of aftercare program for patients who leave the facility to help them avoid relapse.

Some of the common aftercare treatments are:

• Support groups
  • Support groups are very beneficial to former rehab patients as they’re similar to group therapy in rehab, allow individuals to meet and connect with others who’ll be willing to help and listen during difficult times and reinforce the techniques taught in rehab.
• Halfway houses
  • Halfway houses are specifically for those who leave inpatient rehab and need help getting back on their feet. These individuals can live at the house where they’ll be encouraged to attend a support group and receive guidance to find a job.
• Sober living houses
  • Patients who are sent here must already have a job and be able to pay rent but be at the point where they still aren’t ready to be on their own.

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