Pain management is a vital part of health care. When someone has surgery or develops some other physical issue, painkillers are used not just to treat the issues but to allow individuals to manage their condition. Opioid painkillers have been frequently prescribed to help individuals heal after major medical procedures and dental operations. However, they are very potent medications. Therefore, it’s vital that individuals be aware of the dangers of using opioid painkillers and how to seek out support if they should develop an opioid use disorder.
Addiction is a chronic disease that can affect anyone at any time. However, it’s possible to heal from addiction with the right support. With time and help from counselors, therapists, and medical professionals, individuals can heal and recover from opioid addiction. While loved ones and friends can provide you with some support, you should always consider seeking professional help at a substance abuse treatment center. Addictive substances actually alter how the brain and body function, which can lead to lasting, uncomfortable changes. At a drug addiction treatment center, you’re far more likely to learn proper coping skills and other tools that you need in order to cope with life away from painkiller addiction.
At Lakeview Health, we understand the impact opioid painkillers have been having on the country over the last few years. Many individuals, through no fault of their own, have developed opioid use disorder and need assistance. The good news is that treatment is available.
Painkillers are opiate-based medications that help patients feel comfortable when they’ve been experiencing intense pain. The medications attach to opiate receptors around the body, which keeps patients from feeling any painful sensations. In some cases, patients can feel a state of euphoria when taking painkillers. This is because they also impact other areas of the brain and body.
Some of the ways opioid painkillers affect the body include:
These are all symptoms to be on the lookout for when using opioid painkillers. However, using a painkiller once, or even for a couple of days, doesn’t lead to addiction. Instead, it is continued misuse of painkillers can lead to chemical changes in the brain. Once the body gets used to a constant intake, chemicals in the brain will adapt and be produced less to compensate for the drug-induced increase. Once that change occurs, people can feel physically dependent on the drugs. Opiate addiction can cause them to make harmful and dangerous choices in order to keep using.
Individuals can become addicted to opioid painkillers unintentionally. Because the medications are so potent, it’s entirely possible to use the medications as prescribed but still develop an opioid use disorder. This is why it is so important to monitor one’s use of these medications. However, it may be difficult to know when an opioid use disorder is arising. Dependency, like many diseases, develops slowly, and often individuals don’t realize they are ill until the conditions are full-blown. Fortunately, addiction treatment experts and medical professionals have developed criteria to help individuals determine if their opioid use has become problematic. If you or a loved one display any two of the following for more than a year, then an opioid use disorder has likely developed:
When any of these signs show themselves, individuals need to be cautious and seek assistance. Addiction, like any disease, can be healed from, and the sooner individuals find support, the easier it is to recover.
Learning to cope with any type of prescription drug addiction for pain can be a very long process. People often need to learn new skills that they’ve never needed before. They also vent their system of toxic substances, thoughts, and emotions. The right addiction treatment center will provide you with the programs and the safe environment you need in order to learn how to cope with painkiller addiction.
Treatment centers like Lakeview Health offer a variety of different programs. These include behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, and holistic treatment, all of which can help patients learn different ways to cope. Behavioral therapies and pharmacotherapies are the most commonly used. They’ve been shown to greatly improve a patient’s chances at lasting sobriety.
Patients that enroll in these programs are often able to clear their minds of frustrations. They can vent their problems and learn proper ways to cope with triggers and cravings. Holistic treatment programs, like art therapy and music therapy, can provide patients with other coping mechanisms. This is part of a comprehensive approach to treatment.
Patients who want to learn to cope with addiction properly need to go through stages of treatment. Often, men and women will start with a medically monitored detox program, move into inpatient rehabilitation, and progress on to transitional living and other intensive outpatient programs. Those who enter treatment will interact with doctors who are trained to understand addiction. They know when patients are ready for the next stage of treatment. Doctors and therapists can even help patients transition into those next stages.
It’s also common for individuals to develop an opioid use disorder because they are struggling with unknown, underlying mental health issues. For example, depression or anxiety disorders can lead individuals to misuse their painkiller medication in an attempt to alleviate their distress. Unfortunately, doing so only increases the risk of developing an addiction and leaves the underlying issues unresolved. Individuals struggling with a co-occurring disorder (addiction coupled with mental health issues) require a unique form of treatment.
At Lakeview Health, our dual diagnosis treatment program is geared towards helping individuals who have developed a substance use disorder or addiction not only recover from it but also heal the mental health issue they are struggling with. By treating both simultaneously, individuals experience a more holistic form of healing and wellbeing. Our dual diagnosis treatment program can help individuals in need of:
Opioid use disorder, like any addiction, can arise for a number of reasons. When it develops due to underlying mental health issues, our dual diagnosis program is the best route to explore.
Addiction doesn’t have to control your life. With the right support, individuals can heal and recover from the disease. What matters most is reaching out and getting the support necessary. At Lakeview Health, we offer a wide range of addiction treatment programs aside from opioid painkiller treatment. For example, we can help individuals heal from:
No matter the substance you or a loved one is struggling with, we provide a program to help. Although there are addiction treatment centers all over the United States, Lakeview Health in Jacksonville, Florida, provides you with the gender-responsive programs and medical professionals you really need. For some individuals, working with gender peers is the most successful means of addressing their issues. To accommodate this, we offer a men’s rehab center and a women’s rehab center. At each, patients are given a chance to learn different coping mechanisms that can help them achieve lifelong sobriety.
You don’t have to keep struggling with painkiller addiction on your own. Learn how to overcome it! Call Lakeview Health today at 866 704 7692 to speak with someone about the programs and tools we can provide you.
"*" indicates required fields