Opioids are powerful and highly addictive substances.
Certain opioids, such as prescription painkillers, may be used for legitimate medical purposes. However, even when a person uses an opioid as directed by a qualified physician, there is a risk for opioid abuse and opioid addiction. The clinical term for opioid addiction is opioid use disorder.
When a person intentionally misuses opioids, either for recreational purposes or in a misguided attempt to self-medicate, the risk for opioid addiction and other negative effects of opioid use is much greater.
Life Healing Center provides a safe, welcoming, and highly supportive environment where adults of all genders can receive comprehensive, personalized treatment for opioid addiction.
Common Signs & Symptoms of Opioid Addiction
A person who has developed opioid use disorder may experience a wide range of symptoms.
Possible warning signs of opioid addiction include:
- Visiting several doctors in an attempt to get multiple prescriptions for painkillers
- Trying to borrow or steal painkillers that have been prescribed to someone else
- Losing a significant amount of weight
- Always wearing long sleeves and long pants, even in hot weather, in an attempt to hide evidence that they’ve been injecting opioids
- Dramatic changes in mood
- Slurred speech patterns
- Persistent drowsiness or lack of energy
Other symptoms of opioid addiction include:
- Difficulty concentrating or focusing
- Dry mouth
- Impaired balance or coordination
Anyone who experiences symptoms of prescription painkiller addiction or another form of opioid addiction needs help. With the right type and level of care at a reputable opioid addiction rehabilitation center, a person can achieve long-term recovery from opioid addiction.
Opioid Use Statistics
The following statistics about opioid use and opioid addiction in the United States are from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA):
- In 2018, opioid overdose was responsible for an average of 128 deaths every day.
- Experts estimate that as many as 29% of people who use prescription painkillers misuse these substances.
- Experts also estimate that about 8%-12% of people who use prescription painkillers eventually develop opioid addiction.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that opioid use is involved in about 70% of all overdose deaths in a typical year.
Effects of Opioid Use
The effects of opioid use can include physical, psychological, and social damage. When a person develops opioid addiction, their risk for continued negative effects of opioid use increases considerably.
Potential effects of opioid use include:
- Liver, kidney, and lung damage
- Increased risk of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and other diseases
- Sexual dysfunction
- Onset or worsening of mental health disorders
- Academic setbacks
- Job loss
- Being arrested and jailed
- Loss of relationships with family members and friends
- Financial problems
Anyone who experiences the effects of opioid use may be in grave danger. But when you get the care you need at our opioid addiction rehab center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, near Albuquerque, you can heal from past effects of opioid use and reduce your risk for continued damage.
What Happens During Opioid Withdrawal?
Opioid withdrawal can involve several distressing symptoms. When a person tries to end their opioid use on their own, the intensity of opioid withdrawal symptoms can push them deeper into the downward spiral of opioid addiction.
Common symptoms of opioid withdrawal include:
- Extreme cravings for opioids
- Watery eyes and runny nose
- Increased heart rate
- Sweating and chills
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Severe abdominal cramps
- Pain in muscles and bones
- Tics, tremors, or shaking
- Agitation and irritability
One of the benefits of receiving care at our opioid addiction treatment center is that we provide on-site detoxification, or detox. This service, which features withdrawal management assistance provided by a team of experienced professionals, can be a vital step on the path to long-term recovery from opioid addiction.
Levels of Care for Opioid Addiction
At Life Healing Center, you can receive personalized treatment for prescription painkiller addiction or any other type of opioid addiction at the residential level and through our partial hospitalization program, or PHP:
- Residential opioid addiction treatment includes several evidence-based therapies and services and round-the-clock care. Throughout your time in our residential opioid addiction treatment program, you will remain on our campus. In addition to providing you with comprehensive clinical services, our opioid addiction treatment center is a safe place where you can also enjoy delicious meals and leisure time.
- At the PHP level, you’ll take part in full days of opioid addiction treatment services. When the program is not in session, you can return to your home or to an alternative residence. This level of opioid addiction treatment also features multiple evidence-based therapies and services, along with increased independence.
Both levels of opioid addiction treatment at Life Healing Center are supportive and welcoming environments for adults of all genders, including all members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The professionals who provide care at our opioid addiction treatment center are committed to maintaining an atmosphere of dignity and respect where all clients are celebrated for their unique strengths and empowered to make sustained progress toward long-term recovery.
What Happens During Opioid Addiction Treatment?
Your opioid addiction treatment at Life Healing Center will be customized according to your specific needs. Depending on those factors, your personalized opioid addiction treatment plan may include:
- Basic medical care
- Withdrawal management assistance
- Medication management services
- Individual, group, and family sessions
- 12-Step education
The evidence-based therapies and services you receive at our opioid addiction treatment center may incorporate cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and other modalities as needed.
To ensure that we can be an ongoing resource for you, we’ll provide you with 12 months of free connection with Life Healing Center staff through the Recovery Choice program after you complete our opioid addiction treatment program.
What Happens If I Have an Opioid Addiction Relapse?
During opioid addiction treatment, you’ll identify your triggers, which are the experiences that could push you back into opioid use. You’ll also develop strategies for avoiding triggers when possible and dealing with them in a healthy manner when they cannot be avoided.
If you have a relapse after completing opioid addiction treatment, you’ll be prepared to advocate on your own behalf and access the help you need. Depending on your specific circumstances, sources of help after an opioid addiction relapse may include additional support group meetings, extra sessions with a professional, or returning to an opioid addiction rehab center.
Opioid addiction treatment won’t eliminate life’s challenges and obstacles, but it will prepare you to deal with these difficulties in a way that will protect your health and ensure your continued progress toward successful long-term recovery from opioid addiction.
This content was written on behalf of and reviewed by the clinical staff at Life Healing Center.