While most any form of addiction can be difficult to overcome, opiate addictions in particular exert a tremendous hold over a person’s will, thoughts and behaviors. People entering recovering often struggle with the aftereffects of opiates long after they stop using drugs. Without the needed supports in place, it can be especially difficult to stay drug-free for any length of time. Opium addiction treatment programs specialize in helping you overcome the daily challenges that come with recovery and build a drug-free lifestyle.
Evaluating Your Treatment Needs
As no two people enter the recovery process with the same sets of problems, opium addiction treatment starts with an extensive evaluation of your overall condition and circumstances. According to the U. S. National Library of Medicine, information gathered during the evaluation process forms the basis for your overall treatment plan.
Information gathered includes:
- Severity of addiction
- Past drug history
- Mental health history
- Medical history
- Family medical and mental health history
- Drug treatment history
- Motivation to get well
Stopping Drug Use: Detox Treatment
Individual psychotherapy is used during treatment.
For many people, fear of withdrawal becomes the biggest obstacle to stopping drug-using behaviors. In the absences of opium-type drugs, brain chemical processes enter into a state of disarray, which accounts for the withdrawal effects that develop.
This coupled with the extreme drug cravings that develop can easily wear away at your resolve, making it difficult to follow through. For these reasons, opium addiction treatment starts at the detox stage.
Physical Supports: Medication Therapies
In cases of chronic opium abuse, the effects of rampant brain chemical imbalance can stay with a person for months or even years into the recovery process. These imbalances leave the brain and body in an ongoing state of residual withdrawal, which greatly increases the likelihood of relapse.
In order to counteract these effects, opium addiction treatment programs administer medication therapies specifically formulated to relieve withdrawal and drug cravings effects on an ongoing basis, according to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration.
Medications commonly used include:
- LAMM
- Methadone
- Buprenorphine
- Naltrexone
Undoing the Addiction Mindset: Behavioral-Based Interventions
Opium abuse alters a person’s thinking, behaviors and emotions, creating a drug-based mindset that drives his or her daily habits and routines. This mindset can linger for years making it difficult to stay drug-free.
Much of the opium addiction treatment process uses behavioral-based interventions as a means for helping you develop coping strategies for overcoming urges to use while replacing the addiction mindset with one that doesn’t need drugs to cope with daily life. Behavioral interventions most often used include:
- Individual psychotherapy
- 12 Step support groups
- Drug counseling
- Group therapy
Considerations
While it is possible to stop using opium on one’s own, maintaining ongoing abstinence becomes the true challenge when trying to overcome an addiction problem. Opium addiction treatment programs help you understand and overcome addiction’s hold over your life while offering needed supports along the way.
If you’re considering opium addiction treatment or need information on programs in your area, call our toll-free helpline at 877-743-0081 (Who Answers?) and one our phone counselors will assist you.
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