Opioid addiction can affect anyone, not minding your income level, social class, race, or gender.
Opioids are generally prescription drugs meant to meet a human body’s needs. With time, regular consumption of opioids leads to addiction.
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This article covers the meaning of opioid addiction, its signs, and ways to overcome opioids.
Have a good read.
What Is Opioid Addiction?
Opioid addiction is the inability to control the intake of prescribed or illicit drugs like heroin, morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone.
These drugs are painkillers that people use to get relief, but they can get dependent on them in the long run.
Opioid addiction results from the fact that people who are healing from an injury or a post-surgical treatment consume prescribed painkillers for a long time which is not to be.
Painkillers are meant for short-term relief, so they regularly take these drugs due to the urge for optimum relief. In the long run, they develop an uncontrollable feeling for more.
Signs Of Opioid Addiction
Signs someone is abusing opioids;
- Consuming more drugs than prescribed.
- Exhibiting a euphoric feeling after consuming drugs.
- Lying to obtain medication or paying cash for medication without prescribed.
- Take medication even when it harms you.
- Visiting illegal stores to purchase unprescribed drugs.
- Prioritizing medication above your job or academics
- Less productivity after taking prescribed drugs.
- Sleeping at the wrong time
- Tiredness and moody feeling
- Isolation from friends and family
- Being nervous, over energetic, and talking fast.
- Financial hardship.
Overcoming Opioid Addiction
There are several methods of combating the effects of opioid addiction, ranging from long-term medication to therapy.
- Specialized Medication
Healthcare professionals provide several drugs that help combat the symptoms of opioid addiction like withdrawal, cravings, and overdose.
Medicines like methadone and naltrexone can be taken for a long time while other drugs like buprenorphine, lucemyra, and clonidine have a short-term impact on the body. These drugs have more effect on the brain, that’s the base of addiction.
Detoxification is one treatment that comes in handy when fighting opioid withdrawal.
- Inpatient Treatment
Some opioid addicts can only recover effectively when they undergo a brief hospital-based program.
They go through detoxification in a safe place after they have stopped taking opioids.
Inpatient treatment can also serve long-term, which covers both comprehensive medication and counseling to help reduce the risk of relapse until the individual gets better.
- Group Therapy
Having a group of opioid addicts talk about their experience and recovery process under the guidance of a psychologist, certified addiction specialist or medical professional is a form of healing.
Some patients may only get better if they are seen around people who are recovering from opioid addiction, they strive to get better through counseling.
This method greatly prevents the risk of relapse.
- Individual Psychotherapy
Aside from the medical process of recovery, patients can avoid relapse when they enroll in therapy with a psychologist.
Psychologists can help individuals cope with life issues and mental illness. Psychotherapy can teach individuals how to manage pain, overcome depressive feelings, and PTSD, and improve sleep.
Psychologists can also help patients see a brighter side of life, develop life coping skills, avoid wrong associations and gradually modify their antisocial behavior.
Some psychotherapy includes cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviews, and mindfulness-based stress reduction.
People struggling with opioid addiction can get help immediately when symptoms are glaring. Though, there is no permanent recovery method, the combination of both medical and psychological treatment at regular intervals will give the best result.
A personal decision and diligence on the part of an individual towards overcoming the adverse effect of opioid addiction hasten recovery.