Types of Opioid Treatment Options

Over 2.5 million Americans suffer from opioid use disorder which contributed to over 28,000 overdose deaths and the number keeps rising, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Opioid use disorder is a serious, chronic condition that can be fatal if left untreated. Making the decision to get treatment for opioid addiction is an important step, so knowing what types of opioid treatment options are available will help you make the best decision for your care. Depending on the length and severity of your addiction, what you believe is right for your treatment may be different from somebody else – and that’s okay. Finding what works for you is the only key to recovery and sobriety that matters.

Medicated-Assisted Treatment

When someone is prescribed opioids as a tool for pain management, it is always recommended that a doctor slowly wean them off once treatment for the injury or recovery from surgery is complete. This is because opioids can cause severe withdrawal symptoms, even for someone who isn’t suffering from an addiction to them. So, when someone decides to get sober from opioid addiction, slowly weaning them off with medicated-assisted treatment can make it a much more comfortable experience.

Due to the stigma surrounding addiction, this is often looked at as exchanging one addiction for another, however, that is not the case. It is important to understand how medicated-assisted treatment works and how it can be beneficial for long-term sobriety and recovery.

Withdrawal Symptoms

When the body is constantly being supplied with opioids from substances, the body doesn’t produce its own anymore. If someone suddenly gets sober and stops taking opioids, the body goes through an intense readjustment period that can cause serious withdrawal symptoms. These can last for weeks or months, depending on the addiction. Medicated-assisted treatment helps ease the body into sobriety and allow the best chances for recovery as possible. Withdrawal symptoms include:

  • Muscle Aches
  • Nausea And Vomiting
  • Restlessness
  • Anxiety
  • Excessive Sweating
  • Insomnia
  • Uncontrollable Yawning
  • Diarrhea
  • Abdominal Cramping
  • Digestive Issues
  • Dehydration
  • Seizures
  • Goosebumps
  • Dilated Pupils
  • Blurred Vision
  • Rapid Heartbeat
  • High Blood Pressure

Medications Used

Medications used during medicated-assisted therapy include:

  • Buprenorphine
  • Methadone
  • Naloxone

Behavioral Therapy

Treatment for opioids goes much deeper than simply becoming sober. Learning the tools to cope with stress, anxiety, triggers and more are essential to recovery. Learning how to overcome drug cravings can be almost impossible to do without help or assistance from behavioral therapy.

Types of opioid treatment options in therapy include:

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy. This type of therapy helps people cope with and avoid situations in which they are likely to use drugs. It helps undo years of poor coping mechanisms and learned behaviors and people can learn new ways to process their stress and stressful situations.
  • 12 Step support. In 12 Step support, people can learn that they are powerless over their addiction and that they have the ability to manage their life over their addiction. In addition, there are a wealth of 12 Step meetings nationwide, allowing for easy access no matter where someone may be.
  • Family therapy. Addiction is a family disease, and oftentimes, relationships take a lot of rebuilding even after a person becomes sober. Learning how to set healthy boundaries and repair these relationships are essential to recovery and can be done in family therapy.
  • Aftercare. Just because someone has gone to treatment for addiction doesn’t mean the work is over.

Inpatient and Outpatient Therapy

No matter which one of the types of opioid treatment options you decide on, it’s also important to decide whether you will have treatment in a facility or in an outpatient setting. Outpatient treatment tends to be less expensive and people can go about their daily responsibilities with work or family while receiving care. However, it allows for the opportunity for people to fall victim to their triggers and cravings, so it is not recommended for people with a more severe addiction.

Alternatively, inpatient rehab allows for the opportunity for people to remove themselves from their regular environment so that they can learn how to deal with stressors and triggers before returning. In addition, the treatment is much more focused and intensive, allowing for the best possible chances of recovery from substance abuse.

About Pinelands Recovery Center

There are many types of opioid treatment options available to help treat opioid use disorder. While no two addictions are the same, it is important to do research and find what might be best for you or a loved one. If you are not sure where to get started, give our admissions specialists a call. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer any questions you may have regarding opioid treatment options and the treatment process.

Pinelands Recovery Center of Medford is widely known as one of New Jersey’s finest, most respected addiction treatment facilities. With comfortable 30-bed accommodations and 24-hour professional staff, we can offer clients a serene, relaxing environment amid the lush piney woods. This stress-free setting with its sense of warmth and welcoming enables you to feel comfortable and confident about your clean and sober life ahead.

We will establish clear goals, both general in nature and specific to your needs. We continue to monitor those goals, to make sure that our clients are progressing and buying into their recovery plan. We thrive on assisting clients in feeling connected to the recovery community, share and demonstrate effective coping techniques, help clients to modify attitudes and patterns of behavior and everything else you will need to be happy and productive living a sober, healthy life.

We ensure that clients complete their planned concrete tasks, encourage hope, optimism and
healthy living. Our recovery program is not a revolving door treatment program; it is a recovery model designed to help clients go on to lead productive, happy lives. For more information, visit pinelandsrecovery.com