Opioid prescription drug dependence can happen easily, often without a person realizing they’ve become dependent. Sadly, opioid abuse can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms when you try to kick the habit. Fortunately, medically supervised opioid detox in Tampa, FL, offers the tools and support needed to stop opioid use safely and effectively.
BoardPrep Recovery Center® offers addiction and mental health treatment services in Tampa, FL. Give us a call today at 866.796.4720 for information about the opioid detox program at BoardPrep Recovery Center®.
How Opioid Abuse Happens
It’s incredibly easy to become dependent on opioids—and incredibly difficult to overcome opioid dependence without professional help.
Opioid dependence can occur through the use of heroin, but many prescription medications contain opioids. Even if a person takes medication as prescribed, they can still develop a dependence on opioids in a short time. Commonly prescribed medications that contain opioids include:
- Hydrocodone (brand name Vicodin)
- Oxycodone (brand names OxyContin and Percocet)
- Fentanyl
- Morphine
- Codeine
- Oxymorphone
Opioids are a type of drug that reduces pain and creates euphoria by binding to opioid receptors in the brain. Tolerance to opioids builds quickly, meaning increasing amounts are needed to feel the desired effect. When that effect isn’t felt in a short time, the result is withdrawal symptoms that quickly become unbearable.
How Is Opioid Abuse Treated?
Opioids can be deadly, but detoxing without medical supervision can potentially have fatal consequences. If a person has developed a physical dependence on opioids, they need to undergo medically supervised opioid detox at a substance use treatment center.
Professional detox offers round-the-clock supervision as opioids leave the body. Supervision ensures medical intervention is promptly available if a patient experiences an adverse reaction. Professional detox also provides a patient with medications that significantly reduce the pain and discomfort of the withdrawal process.
Detox is the first step in treating opioid dependence, but detox without follow-up treatment rarely leads to long-term recovery from opioid abuse. Even once opioids have left a person’s system, they often maintain a powerful psychological hold. Having overpowering cravings can easily lead to relapse, even after detox is complete.
An opioid abuse treatment program connects a patient to the support of therapists and peers during the early stages of recovery. Treatment for opioid abuse usually includes therapies such as:
- Individual therapy
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- Mental health support
- Holistic therapy programs
- 12-Step programs
Therapies like these allow patients to gain insight into the factors that lead to opioid dependence. Treatment addresses mental and emotional health concerns, establishes a relapse prevention plan, and helps patients make life changes that will support long-term recovery from opioid abuse.
Common Signs of Opioid Withdrawal
When opioid dependence develops, stopping use or decreasing dosage leads to withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms indicate that a person has developed a physical dependence, and the safest course of action is to immediately contact a professional detox center. Common opioid withdrawal symptoms can include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Severe aches and pains
- Muscle cramping
- Disorientation
- Dehydration
The dehydration that accompanies opioid withdrawal can be fatal, and the stress put upon the body can lead to other dangerous or even deadly health consequences.
Get Help with Prescription Drug Dependence at BoardPrep Recovery Center®
Opioid abuse doesn’t go away on its own. Dependence worsens, has a severe negative impact on a person’s overall quality of life, and can result in death.
If you’ve developed a dependence on opioids, the programs at BoardPrep Recovery Center® can help. We offer opioid detox and opioid treatment programs, including programs designed to fit the schedules of working professionals.
Don’t wait to ask for help with opioid dependence. Call 866.796.4720 today and ask about the programs offered at BoardPrep Recovery Center®.
