Opioid use disorder is an illness that impacts many people in the United States nowadays. Tens of thousands of people pass away from opioid overdose every year, and many more are battling with opioid addiction. Regrettably, instead of going to the hospital to get treatment for substance abuse brings a bad preconception, people try to eliminate the addiction by themselves. This typically leads to failure and relapse.
The problem of opioid use disorder in Seattle, Washington
Although, nowadays, effective treatments for opioid misuse are becoming more accessible, a lot of people still struggle with this issue. They regularly blame themselves and their lack of self-discipline for the failure to fight drug addiction. In reality, this disorder is not a type of bad habits or an indication of moral failure. It is a chronic medical condition that includes considerable changes in particular parts of the brain, a physical dependence that is really difficult to fight without expert help. Only just recently, physician came close to comprehending the mechanism of opioid addiction and establishing much better opioid treatment programs.
The Seattle, Washington, opioid addiction treatment center offers numerous methods of treating substance use disorder. Keep reading to learn about the nature of opioid addiction and which types of treatment offer the clients a greater opportunity of successful recovery.
Opioid addiction treatment rehabilitation services
National institutes for health care established various techniques of helping clients with opioid dependence. Some of them include taking addiction medicine to handle opioid cravings. In some cases, treatment retention is suggested. It is necessary to openly discuss your situation with health care providers to pick the most efficient treatment plan.
Substance abuse treatment consist of a number of types:
- Treatment retention. Some people wish to escape the environment that motivates opioid misuse. They can not combat drug abuse when they are surrounded by triggers and their family members or good friends have simple access to opioids. The drawback of this technique is the need to take a break from work. The positive element of this program is satisfying individuals with the exact same struggle and getting their assistance.
- Outpatient opioid addiction treatment. Clients can continue to work and live as they did while receiving health and human services. They go to medical facility for systematic reviews, counseling and medications. This is a less extreme modification of way of life compared to living in the treatment facilities. Such clients do not risk losing their tasks but need to be responsible about remaining on track.
- Behavioral therapy. This kind of treatment includes educating patients on how to make favorable modifications in their behavior connected with opioid use disorders. They get access to the entire variety of mental health services such as cognitive behavioral therapy, individual counseling, contingency management, family therapy, support groups, etc.
- Medication assisted treatment (MAT): medicines plus counseling. Whether it is a property program or an outpatient healthcare service, any treatment plan can consist of taking medications. This type of treatment of opioid misuse has shown to be extremely efficient. Unfortunately, it is typically misconstrued and treated with suspicion. Medications that are used to treat opioid addiction come from the group of opioids themselves, so there is a myth that by taking them you merely change one addiction with another. This is not real for 2 factors. First, the medications do not produce the euphoric effects unlike other opioid drugs. And second, the stats show that using medical assisted treatment assists to substantially decrease the number of deaths from overdose
- The drawback of this type of treatment is that it is not commonly offered. Before the professionals can recommend these medications, they need to go through specific training. And after they complete the course, they can just recommend this treatment to a restricted variety of patients. For that reason, facilities that provide MAT often have a long waiting list. The advantage of this kind of therapy is that thanks to the medications, the patients do not experience serious withdrawal symptoms. The cravings are not so strong as well, so most people remain in treatment and are less most likely to relapse.
Only a professional clinician educated on substance use disorder can choose the best treatment. The doctor requires to know and take into consideration all the factors that led a person to drug abuse and mental health problems. Contact the opioid addiction treatment center in Seattle, Washington, to get qualified assistance.
System of opioid addiction
Opioid drugs hack the reward system of a person’s brain and make the individual feel excellent if they take opioids. Normally, satisfying such requirements as consuming or recreation results in the release of dopamine. This hormone is responsible for the feeling of pleasure or satisfaction. It rewards people for doing things that are essential for the survival of mankind.
When opioids reach the brain, they attach themselves to particular receptors, which sets off the reward system and produces the feeling of high. People want to experience that sensation once again. More significantly, their brain signals them that taking opioids is the most crucial thing for their survival. That is how the addiction settles in.
There are two outcomes of this change in the brain:
- The very first one is the development of drug tolerance. Individuals need more drugs to reach a state of ecstasy. Opioid use disorder frequently begins with prescription pain relievers. In some cases clients increase the dose of prescription opioids to get high, and this leads to opioid abuse. Some people even change to more powerful drugs like heroin.
- The second result is opioid dependence. Individuals continue substance abuse to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Due to malfunction of the reward system, without the drugs people feel restlessness and have an awful state of mind.
Other symptoms of opiate withdrawal consist of:
- Body aches;
- Absence of sleep;
- Queasiness;
- Diarrhoea;
- Goosebumps, etc.
Understanding about the nature of substance use disorders can help medical practitioners educate their patients on what withdrawal symptoms to anticipate and how to handle the yearnings. Depending on the client, medical professionals select the most effective treatments that might consist of medication prescription and behavioral therapies. It might not be possible to entirely eradicate the opioid addiction, but mental health services can substantially reduce the opioid misuse and the variety of heroin overdose deaths.
Opioid addiction ought to be dealt with the way one would treat a persistent disease. People suffering from drug addiction are encouraged to join the Seattle, Washington, rehab programs and improve their health and general lifestyle. When you give up the drugs, return for maintenance treatment.
Who can get treatment for opioid abuse in Seattle, WA?
People often feel ashamed to go to the medical facility for opioid abuse treatment. There are 2 main reasons for this: they are either afraid to have a bad image in the neighborhood or have already given up on themselves. But these issues must not discourage clients from fighting substance use disorders. Anybody is free to reach rehab centers and see what help they can get.
Two main classifications of opioid use disorders are treated with Seattle, Washington, rehab programs:
- Prescription drug abuse. Opioids are normally recommended in the form of pain relievers for persistent or severe pain. It is possible to establish addiction to these medications. As a result, some clients start to misuse opioids and take larger doses of them. National institutes such as the Center for disease control produced suggestions on how to help these clients gradually lessen the drug use.
- Heroin addiction. This condition regularly comes from the previous one. However some people rely on this drug for leisure purposes. Fighting heroin addiction is really hard, and patients should use all the treatment resources they can access. Even then, it frequently takes a number of efforts to beat the disorder.
The most effective treatments typically include both mental health services and medications.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ
Is opioid addiction a mental illness?
Opioid use disorder is a chronic brain condition. Initially, people may turn to drugs because of personal problems. That is why substance abuse and mental health are often treated at the same time. Many patients gain from therapy, behavioral therapies and support groups. However it is necessary to keep in mind that opioids make considerable changes to the brain, making it really hard to eliminate the addiction without medications.
What medications are used to treat opioid use disorder in Seattle, Washington?
National institutes approved 3 medications for treatment of opioid drug abuse: methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone. They have various names and impacts on the brain. The very first 2 medications replace the opiates and smooth the withdrawal symptoms without making the clients high. Naltrexone blocks the mu-opioid receptor, working as an opioid antagonist.
How do I get medication-assisted treatment in Seattle, Washington?
Only a certified clinician can recommend you medications for opioid use disorder. Go to the workplace of a healthcare provider that completed the essential training and obtain a program of medication-assisted treatment.
