What Is Opioid Withdrawal and Why Does It Happen?
Once you’re ready to overcome your opiate and opioid substance abuse issue, the first step is to commit to an opioid withdrawal plan. This process is because soon after you take your last opiate and opioid dose, you will begin to experience withdrawal symptoms, making it impossible to care for yourself. From nausea and vomiting to more severe symptoms such as seizures, opioid withdrawal is something that can wreak havoc on you for some time.
Opioid withdrawal happens because the chemistry in your body has changed now that it has become accustomed to consuming your drug of choice. When you stop taking opioid substances, your body will start to fight to readjust to the lack of this substance.
Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms
It’s important to know that opioid withdrawal symptoms can be unique and different for every person that struggles with opioid addiction. Common examples of opioid withdrawal symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, opiate and opioid cravings, shakiness, and many other potentially dangerous health issues that could impact your physical and mental health. It could be deadly for you to attempt to stop taking opioids cold turkey, so you should always decide to commit to a detox program to ensure you’re well cared for during this period.
See which foods can help with withdrawal here:
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What Is Opioid Tapering?
If you’re struggling with a severe opioid addiction, it may be better for your physical and mental health to go through the process of opioid tapering before you address your substance abuse through one of the addiction treatments available at your facility of choice. This process revolves around slowly tapering down how much of this substance you take each day. In turn, you may find that your opioid withdrawal symptoms are not as severe or traumatic to deal with.
Can Tapering Off Opioids Help You Avoid Withdrawal?
Opiate withdrawal is a serious concern when you’re ready to stop taking opioids. Depending on your opiate and opioid of choice, it may be deadly for you to go cold turkey for your treatment program. Instead, it may benefit you to attempt to taper off opioids. This process is something that you should never try on your own. Instead, it’s something that you should only ever do when you’re under the care of trained addiction experts who can provide you with the support and care you need. Tapering off opioids can help remove the severe impact that opioid withdrawal can have on a person. This type of approach can be beneficial, especially if someone uses an opiate and opioid for chronic pain. Opiate withdrawal may only trigger further pain, which your treatment team will want to avoid at all costs.
Tapering Off Opioids in a Medical Detox Program
When you’re struggling with drug addiction, you must surround yourself with addiction specialists who can help you manage the opioid withdrawal and tapering process. A medical professional that has been specifically trained in this field will be able to provide you with a treatment plan throughout the time that you’re in detox, which will help you to avoid the severe consequences that come with the opioid withdrawal process. Suppose you decide to go to Muse Treatment Center. In that case, you can take comfort in the fact that each medical professional that will be part of your treatment team will be able to walk you through the process of tapering off opioids and opioid withdrawal in a way that you will not suffer any more than what you have to. While it’s true that you may experience some muscle aches and general discomfort, we will closely monitor your withdrawal symptoms to ensure you don’t fall into serious physical or mental health issues.
Quitting Opioids With Minimal Withdrawal at Muse Treatment in LA
It’s important to understand that going through the opioid withdrawal and detox process is only the first step in your addiction treatment journey. To truly tackle your opioid addiction, you must commit to a comprehensive recovery plan. During this time, you will receive advice on diagnosis or treatment options to ensure you can address your opioid addiction appropriately. If you need to complete a detox program, you may feel more comfortable in an inpatient or residential treatment program. This process is because residential or inpatient treatment will provide you with the around-the-clock care you received during your time in detox. This can help you feel more comfortable and confident about committing to a comprehensive addiction treatment program. Your inpatient treatment program will begin immediately following your detox program, so there is no break in the continuity of your addiction treatment.
However, many people are unable or feel uncomfortable with an inpatient treatment program. This doesn’t mean that you don’t have any options for opioid addiction recovery. Instead of working through an inpatient program, you can commit to an intensive outpatient program or a general outpatient program. One of the best things about an intensive outpatient or a general outpatient program is that you will have the freedom and flexibility to work or go to school as needed. An intensive outpatient program requires a slightly higher number of hours of addiction treatment than a general outpatient program. However, when you’re committed to an intensive outpatient or general outpatient treatment program, you can rest assured that you will still receive the high level of care you need during this stage of your recovery.
Regardless of whether you opt to commit to an inpatient or an outpatient treatment program, you will need to participate in certain forms of addiction therapy to better understand the root cause of your addiction. Here are just a few examples of the types of addiction therapy that you will experience during your time in treatment:
Group therapy
Group therapy can help you not feel so alone as you begin to work through the addiction recovery process. During group therapy, you will have the opportunity to talk about the different topics addressed during these sessions. By sharing your experiences and listening to others, you will find that you can develop a system of support that will help you better work through your addiction recovery.
Individual therapy
You may not feel comfortable sharing certain aspects of your life during group therapy, and individual therapy will help you connect with your addiction treatment team on various issues. You will also have a unique opportunity to review your treatment plan to ensure you’re meeting your goals for yourself and your sobriety.
Family therapy
Family therapy can help you reconnect with your family after struggling with the impact that addiction has had on your life and their life. Family therapy will only occur once you’re at a place in your recovery where you’re ready to address these possible issues honestly. However, when you and your loved ones commit to openly and honestly participating in family therapy, you may be able to grow together as a family and recover these critical relationships.
If you or a loved one is interested in learning more about the addiction treatments we offer for drug abuse, we encourage you to contact Muse Treatment Center at (800) 426-1818. We have helped countless people not only in Los Angeles county but all over the country work through their opioid addiction. Don’t struggle with substance abuse for another day. Reach out to us today for more information. Our treatment team is here around the clock to ensure that you receive the immediate care and help you need.