3 Effective Drug Rehabilitation Services That Fight Opioid Addiction

Opioid addiction has become a nationwide epidemic affecting hundreds and thousands of Americans. Opioids are highly addictive drugs that can be difficult to stop using due to the way these drugs alter your brain chemistry and trigger physical dependence. If you are suffering from opioid addiction, call our 24/7 confidential helpline at 800-430-1407Who Answers? to learn more about drug rehabilitation services that can help you get clean and stay sober for good.

Here are three drug rehab treatments and services that can help you overcome opioid addiction.

1. Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine reduces opioid withdrawal so you can focus on recovery.

Buprenorphine is commonly used as part of opioid addiction treatment. This FDA-approved synthetic opioid is a partial agonist — meaning it partially activates your brain’s opioid receptors, instead of fully activating them like heroin. As a result, buprenorphine users experience mild to no withdrawal symptoms or cravings when detoxing and withdrawing from opioids.

In addition to reducing opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms, buprenorphine can block the effects of other opioids in the event you or your loved one relapses during treatment. The medication also produces a ceiling effect, which prevents high levels of euphoria and drowsiness when using high doses. Buprenorphine treatment is often combined with behavioral counseling so you or your loved one can overcome opioid addiction as a whole both physically and mentally.

2. Methadone

Methadone has been used to treat opioid addiction since the 1940s, and works much like buprenorphine to minimize and eliminate opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms. But unlike buprenorphine, methadone is a full agonist like heroin that fully activates your opioid receptors. There is no ceiling effect produced by methadone — meaning the drug can be prescribed in higher amounts to those dependent on high doses of opioids.

Though methadone is highly effective at treating opioid addiction, the drug itself carries a mild risk for addiction. Due to its potential for abuse, methadone is generally administered to patients on a daily basis at methadone clinics. Recovering opioid addicts can visit the methadone clinic, receive their daily dose, then resume their everyday lives while undergoing methadone maintenance therapy.

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3. Behavioral Counseling

Counseling addresses all root causes of addiction — most of which are psychological and require therapy to overcome. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps you identify negative behaviors, thought processes, and emotions that may be driving your addiction. Participate in one-on-one, group, and family counseling sessions to overcome these behaviors, and learn tips and tricks for staying sober and avoiding relapse.

Behavioral counseling also addresses mental health disorders that may be causing you to abuse opioids. For instance, if you started using opioids to escape symptoms of depression or anxiety, counseling can treat you for these conditions at the same time as addiction. Mental health conditions that exist alongside addiction are known as co-occurring disorders.

Many drug rehab centers also offer ongoing counseling after addiction treatment has ended. These counseling sessions are included in most aftercare programs, and may be combined with ongoing education and support groups like Narcotics Anonymous. Drug rehab centers are devoted to helping you fully overcome opioid addiction so you can get back to living a healthier, more fulfilling addiction-free lifestyle.

If you or your loved one is struggling with opioid addiction, understand it’s never too late to get help. Call our 24/7 confidential helpline at 800-430-1407Who Answers? to speak with a drug abuse counselor about drug rehabilitation services effective at treating opioid addiction.