Millions of individuals living in the United States abuse prescription opioid medications. For many, the abuse begins after doctors prescribe opiates for pain relief, often following a surgery or injury. These medications offer effective short-term relief when patients use them in small doses. The problem is that some people take them in large doses over an extended period. If you’re abusing opioids, addiction intervention could help you to recover your life and sobriety. On the other hand, if you don’t address your developing issue, you put yourself at a high risk for serious consequences.
Abuse of opioids can lead to addiction. People who abuse prescription opioids are more likely than non-abusers to develop an opioid use disorder, sometimes known as a pattern of opiate use that causes clinically and functionally significant impairment or distress.
If you think that you or a loved one may have an opioid addiction, call us today at 866.262.0531 for information on effective treatment.
The Opioid Problem
Opiate medications are responsible for an alarming amount of new substance abuse cases each year. This is largely because of how easily accessible they are. Physicians readily prescribe them to individuals who need relief from moderate to severe pain.
Some common opioid medications include codeine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, and methadone. If opioids aren’t prescribed to individuals, they can also find them in the form of heroin. This highly dangerous drug is created by processing morphine, which comes from opium poppy plants.
Many people believe that individuals who are addicted to opioids are depraved. However, the truth is that many of these addiction cases start with an entirely legitimate need for pain management. In fact, opioids are a very effective way of managing short-term pain. Unfortunately, they also have a high potential for abuse.
When patients take them exactly as the doctor prescribes for a short time, opioids offer satisfactory pain relief. Extended or heavy use, however, can very easily lead users down a path of dependency and addiction.
Opiate Effects
Opioids work by altering the brain’s perception of pain. They attach to receptors in the brain and activate the brain’s reward and pleasure center. Individuals can easily develop an addiction to this flood of positive feelings and euphoria.
Over time, the brain also gets accustomed to receiving the effects of the opioid drug. It starts to depend on an influx of opioids to feel good and perform at its fullest potential.
If a long time or heavy user suddenly stops using or cuts dosage drastically, the body goes into withdrawal mode. Withdrawal symptoms can be unpleasant, but this is a sign that the brain is trying to correct itself. Users experience uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous symptoms while the brain works to restore itself to its regular properties.
Opiate withdrawal symptoms can vary from person to person, ranging in severity from mild to severe. Certain factors determine the severity of these symptoms, such as how long and in what doses the user has been abusing opiates, the presence of any co-occurring mental issues, family history of substance abuse, and lifestyle.
Seek Early Intervention Before It’s Too Late
Opioid abuse can leave devastating marks on one’s personal and professional life. The longer an individual abuses opioids, the more difficult it is to quit. Extended drug use can lead to severe damage to one’s physical and mental health, as well.
Fortunately, early intervention can help to stop opioid abuse before it spirals into full-blown dependency. Seeking help for your substance abuse problem now gives you a better chance at achieving successful and lasting recovery. If you let your abuse problem continue without treatment, your tolerance will continue to grow. Higher tolerance puts you at chronic risk for withdrawal, overdose, and possibly death.
At Crestview Recovery in Portland, Oregon, we offer help through early intervention. We can guide you through each step of our comprehensive treatment programs, towards safe rehabilitation. After completing detox at an off-site facility, you’ll begin your personalized treatment plan.
We offer:
- Outpatient
- IOP and PHP
- Dual diagnosis therapy
- Individual and trauma therapy
- Extended care program
- Experiential therapies
We have the experience and qualifications to treat all substance abuse problems, including opioid addiction. At Crestview Recovery, we’ll prepare you for a lifetime of healthy sobriety.
Get The Help You Need With Opioid Rehab in Portland
Don’t wait until your problem with opioid abuse gets worse. Early intervention is the safest and most effective way to truly overcome your disease. Crestview Recovery in Portland, Oregon has the individualized substance abuse treatment that you need to achieve the results you desire. Call us today at 866.262.0531 to start working towards a healthier, happier, and sober you.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
