Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death, killing tens of thousands of people every year. Overall, most of these deaths result from taking too many opioids. Doctors write many prescriptions annually, which is the core problem. Unfortunately, millions of patients develop an addiction. However, an opioid addiction treatment center like Zelus Recovery is always available.
What Is an Opioid?
An opioid is a synthetic medicine doctors prescribe for moderate to severe pain. For example, fentanyl, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and tramadol are all opioid medications. These drugs block pain signals from the body to the brain. Therefore, they also change how the brain responds to pain.
Despite their real medical uses, opioids are just as addictive as opiates, their natural counterparts. Examples of opiates include codeine, heroin, morphine, and opium.
Why Does Opioid Addiction Develop?
The reason why addiction develops involves the alteration of brain chemistry. These drugs stimulate the brain to produce more dopamine than necessary. In addition to reducing pain, the neurotransmitter produces euphoric effects.
It’s easy for people to build a tolerance to opioid effects. This involves the need to take higher doses to feel anything. Eventually, however, the brain changes and stops producing dopamine by itself. Thus, individuals become cognitively dependent on drugs to create dopamine for normal functioning.
With prolonged use, opioid dependency can become an addiction. For example, symptoms to look out for include lack of motivation, mood swings, neglecting obligations, and poor coordination. Many people with opioid addiction also experience anxiety and depression. However, an opioid addiction treatment center can help them conquer the disease.
Opioid Addiction Treatment Center
Overall, no one has the same opioid addiction treatment center experience. Therefore, the goal of treatment is to help people avoid drug use. Inpatient and outpatient care are the two main addiction programs which help prevent this.
Inpatient treatment is the highest level of care and includes 24-hour medical supervision and support. Thus, people stay at rehab centers for the duration of treatment. Program lengths vary from 30 days to 90 days or longer.
On the other hand, outpatient programs are a more moderate level of care involving less supervision. Meaning, people live at home while undergoing treatment, which can last 30 days or more. In addition, they’ll visit rehab centers for scheduled treatment sessions multiple times a week. Outpatient care is ideal for teens and young adults who don’t want to miss school but still require help.
Whether people choose inpatient or outpatient treatment, the recovery process always begins with detox. This step involves stopping drug use so the body can eliminate harmful toxins. Fortunately, detox centers may provide medication for easing uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. This process may take a week to a month depending on addiction severity.
The next step to recovery is rehab, which often involves therapy. Merely ending drug use isn’t enough because people need to address addiction’s specific cause. They must also retrain their brains and adjust how they process information.
Therefore, the best rehab centers use one-on-one, group, and family therapy models to help people change. Some techniques these methods use include cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational enhancement therapy. For teens and young adults, multisystemic therapy works well. This intensive approach involves the community and family to address the impact environment has on youth development.
Continued care from addiction counselors and support groups is the final step to recovery. Private counselors, whether inside or outside of school, help teens and young adults focus on abstinence. Not to mention, support groups play a major role in helping people of all ages stay sober.
Zelus Recovery Can Help
If you suspect an opioid addiction, seeking treatment is a priority. Zelus Recovery is a young adult treatment center in Meridian, Idaho treating individuals under 25. We offer diverse programs to meet the needs of this demographic including:
- Early intervention
- Outpatient treatment
- Intensive outpatient treatment
- Family therapy
- Dual diagnosis treatment
Zelus Recovery keeps a small, intimate team in order to build meaningful relationships with every client. In addition to treating teens and young adults, we help their families learn about addiction. Our goal is to rebuild relationships so each family member has optimal support.