Thursday, April 27, 2017

Opiate Addiction Treatment Can Help Patients To Face Life Again

By Paul Peterson


There are countless people that are addicted to some substance. They can be found in any society, regardless of wealth, culture, religion or race. Many of these addicts live their entire lives focusing on where and when they will be getting their next batch of substances from. This is not true for addicts of illegal drugs only. Numerous people are addicted to seemingly innocent substances such as prescription pain killers. The only solution for such addicts is professional opiate addiction treatment.

Many agencies involved in health matters have said that the number of people addicted to prescription pain killers have risen dramatically over the past few years. There are many reasons for this trend. Pain killers are easy to obtain, often as simple as asking the doctor for a prescription. Using pain killers is not illegal and it is socially much more acceptable than the use of most other addictive substances.

The loved ones of substance abusers are often in the dark. They do not offer help or support because they do not know that a loved one is totally dependent upon a substance such as pain killers. There are some signs, however. Abusers often see different doctors and get their medication from various suppliers. The will also become irritable and even aggressive if they do not have enough pain killers at hand.

Even if there is no doubt whatsoever that a loved one is addicted to pain killers, no treatment program will help unless the addict himself admit that he has a serious problem and that he needs help in overcoming his addiction. Even then rehabilitation centres will only admit a patient once they are sure that the patient really wants to overcome his problem and that he is committed to the success of rehabilitation.

The first step in any treatment program is to detoxify the addict. This can be difficult because patients often suffer from withdrawal symptoms and some may even experience severe pain. Many patients feel helpless and they become depressed, display high levels of anxiety and even become suicidal. In some cases medication can be used to ease the side effects of withdrawal, but this is used very sparingly.

The next step in the program is to teach the patient how to live a healthy, balanced life. They are taught techniques to cope with stress, pain and anxiety. They learn how to use exercise and a proper diet to prevent a need for artificial gratification from developing. This process can take some time and may require numerous individual and group therapy sessions.

It is a sad reality that many patients fall back into their old habits very soon after completing a rehabilitation program. This is why it is vital to encourage them to join groups where they will receive encouragement, support, advice and even friendship. They need to know that help is available at all times and that they are loved and cherished by their families.

Addiction has a serious influence on society as a whole. Addicts will often go to almost any lengths to satisfy their cravings. They are often anti social and sometimes even aggressive. They are unproductive and completely self centred. However, with professional help they can live full lives once more.




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