opioid crisis Archives - Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery

When it comes to addiction, there are many substances and behaviors that a person can become dependent on, ranging from drugs and alcohol to gambling or even food. The need for effective addiction treatment is real and urgent.

In some cases, individuals may not intentionally abuse drugs to get high but still develop a dependence, such as relying on prescription medication to manage chronic pain. This dependence can gradually evolve into addiction. One important aspect of opioid addiction treatment is understanding how Suboxone is used to treat opioid addiction.

Suboxone can be used in addiction treatment programs to help individuals who are struggling with substance abuse find relief from withdrawal symptoms as they work through the underlying causes of addiction.

What Is Opioid Addiction?

After using opioids to control pain, such as after surgery or for an extended period, it is possible to become dependent on them. Eventually, a person can become addicted to the feeling of relief that opioids bring.

Others who are seeking to get high turn to opioids and can eventually become addicted as well. Opioids contribute to over half of all deaths caused by drug overdoses in the United States, so the problem is severe and has become an epidemic.

Common opioids include:

Morphine
Codeine
Oxycodone
Hydrocodone
Oxycontin
Vicodin
Percocet

How Is It Treated?

Treating opioid addiction involves several factors. Counseling is often used to help the client cope with the emotions surrounding their pain and learn new strategies, but this alone is not enough. Most of the time, mediated opioid addiction treatment is necessary.

Using an opioid replacement therapy strategy, professionals help clients overcome their dependence on the drugs by reducing the withdrawal symptoms that often make it impossible to quit in the first place.

The steps a client typically undergoes, which can occur independently of each other or as a combined process, involve:

Outpatient Detox
Therapy
Medicated treatment
Utilizing ongoing coping strategies

Rehabilitation for more than 90 days is encouraged to be the most effective. This helps reduce the risk of relapse.

Medicated-Assisted Treatment

During the medicated treatment period, clients are given medicine to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms. These medications help without the added adverse effects brought on by opioids. Some drugs also help with cravings experienced during detox.

This type of treatment cannot occur without consulting a professional, so it is imperative to seek help. Medications such as Suboxone can reduce the duration and severity of withdrawal symptoms.

How Does Suboxone Help with Opioid Addiction Treatment?

Suboxone lowers the effects of opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings. It has a lower potential for abuse than methadone, which is another commonly used medication in opioid treatment programs.

Some of the most common opioid withdrawal symptoms that Suboxone can help relieve include:

Stomach cramping
Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
Frequent chills
Muscle tension
Sleep-related issues
Disruptive aches and pains
Heart palpitations
Intense cravings

Suboxone can be incredibly effective in helping those with opioid addictions maintain recovery long-term.

Opioid Addiction Treatment at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery

Getting treatment for opioid addiction is possible at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery. Here, clients can benefit from therapists who tailor their approach using both evidence-based techniques and medical interventions to support long-term healing.

Understanding the different ways to treat opioid addiction, including how Suboxone is used to treat opioid addiction, helps us deliver a more comprehensive and effective path to recovery.

Suboxone can ease withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings, and support clients as they work through the emotional and psychological aspects of addiction, creating a more stable foundation for lasting sobriety.

How Did the Opioid Crisis Begin?

The popularity of opioids began in the 1990s when pharmaceutical companies mass-produced prescriptions for pain relief and muscle relaxation. Although there was concern about the addictive properties of the drugs early on, pharmaceutical companies assured the medical industry and the public that patients would not become addicted to the substances.

Convinced of this, doctors and treatment specialists began prescribing opioids at alarming rates almost from the beginning. As the prescription rates increased, the addiction rates increased. By 2017 almost 50,000 Americans died from an overdose, and nearly 2 million people experienced substance abuse. Many Americans required help from a dual diagnosis treatment program.

Current Opioid Use Statistics

NIDA has currently released opioid use statistics that users and medical professionals should find alarming. These statistics include:

Nearly 30 percent of patients who use opioids for pain management misuse them

Over 10 percent of users develop an addiction or dependency to opioids

Up to 6 percent of users who abuse opioids end up using heroin

Nearly 80 percent of people who use heroin also abused their first opioid prescription

There was a decline in opioid-related overdoses in 38 states between 2017 and 2018

What are the Solutions to the Crisis?

NIDA and other agencies have declared that opioid use has become a public health crisis in the U.S. due to the number of overdoses, fatalities, and addictions in both men and women. Both government agencies and private entities have taken drastic steps toward alerting the public about the current problem. These steps include:

Improving Addiction Treatment Services

One of the biggest steps to addressing the current crisis is by improving the way treatment centers help clients. Addiction treatment services include evidence-based treatment (EBT), dual diagnosis treatment, and aftercare programs that promote a sustainable recovery without relapse.

Medication-Assisted Treatment

Addiction treatment centers in Colorado are including medication-assisted treatment (MAT) into their programs as a supplement to therapy and support. Buprenorphine, suboxone, and naltrexone are among the opioid antagonists that reduce cravings and the effects of withdrawal symptoms during recovery.

Increased Monitoring of the Crisis

Through advanced technology and accountability, agencies are improving the way they monitor the current opioid crisis. We are now getting a better understanding of how and why the drugs are being prescribed and how the public is responding to the accessibility of these drugs. Agencies are also obtaining more accurate figures about the crisis.

Better Practices for Pain Management

The more we understand what causes pain, the more we can come up with holistic alternatives to prescription medication. Support for research on pain and addiction has increased significantly, as researchers explore new options. It is important that we move beyond the crisis by giving patients better solutions to managing their pain. With our chronic pain management program, we give you the tools you need to manage your pain effectively without medication.

Are You Addicted to Opioids? Get Help at CMAR

In spite of the opioid crisis, help is available for addiction. Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery offers treatment for opioid addiction at our medication-assisted treatment center in Colorado. To find out more about your treatment options, contact us at 833.448.0127, and speak with a treatment specialist today.

Tag: opioid crisis

How Suboxone Is Used to Treat Opioid Addiction