Overcoming Opiate Addiction’s Greatest Challenges in Free Drug Rehab

Opiate addiction creates a number of challenges for those who eventually seek help and begin a life in recovery. However, free drug rehab can help you overcome these challenges and create change for the better in your life. To find rehab programs that will cater to your needs, call 800-934-7205 (Who Answers?) now.

Withdrawal Symptoms––and the Benefits of Detox

According to the National Library of Medicine, the withdrawal symptoms associated with opiate dependence “are very uncomfortable but are not life-threatening.” In many cases, though, the severity of the pain they can cause may lead an individual to relapsing in order to make it stop. As an added danger, many people who relapse after or during withdrawal often overdose because their tolerance for the drug has diminished, which can be deadly.

In free drug rehab centers, detox is often one of the first priorities of treatment so patients can safely navigate their withdrawal symptoms without experiencing the full severity of them. Medications like buprenorphine, methadone, or clonidine should be used during this time because, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, treating an individual for opioid withdrawal without a medication asks patients with little pain tolerance to endure immense pain. However, it is also important to remember that detox alone is not a treatment for addiction.

Cravings, Withdrawal, and Maintenance

Medication maintenance reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms so you can focus on recovery.

In other cases, a person cannot go through a medically assisted withdrawal period immediately after stopping their substance abuse because their dependence on opioids is still too strong. As a result, methadone or buprenorphine maintenance can be employed where the patient takes regular doses of the drug to block the opioid receptors in the brain, reduce withdrawal symptoms, and minimize cravings.

Patients who are not managed on a medication who are still struggling with these issues are highly likely to relapse, so it can be extremely helpful to stay on maintenance for as long as necessary. This timeline may be different for every patient, but because these effects create such a challenge for recovery, medications can often be extremely helpful.

Problematic Behaviors and Behavioral Therapy

Often, people who have suffered from addiction and have abused drugs for a long period of time have undergone radical changes to the way the brain works as well as to their attitudes and behaviors. Free drug rehab often utilizes behavioral therapies to change these beliefs and behaviors and to help patients form better ones.

According to the NIDA, “Cognitive-behavioral strategies are based on the theory that in the development of maladaptive behavioral patterns like substance abuse, learning processes play a critical role.” Patients relearn how to react to cravings, triggers, and especially stress as well as coping methods that are safer and more effective than substance abuse. Other behavioral therapies, like family therapy, group therapy, contingency management, etc., can also help retrain the brain and allow patients to learn new, healthier ways to view themselves and their substance abuse.

12 Reasons to Choose a Free Methadone Maintenance Rehab Center

Co-occurring Disorders (and Their Treatments)

If an individual is suffering from any co-occurring disorders along with opiate addiction, these will need to be identified, assessed, and treated along with the individual’s addiction. This is because an untreated mental disorder, such as depression, generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, OCD, etc., can lead to relapse in those who are being treated for addiction because, as their other disorder goes untreated, it will often undermine their recovery.

Medications can be used to treat co-occurring disorders, such as antidepressants for the treatment of depression, and behavioral therapies can also simultaneously treat addiction and mental disorders. It is extremely important for every individual who is being treated for drug addiction to be screened for these issues because this group is twice as likely to suffer from mood and anxiety disorders than the regular population (NIDA). And even if the free rehab facility itself doesn’t have the ability to treat this disorder, most will offer patients referrals to receive care in another community agency.

Want to Find Safe, Reliable Treatment for Opiate Addiction?

Professional treatment is not only essential for a safe recovery; it will also help you overcome some of the biggest challenges you will face along the way. Call 800-934-7205 (Who Answers?) now to find the best free rehab facilities for your needs.