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Inpatient medical detox and residential primary addiction treatment may be available at our affiliated facility at Level Up Rehab Center West Palm Beach. For some primary behavioral health treatment clients, medical detox and or addiction rehab may be required first. If you have a co-occurring severe substance abuse diagnosis, please contact us prior to beginning inpatient mental health therapy. Treatment services may vary. Please call us to learn which treatment options are most suited for your individual needs.
What is Co-occurring Opiate Addiction?
Opiate addiction is a chronic disease that can cause major health problems. Opiates are a class of drugs that act in the nervous system to produce feelings of pleasure, and pain relief. It has a high potential for causing addiction in some people, even when the medications are prescribed appropriately and taken as directed.
Opiate addiction can be hard to beat. However, opiate addiction treatment programs can help users break their physical and psychological dependence on the drug.
Opiates or opioids are drugs used to treat pain. Opiates or opioids are sometimes referred to as narcotics and although they do relieve pain, they do not fall into the same category as over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin and Tylenol.
- Heroin, an illegal drug
- Hydrocodone (Vicodin) – a prescription opioid
- Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50–100 times more potent than morphine
- Methadone
- Meperidine (Demerol)
- Morphine
- Oxycodone (Percocet or Oxycontin) – a prescription opioid
Common Signs of Co-occurring Opiate Addiction
Classic signs of Opiate addiction can cause life-threatening health problems, including the risk of overdose. An overdose happens when high doses of opiates cause breathing to slow or stop. As a result, leading to unconsciousness and death if the overdose is not treated immediately.
In addition to controlling pain, opioids can make some people feel relaxed, happy, or “high,” and can be addictive. Additional side effects can include slowed breathing, constipation, nausea, confusion, and drowsiness. An estimated 1.4 million people in the United States had a substance use disorder related to prescription opioids in 2019, according to National Institute on Drug Abuse [1]
The following are the common symptoms of co-occurring opiate addiction.
- Taking larger amounts or taking drugs over a longer period than intended.
- Persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control opioid use.
- Spending a great deal of time obtaining or using the opioid.
- Craving, or a strong desire or urge to use opioids
- Problems fulfilling obligations at work, school or home.
- Continued opioid use despite having recurring social or interpersonal problems.
- Giving up or reducing activities because of opioid use.
- Using opioids in physically hazardous situations.
- Continued opioid use despite ongoing physical or psychological problem likely to have been caused or worsened by opioids.
- Tolerance
- Experiencing withdrawal (opioid withdrawal syndrome)
Causes of Co-occurring Opiate Addiction
The causes of opioid addiction are complex. This condition results from a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Variations in the genes that provide instructions for making opioid receptors have been studied extensively as genetic risk factors for opioid addiction.
Factors that increase the risk of opiate addiction include a history of depression, other psychiatric disorders, or substance abuse; childhood abuse or neglect; and certain personality traits, including impulsivity and sensation-seeking.
Effects of Co-occurring Opiate Addiction
- Social problems (loss of support of family and friends, isolation)
- Work problems
- Financial problems
- Insomnia
- Adverse health consequences (abscesses, pulmonary complications, infections in the heart, collapsed veins, permanent lung, liver, and kidney damage)
- History of drug-related crimes and incarceration
- Involuntary commitment to a mental hospital
- Death from overdose or suicide
Opiate Withdrawal
The biggest complication of Opiate addiction treatment is withdrawal when returning to drug use. In fact, most opiate overdose deaths occur in people who have just detoxed. The first few days are the most dangerous because those who have just gone through opioid withdrawal can overdose on a much smaller dose than they used. As during opioid withdrawal, your tolerance to the drug is reduced. Furthermore, if you stop or cut back on these drugs after heavy use of a few weeks or more, you will have several Opiate addiction symptoms and may include for male opioid drug users often experience erectile dysfunction, and females have disturbances in menses and irregular reproduction.
Symptoms such as agitation, anxiety, muscle aches, diarrhea, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, and sweating.
Co-occurring Opiate Addiction Treatment
A person’s treatment experience often depends on the severity of addiction and co-occurring conditions.
Behavioral therapies or Psychotherapies – therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) help modify the patient’s expectations and behaviors related to drug use and increase skills in coping with various life stressors.
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) – is an effective treatment for individuals with an opioid use disorder. It involves the use of medication along with counseling and behavioral therapies.
- Methadone: This prevents withdrawal symptoms and reduces cravings. It is available only in specially regulated clinics.
- Buprenorphine: This blocks the effects of other opioids, reduces or eliminates withdrawal symptoms and reduces cravings.
- Naltrexone: This blocks the effects of other opioids preventing the feeling of euphoria. It is
- available from office-based providers in pill form or monthly injection.
We Level Up Florida can help with inpatient primary mental health therapy. Depending on the extent of secondary behavioral disorders such as addiction we can first help assess your condition and thereafter guide you to suitable treatment options.
Co-occurring secondary opiate addiction treatment may be necessary for fast and effective recovery for anyone with primary complex mental health disorders. For anyone suffering from primary mental health disorders where secondary co-occurring illnesses are used to hide from the emotional toll, comprehensive treatment for both primary and secondary disorders is important.
To learn more, contact us today at We Level Up FL mental health center. We provide utmost care with doctors and medical staff available 24/7 for life-changing and lasting recovery. We provide an enhanced opportunity to return to a fulfilling and productive life.
Inpatient medical detox and residential primary addiction treatment may be available at our affiliated facility at Level Up Rehab Center West Palm Beach. For some primary behavioral health treatment clients, medical detox and or addiction rehab may be required first. If you have a co-occurring severe substance abuse diagnosis, please contact us prior to beginning inpatient mental health therapy. Treatment services may vary. Please call us to learn which treatment options are most suited for your individual needs.
If you are located in South Florida, we are offering Opiate rehab in South Florida.
Sources:
[1] National Institute on Drug Abuse – Opiate Addiction Treatment https://www.drugabuse.gov/download/21349/medications-to-treat-opioid-use-disorder-research-report.pdf?v=99088f7584dac93ddcfa98648065bfbe