Opiate Addiction
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PCP – The Perry Clayman Project provides specialised treatment for individuals who struggle with opiate abuse and addiction. This includes inpatient detox, which begins the process of physical healing from addiction, and drug rehabilitation, which helps clients heal from their history of drug abuse, build skills that help them confront their history of drug abuse, and build skills that help them manage their well-being. If you or someone you love is struggling with opiate addiction, it is important to seek help and take steps towards unwinding the issues that have played a role in addiction.
Opioids, both derived from plants and synthetic drugs, are a class of drugs that are used to treat pain, cough, and diarrhoea. However, they are also used illegally. Most individuals who abuse opiates do so in an effort to re-create the first high. Commonly individuals abuse opioids as a way to manage pain or decrease withdrawal symptoms they are experiencing.
Opiate Addiction
Worldwide, both opioid addiction and opioid use disorder (OUD) are extremely common. An estimated 16 million individuals worldwide are or have struggled with opioid addiction in their lifetime. In 2020, there were 2,263 opiate-related deaths in England and Wales. Opiate addiction impacts individuals of all ages, demographics, and educational backgrounds. This is due to the large amount of opiates prescribed to manage pain and the addictive nature of opiates.
Opiates directly receptors in the brain that control pain and pleasure. In addition, they have an effect of sedation and pain relief. However, unlike endorphins that the brain naturally creates, opiates create a significantly larger response in the body. This results in pain relief and a high. The euphoria, pain relief, and sedation caused by opiates are significant reasons for a person to abuse opiates.
Risk Factors
Opiate addiction can develop in many different types of individuals. Individuals with a mental health disorder such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at a higher risk of opiate addiction. In addition, individuals with a history of substance abuse or addiction are at a significantly higher risk of becoming addicted when using opiates.
Commonly Used Opiates
There are many kinds of opiates available, both legally and illegally. Each type of opiate is prescribed for different uses. However, in general, they are prescribed to help individuals to manage pain, both acute and chronic. Commonly used opiates include:
- Codeine
- Fentanyl
- Heroin
- Hydrocodone
- Morphine
- Methadone
- Oxycodone
- Pethidine
Symptoms of Opiate Addiction
If you believe you or someone you love is developing an opiate addiction, there are multiple signs and symptoms to look for. While each person will display their addiction to opiates in a unique way, common symptoms can be physical, mental, or emotional. Symptoms of an opiate addiction are due to physical dependence on opiates.
Signs of physical dependency include:
- Increasing the opiate dosage above the prescribed dosage
- Mixing substances to increase the effects
- Participating in high-risk behaviours
- Impaired cognitive functions
- Flu-like symptoms
- Pain and muscle spasms
- Rapid heart rate
- High blood pressure
- Constant thoughts of opioid use
- Withdrawing from loved ones and social groups
- Choosing opiate use above responsibilities
- Mood swings and cravings related to not using opioids
- Continued opioid use despite negative impacts
Diagnosis
In order for you or your loved one to be diagnosed with an opiate addiction, it is important to work with a licenced professional. Diagnosis begins with an assessment which takes opiate use, history of substance abuse, and other signs of addiction into consideration.
Clients at PCP – The Perry Clayman Project go through an intake process, which helps both clients and staff understand if they are struggling with an opiate addiction. Through detox and treatment, clients will continue to understand their diagnosis. In addition, they will learn tools that help them to manage their diagnosis in the short term, in treatment, and in the long term.
Treatment for Opiate Addiction
The first step of treatment for an opiate addiction is to go through drug detox. Facing the drug detox process is intimidating. However, it is the first step to healing from an opiate addiction. During detox, clients do not use opiates and, therefore, go through the withdrawal process. However, clients’ symptoms are addressed through prescription drugs that protect them from the negative impacts of withdrawal.
Detox is an important and vital step in healing from opiate addiction. However, it is important that it is followed by a comprehensive treatment programme that addresses the underlying causes of addiction and builds skills that help an individual build a new life after treatment. A comprehensive treatment programme for opiate addiction consists of both individual and group therapy. In therapy, clients build skills that help them make different choices in the future, avoid triggers, and manage their substance use in the future.
Through treatment for opiate addiction, clients also learn the underlying causes of addiction. This may include a personal or family history of substance abuse, challenges with mental health disorders, or struggles with chronic pain. Regardless of the unique issues at hand, treatment for opiate addiction helps clients to understand their struggle with opiate abuse more clearly and, therefore, be more able to adjust their actions for the future.
Opiate addiction is a serious issue that influences millions of individuals worldwide and creates chaos in a person’s life. To learn more about treatment for opiate addiction at PCP – The Perry Clayman Project and how it can help you rebuild your life after treatment, call us today at 08000 380 480.