prescription painkiller abuse Archives

ByNick Jones

Common Therapy Options Found at Recovery Treatment Centers

To combat the scourge of addiction, there are many different options available at recovery treatment centers. From art therapy to group counseling, patients can get the high-quality, professional help they need in a medically supervised setting.

Initially, patients must choose between an inpatient or outpatient treatment program. Since inpatient programs offer higher success rates and more intensive treatments, they are a better option for long-term addictions or individuals who have a serious substance abuse problem.

Recovery Treatment Centers Offer Options for Co-Occurring Mental Disorders

People who have a mental illness are more likely to suffer from substance abuse. Often, this happens when they use drugs or alcohol to cope with feelings like depression, anxiety or grief. To treat the addiction effectively, these patients need to have therapy for their co-occurring disorders. Some treatment centers specialize in dual diagnosis and trauma therapy. With these options, addicted individuals can recover while addressing the mental disorder that fuels the addictive behavior.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is designed to help with destructive habits and negative thoughts. At recovery treatment centers, patients can learn how to identify these negative thought patterns and change the way they think. This interactive therapy provides patients with the skills they need to cope with stress and limit self-destructive actions. Depending on the treatment center, cognitive behavioral therapy may be accomplished individually or in a group.

Family Therapy at Recovery Treatment Centers

Family therapy is designed to help loved ones participate in the recovery process. During an addiction, drugs and alcohol become a priority instead of family members. As a result, family relationships are often harmed by the addiction. Once patients begin recovery, family therapy helps them to rebuild their relationships and overcome the past. These sessions are also designed to help the family learn why an addiction starts and how it works.

Gain Deeper Insight Through Art and Music Therapy

Art and music therapy are designed to help patients express feelings that they normally wouldn’t be able to say. Creating art and music is a nonverbal process, so it allows individuals to convey just their emotions and ideas. After finishing an artwork, patients may be asked to discuss their art and its meaning. Depending on the treatment center, therapy options like active imagination, the third-hand approach or the Gestalt method may be used. All of these techniques work to open the door to introspection and a deeper conversation.

Yoga Therapy for Addictions

During treatment, it’s common for negative feelings and memories to resurface. Therapies like yoga help to channel these new emotions in a constructive manner. In addition, the physical aspect of yoga can improve the patient’s health and reduce his or her stress levels. It also allows patients to have a positive hobby that replaces the time they used to spend on their addiction.

If you or a loved one has an addiction, you don’t have to suffer alone. Call Recovery in Motion at (866) 418-1070 to get effective help now.

ByNick Jones

How the Abuse of Prescription Pain Medications Can Lead To Heroin Use [Infographic]

Prescription Pain Medications

Many individuals who struggle with an addiction to heroin originally began by abusing prescription pain medications. All too often, people mistakenly believe that prescription painkillers are less addictive, dangerous or problematic than drugs like heroin, but the two are inextricably linked. The use of prescription pain medications can and often does lead to heroin use and addiction.

Prescription Pain Medications and Heroin Can Have a Lot in Common

Many prescription pain medications are opiates, which means that they reduce pain by attaching themselves to specific molecules called opioid receptors. Heroin is also an opiate, and it works in virtually the same way. Opiate addiction, whether a result of prescription pain medicine or heroin, is responsible for more than 29,000 overdose deaths every year.

Heroin is Cheaper than Prescription Opiates

Without insurance, or on the black market, prescription pain medications can be incredibly expensive. Patients who originally legitimately needed the medication, but are now addicted, can expect to pay around $60 for a single 60-milligram pill of an opiate painkiller. The equivalent amount of heroin, however, may be as little as one-tenth of the price. This significant price difference between the two substances means that financially-strapped individuals dealing with an addiction may be forced to purchase heroin in order to afford their next dose.

Prescription Drug Crackdowns Can Lead to Heroin Use Instead

According to the Center for Disease Control, a staggering 12 million Americans use prescription pain medications non-medically. This essentially means that they’re abusing the medication and may have an addiction. Sometimes, medical groups or cities will crack down on illegal prescriptions or sales of prescription painkillers. While this has positive intentions, unavailability of prescription opiates may cause some individuals to turn to heroin instead.

America Has a Serious Prescription Pain Medication Epidemic

The United States is home to roughly 5% of the world’s population. However, the nation is responsible for consuming more than 80% of the world’s supply of prescription painkillers. This is indicative of a serious addiction and opiate abuse problem in the United States, and it shows the scale of people who develop opiate addictions that can sometimes only be sated through heroin consumption.

Many People Who Use Prescription Painkillers Go on to Use Heroin

The transition from prescription pain medications to heroin isn’t rare or statistically insignificant. In fact, 1 in 15 people who take non-medical prescription pain medication will go on to try heroin within the next decade. With more than 12 million people taking prescription pain medications non-medically, this is a major issue that needs to be addressed.

Just because prescription pain medications can have a legitimate purpose, it doesn’t make them any less addictive or dangerous. Whether you’re struggling with an addiction to prescription medications or heroin, Recovery in Motion can help. Call (866) 418-1070 today to get the support and resources necessary to take back control over your life.

ByNick Jones

How Do Addiction Treatment Facilities Help Ease Opiate Withdrawal?

Recently, SAMHSA has found that about 1 million Americans each year fit the criteria of prescription painkiller use disorder. Moreover, on average 3 million use prescription painkillers non-medically each month.

Individuals who misuse prescription painkillers or other opiates who make an effort to discontinue the use of these substances will often suffer from withdrawal. Like many other substances, opiates cause physical dependence that couples with the addiction, making withdrawal symptoms especially difficult. In fact, it’s at this point where too many addicts transition on to heroin. To make it worse, much of today’s heroin is laced with fentanyl. Fortunately, reputable addiction treatment facilities can help ease opiate withdrawal.

Treatment Facilities Help Ease Opiate Withdrawal With Constant Monitoring

Individuals in recovery from opiate abuse often find themselves situated in a residential treatment facility, meaning they’ll stay at the treatment center for 30, 60, or 90 days. In many cases, individuals with a national health insurance provider will have at least some of the cost of their inpatient treatment covered, thanks to provisions set in the Affordable Care Act.

Because of the physical dependence that often develops with opiate abuse, individuals entering opiate withdrawal need to be monitored through drug detox. Many times, it only takes a few hours before intense, drug-seeking behavior sets in. When that happens, many people are unable to get through it alone.

Treatment Facilities Help Ease Opiate Withdrawal With Family Participation

Many people benefit from having loved ones nearby during treatment, and many evidence-based treatment techniques call for therapy involving an individual’s family. Treatment centers offering family-integrated programs as treatment options may help ease opiate withdrawal for individuals who have relied on their family in the past for comfort. Addiction treatment can be scary for some, so having close family and friends nearby in a family participation program can often make treatment and withdrawal easier to handle.

Treatment Facilities Help Ease Opiate Withdrawal With Continued Treatment After Rehab

Successfully making it to the end of a 90-day treatment program without relapse is no small feat, but many people require ongoing treatment throughout the rest of their life to maintain their sobriety. Addiction is a disease that’s chronic in nature, which means it’s easy to relapse over the long-term. To fight back against these inevitable urges, many individuals suffering from opiate addiction benefit from enrolling in a 12-step program. These programs help promote healthy habits and routines that can drastically lower the chances of relapse in the future.

If you or someone you know is suffering from opiate addiction and you’re looking for a way to ease opiate withdrawal, call Recovery in Motion today at 866-849-0901. Rooms are currently available and come with a 90-day guarantee on treatment costs. Give us a call now to learn more about how we can help you or a loved one begin recovery from active opiate addiction.