Prescription pharmaceuticals, including opiates and benzodiazepines, are diverted and abused across the country at an alarming rate. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said in 2009 that North Carolina’s problem with the illicit use and distribution of pharmaceuticals was “widespread.” Counties throughout this East Coast state have been affected by the widespread misuse of prescription painkillers and heroin (opioids). These drugs are highly potent and attach to opiate receptors in the body. Prescription opiates are often used for pain relief but can lead to dependence with prolonged use or abuse. The DEA says the increase in demand for these drugs is due to their relative ease of access. The agency reports that popular diversion tactics in North Carolina include illegal sale and distribution by healthcare workers, prescription fraud, employee theft, doctor shopping and the Internet.

Methadone, morphine, codeine, hydrocodone and oxycodone are opiates of choice for people who want to divert or obtain these medications in North Carolina. The largest metropolitan areas of the state have been affected by this problem. The fallout from prescription painkiller abuse and diversion has devastated communities and puts stress on already-taxed law enforcement agencies, hospitals and courts. Officials say North Carolina also has a problem with recreational use of opiates among young people. The North Carolina State Risk Behavior Survey from 2007 shows that a quarter of high school students in the western part of the state had used prescription drugs recreationally at least once. This is noticeably higher than the 17 percent of students in the central and eastern parts of the state who reported such use. The report said the drugs most often used by these students were OxyContin, Percocet and Xanax.

Waismann Method

An opiate dependence can be debilitating but fortunately, there is help available for North Carolina residents searching for safe, effective detox. Waismann Method has treated thousands of people from across the world for more than a decade, using a unique approach to rapid detox that doesn’t use potentially addicting opiate replacements to wean patients. We admit patients to a southern California hospital for tests to rule out any possible underlying conditions. To address the physical dependence, we use intravenous medications that gently cleanse the opiates from patients’ opiate receptors. This takes just over an hour and patients are sedated during it, using general deep sedation. They experience an accelerated opiate withdrawal syndrome while they are sedated so they don’t have to bear the brunt of symptoms. This allows patients to better deal with the transition back to health they will be experiencing. There is no shame in seeking help for opiate dependence and Waismann Method is known for its compassionate treatment of individuals. We also offer aftercare through our Domus Retreat transitional living facility.

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