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Best Substance Abuse Treatment

How to Find the Best Opioid Addiction Treatment?

To find the best substance abuse treatment for opioid use disorder, you first need to learn the differences between opioid addiction treatment programs.

Several years ago, opioid addiction treatment programs had such a low success rate that you could almost refer to them as ineffective — or even harmful. Because of these programs’ ineffectiveness, medication-assisted treatment (M.A.T) became the standard of care. Instead of real detoxification, substitute opioids became the norm. Many critics agreed, M.A.T. became another is not always the best treatment for substance abuse, and in some cases is just substituting one drug with another.

America’s opioid epidemic — the deadliest drug crisis in this country’s history — has led to a lot of rethinking about how we view and treat addiction. “Considering addiction, a personality defect or a failure of willpower is not just wrong, but cruel. We cannot allow stigma and judgment to become hopelessness; we cannot allow hopelessness to become despair. Despair often leads to demise. “

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Is Opioid Addiction a Chronic Disease?

Opioid addiction is not a disease but a reversible condition that affects the brain and, eventually, how one responds and behaves. The central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, has opioid receptors. These receptors mainly especially to pain stimuli and can also produce euphoria by disrupting the reward and pleasure centers. Repeated use or abuse of an opioid can affect how an individual’s brain chemistry works. It can also lead to physical and psychological dependence.

There are several steps towards developing an opioid addiction:

  • The first step is tolerance. Tolerance occurs when a person increasingly uses larger doses of the drug to experience the effect as they initially did.
  • The next step is physical dependence. Dependence means if you stop using the opioid, your body will enter into a physical withdrawal.
  • Finally, addiction. Addiction causes powerful cravings, which makes you obsessively seek out the drug, regardless of the adverse effects it can cause in your life, health, or relationships.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) reports that between 26.4 million and 36 million people worldwide abuse opiate drugs, including prescription pain relievers and heroin.

“Patients should not fear the dreadful pains of withdrawal. There is no therapeutic value for unnecessary agony.”

Addiction and Withdrawal

We are continually referring to addiction as a supreme force, as a negative power beyond our control. Consequently, drug users surrender to drug abuse. They maintain a defeated attitude, a sad way of thinking: “What is the point of fighting a losing battle? Why should I go through the hardship of treatment when recovery is unattainable?”
Times have changed, science has evolved, and there are effective and dignified forms of opioid addiction treatment. Patients don’t need to fear the dreadful pains of withdrawal. There is no therapeutic value for unnecessary agony. Au contraire, unassisted withdrawal keeps people from seeking help; it may be medically risky, leading to relapse. After a period of not using opioids, tolerance may be much lower, and immediate relapse may increase the risk for a fatal overdose.

Substance Abuse Treatment Programs

Opioid treatment should focus on the individual patient. No single form of treatment works for everyone. Since addiction is a condition caused by tolerance and dependence that affects physical and emotional components, treatment needs to be comprehensive. Also, opioid withdrawal symptoms can vary depending on the individual and the severity of the addiction.
There are several opioid detox options, and some may provide more assistance than others. A hospital-based medical detox, for instance, offers an abundance of medical specialists in a safe and comforting environment. But to find the best opioid addiction program, you need to understand the different available options.

Understanding Medical Opioid Detox Differences

Opioid detoxification is usually a safe process when undergone in a supervised medical facility. Since the detoxification phase for some individuals can be potentially challenging — and in some cases, risky — it’s not advised to detox at home with no medical direction.

Many drug treatment centers explain their programs as “medically supervised.” – Medically supervised detoxification means that there is available monitoring for vital signs, adequate hydration and that trained medical professionals can be available in the event of a medical complication. It “does not” mean the program is in a proper medical facility.

Medical Detox is a method of treatment that is much safer within a hospital setting. Detox protocol will depend on the specific type of opioid, patient’s age, health history, and preferences. Before the detox, a comprehensive physical assessment should be performed to determine the best, most comfortable, and safest way to proceed. In a hospital, doctors can use certain drugs at higher dosages and often require medications to ease the withdrawal severity.

Rapid Detox is a detox technique that utilizes a combination of anesthesia and antagonists. The process rapidly induces opioid detoxification while the patient sleeps. When the patient awakens, the receptors are entirely clear of opiates, and yet, there is no awareness of experiencing severe withdrawal syndrome. Also, naltrexone maintenance can be immediately initiated to block cravings and reduce the risk of relapse.
“Addiction is the consequence of an untreated issue, and unless the problem is appropriately treated, relapse is imminent.” Clare Waismann

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Waismann Method ® Substance Abuse Treatment

Waismann Method focuses on each patient-specific need instead of the addiction. Addiction is the consequence of an untreated issue, and unless the problem is appropriately treated, relapse is imminent.

Our medical director admits patients to a full service accredited hospital where they receive medical monitoring and individual assessment. At that point, we decide on which is the best substance abuse treatment for the specific patient. Some patients benefit from an inpatient medical detoxification, where withdrawal is medically controlled and managed for a few days. Once the patient is physically stable, they continue to receive care through the transitional period at our private retreat.

If rapid detox treatment is the chosen path, a full day of pre-examinations and pre-medication occurs while the patient is comfortable in their private hospital room. In most cases, on the second day, our medical director (anesthesiologist) puts the patient under sedation to sleep comfortably through the detoxification and while withdrawal syndrome occurs. The patient remains in the hospital for another night for additional medical assistance. The day after the rapid detox procedure, patients often feel “under the weather” and start their regulation phase.

This phase is critical to the success, comfort, and safety of the patient. Waismann Method allows its patients to spend the next few days at our exclusive recovery retreat. Post detox, individuals feel hypersensitive to any physical discomfort and emotional triggers. Having an experienced professional can make this period much more manageable. At Domus Retreat, our guests typically feel noticeably better every few hours. After a brief few days of recuperation period, they are much stronger to return home and embark on a healthy life.

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