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Prescription Painkiller Addiction

“In a society where we often gravitate toward a ‘quick fix,’ it is disheartening to see that prescription drug abuse is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Sadly, thousands of lives are being lost annually that could be saved with better preventative measures and more education regarding the dangers of these drugs. To truly gain control over this widespread outbreak sweeping the nation, we need a societal shift in how we view and prescribe these medications and the way we treat drugs, addiction, and pain with the goal of taking action to stop this vicious cycle from continuing to occur within our society.” — Dr. Michael H. Lowenstein, Waismann Method® Medical Director

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with an opiate detox treatment expert.

Pain Management Traps

Prescription drugs that contain opiates activate the brain’s reward center. It is very likely that, after continuous use, a person will develop a physical dependence and tolerance. When treatment for dependence is immediate and effective, addiction issues can be prevented.

The Underlying Problem with Painkillers

Some pain management specialists indiscriminately prescribe painkillers. Focused on eliminating pain, physicians can overlook the long-term consequences of painkiller addiction and dependence.

Facts Behind Prescription Painkiller Addiction

  • Prescription drug misuse often causes serious medical consequences.
  • Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids are at the highest level in history.
  • In 2017, an estimated 18 million people in the U.S. misused prescription drugs at least once during the past year.
  • Nearly 25% of patients who use prescription opioids abuse them.
  • In 2017, more than 47,000 Americans died of an opioid overdose.

Prescription Painkiller Addiction

Understanding prescription drug abuse starts with understanding the physical dependence that developed from the drug use and then addressing the underlying reasons for the drug abuse. Here is an example of how prescription painkiller addiction can develop:

Dependency on prescription painkillers often starts with a standard injury, surgery, anxiety, depression or other conditions that result in physical or mental pain, such as:

  • Migraines
  • Car accidents
  • Anxiety issues
  • Back or neck injuries
  • Fibromyalgia or severe arthritis
  • Recovering from an operation or cancer treatment

Dependency also can develop from a response to the drug. For example, if you experience increased energy when you take opiates, you might become dependent on them for that sensation.

In today’s world of increasingly advanced technology and medical science, it can be easy to forget that not all doctors are as reliable or trustworthy as we might hope. At the same time, most physicians are reputable and well-trained experts dedicated to helping their patients, but some so-called “gypsy doctors” lack proper licensing, insurance, or professional affiliations. These doctors operate without fear of censure or consequence, freely misleading patients to earn a more significant profit.

While it is tempting to believe that such unscrupulous behavior is rare in the medical field, sadly, this is simply not the case. These gypsy doctors take advantage of vulnerable individuals seeking help for their health, from routine checkups and general care to highly specialized procedures and operations. To protect ourselves from these dishonest actors masquerading as medical professionals, we must stay informed about the warning signs that can distinguish legitimate doctors from scam artists.

When choosing a treatment center, we highly recommend checking licenses, certifications, and long-term reputation in the U.S.; without these items, there are more opportunities for false hope, leading to disappointment, financial loss, and bodily harm.

Waismann Method is considered the most thorough and safe sedation detox available worldwide.

First, your physician prescribed a painkiller to help you manage the pain. Then, weeks or months after the initial injury has healed, you still take opioid painkillers like Vicodin, OxyContin, or Percocet. If you develop a tolerance to the drug, you might even start taking a higher dosage than you took when you first were prescribed the medication.

The drug meant to help you now hurts you. In addition to your pain from the initial injury or a fear of medical treatment for drug dependence, you now experience the painful discomfort of withdrawal. Also, your pain has not eased but intensified. We see patients who had a level 2 or 3 pain, but after one year using painkillers, it jumped to level 8 or 9.

Prescription Painkiller Addiction Treatment Starts With Knowing You Are Not Alone

Approximately 75% of our patients suffer from a dependency or addiction to painkillers like OxyContin, Percocet and hydrocodone. We recognize that patients became physically dependent on prescription painkillers or other opiates through no fault of their own. Therefore, we help change the painkiller addiction story. This chemical imbalance requires expert medical treatment in a safe, humane and effective environment.

Waismann Treatment™ has a nearly 100% success rate for painkiller detox.

Are you ready to be free? Call us today. Let us help you get where you want to be. We provide private rooms, exceptional care and better outcomes.

Pain Management Traps

Prescription drugs that contain opiates activate the brain’s reward center. It is very likely that, after continuous use, a person will develop a physical dependence and tolerance. When treatment for dependence is immediate and effective, addiction issues can be prevented.

The Underlying Problem with Painkillers

Some pain management specialists indiscriminately prescribe painkillers. Focused on eliminating pain, physicians can overlook the long-term consequences of painkiller addiction and dependence.

Facts Behind Prescription Painkiller Addiction

  • Prescription drug misuse often causes serious medical consequences.
  • Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids are at the highest level in history.
  • In 2017, an estimated 18 million people in the U.S. misused prescription drugs at least once during the past year.
  • Nearly 25% of patients who use prescription opioids abuse them.
  • In 2017, more than 47,000 Americans died of an opioid overdose.

Physical Dependence vs. Addiction

It is incredibly important to understand the difference between dependence and addiction. A person can have a physical dependence on prescription opioids without ever becoming addicted to them. Also, a capable physician can reverse opioid dependence in a matter of days.

Physical dependence is the body’s response to continuous opioid use, including ways in which the body changes because of that drug use. People who are physically dependent on and tolerant to a particular medication will likely experience withdrawal symptoms when decreasing or abruptly stopping use.

Once the physical dependence sets in, a dysregulation in the brain reward circuitry occurs. This dysregulation can cause great difficulty in controlling impulses, which can lead to self-harm. For that reason, loved ones should use compassion and understanding when helping someone suffering from opioid abuse. In most cases, people who are suffering from addiction will compulsively seek and use drugs, regardless of the significant harm it may cause in their lives.

Treatment for Prescription Painkiller Addiction

Waismann Method® offers highly successful medically assisted painkiller detox treatment. Although the Waismann Method® is world renowned for its rapid detox program, that is just one of the many protocols available. The treatment goal is to get each patient opioid-free as fast, comfortably and as safe as possible. The Waismann Treatment™ reverses opiate dependence so patients don’t have to further suffer the unnecessary consequences of addiction. Furthermore, patients can immediately start a naltrexone or Vivitrol therapy (both non-addictive drugs) to eliminate cravings that often accompany traditional prescription painkiller detox treatments. The Waismann Treatment™ has been clinically proven to be highly effective for a range of opiate drugs, including but not limited to: For people struggling with prescription painkiller dependency, Waismann Method® offers treatments that have gained national and international attention for their excellent medical services and superior results.

Rapid Detox for Prescription Opioids

Waismann Method®’s rapid opiate detoxification is a safe and effective medical procedure that rids the body of opiates while the patient remains comfortable in a sedation-induced “twilight sleep.” After detox symptoms have been addressed and medically managed at a full-service accredited hospital, patients are supervised at our exclusive recovery retreat, where they can regain physical and emotional stability to return to their lives opiate free.

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