How to Safely Quit Taking Opiates

4 min read

The use of opiate painkillers is at an all-time high. Unfortunately, addiction to opiates is also at an all-time high. It is dangerous to try and quit opiates all at once without seeking the help of a professional treatment program. Below are a few of the facts surrounding opiate use, addiction, and recovery.

Is it safe to merely quit taking opiates?

Opiate addiction often begins with an innocent trip to the doctor or ER and being prescribed pain medication. The results can be devastating when using this medicine long-term. At some point, you will tip the scales of balance, and it becomes unsafe just to quit taking medicine abruptly. The feelings and symptoms experienced without the drug are excruciating for most.

Dependency and Addiction

Human bodies build up a tolerance to opiates at an alarmingly fast rate. Eventually, you will have to begin seeking illegal sources of opiates to satisfy the cravings and dependency created. Most turn to using heroin. Addiction to heroin is one the most difficult to break, but it is possible if done the right way. If you are unable to quit using opiates before a dependency develops, chances are it will turn into a full-blown addiction.

Severity of Withdrawal Symptoms

The withdrawal symptoms from opiates are considered brutal by most. What begins as an uplifting feeling by quitting opiates at home, can quickly turn into a nightmarish experience when withdrawal starts. Once the shakes, nausea, dizziness, and abdominal cramps start, it is difficult not to turn around and begin taking opiates again. This can become a cat-and-mouse game with unpleasant and dangerous results.

Why “Cold-Turkey” Is Dangerous

Opiates are such a strong narcotic that the shock to the system of suddenly being without expected amounts causes an onslaught of symptoms. You can go from feeling fine to debilitated within a few hours. The stress on the brain and heart can cause seizures and heart attacks. Getting clear of opiates should only be done when supervised by well-trained medical personnel that is familiar with the withdrawal process. Anything less places your health and life in jeopardy.

Signs You Are Addicted to Opiates

One of the first signs you are developing an opiate dependency or addiction is the strong uncomfortable feelings that accompany the lack of the drug. Becoming enraged for no reason and experiencing wild mood swings is another less-than-subtle hint. Another undeniable proof that you have developed an opiate addiction is by seeking the drug in any form on the streets. It is challenging to find painkillers for sale on the black market, but heroin is easy and cheap to purchase. It is the most significant cause of heroin addiction to date.

Heroin and Needle Safety

One of the biggest problems with heroin addiction beyond the effects of the actual drug is the frequency of users sharing needles. Hepatitis C and HIV get passed between people that use the same dirty needle. Other infections can enter the bloodstream and cause septic shock. It ends up shutting down the kidneys and often proves fatal. Many communities have instituted programs to make it safer for heroin addicts until they can seek treatment. Needle exchange programs are showing promise in reducing cases of communicable disease that passes through tainted needles.

Benefits of a Needle Exchange Program

Needle exchange programs allow any heroin addict to bring their used needles in and exchange them for clean, unused needles. A convenient Needle Exchange Directory will enable you to search your local area and find out the nearest needle exchange. It has decreased the number of people getting infected with some of these terrible and deadly diseases. It can buy a little time for an addict to seek safe treatment.

Safe Detox and Treatment

Ridding the body of opiates requires a safe detox process supervised in a medical setting. Experienced treatment centers understand the difficulties of opiate withdrawal and have ways to minimize the impact. A more comfortable withdrawal will help you stick with the treatment plan. You increase the odds of successful recovery exponentially.

Opiate Addiction and Relapse

The tendency to relapse is higher with opiates than nearly any other drug. You need to make sure that you choose a treatment program that will take the time and offer the support required to increase chances of recovery. Prepare for the full treatment to take months.

Contact specialists in opioid detox in Poway Califorani like Restore Detox Centers and discuss available treatment programs today!

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