Overcoming Opioid Addiction in Lakewood

Health

Any type of addiction is hard to deal with and can be devastating to people and their loved ones. Although Coloradans are known for being physically healthy, many still experience addiction. It can seem easy to live in a beautiful, densely populated, peaceful town with high-functioning addiction, but it eventually takes its toll. When you’re ready, you need to know where to start to overcome your addiction.

Opioid addiction takes the form of abuse of prescription painkillers as well as illicit opiates such as heroin. There is a distinction between codependency and addiction. People who use prescription painkillers as directed use them only to manage their pain, while those who abuse them need to take higher doses as their tolerance increases. That fact and the withdrawal symptoms are why opioid addiction is hard to kick.  

Opioid Addiction in Lakewood

The combination of amazing scenery, commercialism, and friendly people make one wonder how or why anyone could develop an addiction in Lakewood. With a little thought, however, it becomes easier to understand: Drugs and alcohol are often used for recreation, so they seem like ways to have fun passing the time, relax from work, or deal with stress, whether alone or with friends. Sometimes, people use them to experiment and become addicted. But most of the time, it is vulnerable or high-risk people who become full-blown addicts. 

 

Although opioid addiction is a major problem in Lakewood, it is not uncommon for people to have a dual diagnosis. Many people engage in binge drinking and have alcohol as a primary addiction. The risks of an impaired central nervous system from the depressive effects of alcohol combined with opioid use are especially dangerous. 

 

Another problem with opioid addiction is the risk of people turning from prescription painkillers to street opiates like heroin. Many do doctor-shopping where they go from doctor to doctor to get more prescriptions, and when they fail, they resort to illicit drugs. The illicit drugs are more readily available and less costly than prescription painkillers on the street. (365petinsurance.com)  

 

Ironically enough, methadone can be another type of addiction. You can read more about methadone here. The synthetic opioid is prescribed to manage moderate to severe pain as well as treat the withdrawal effects of opiate addictions such as heroin. It has slower effects than stronger opioids. However, when people abuse it, they can become addicted. 

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Short-term use of methadone is meant as a tapering process for a harder opioid. It takes anywhere from three to six weeks. But like the addictive opioids, it gives a euphoric high when abused. Also, nobody should taper off methadone on their own. While they are getting professional instructions and supervision for methadone prescriptions, they need to get therapy at the same time for maximum effectiveness.

 

Issues That Make Addiction More Difficult

Mental health conditions often go hand-in-hand with addiction and make it more difficult to deal with and recover from. So does having a lower income, becoming addicted in youth, and other high-risk factors. A lack of health insurance or coverage for a specific facility is another. 

 

Starting the Journey to Overcoming Addiction

Settling on the right type of rehab for your addiction and any other issues is important for successful action towards your recovery and maintenance of it. Some people need to go to one type of rehab center and later transfer to another for further treatment. 

 

Choosing the right rehab center can be difficult because each individual needs unique services, which is why there are several Lakewood rehab centers available for you to choose from. Following are five questions to consider to help you decide on the type of rehab you need as well as the rehab center that is best for you:

 

  • Does the rehab center provide the services you need? Mental health issues, physical health conditions, and dual diagnoses require more specific care. 
  • Does your health insurance cover the services you need? Partial or total health insurance coverage is a major factor in choosing a rehab center. 
  • Do you like the rehab center setting? Consider the daily program, types of therapy available, short and long-term therapy, and the degree to which family involvement is encouraged. Ask about the staff certifications and whether a psychologist is available on-site.
  • Does the staff have the experience and availability you need? Some people need 24/7 or on-call staff even if they’re attending rehab as an outpatient.
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Steps for Overcoming Addiction

Overcoming addiction is a journey to change your future for the better. One of the first steps is acknowledging that you have a substance abuse problem. Some people claim they choose to use and can stop at any time when they actually cannot. The truth of the reality is sometimes the hardest part. However, there are several resources available for you in Lakewood. 

 

Another step toward overcoming addiction is to go into rehab. Some rehab centers are more flexible than others depending on your needs. 

 

Having a support network is not necessarily a step, but it is important for recovery. Because of the stigma associated with substance abuse, many substance abusers do not have a strong support network or do not want much or any family involvement in their recovery. It is possible to make friends at a rehab center, especially in group therapy. 

 

There are five stages of recovery that come from the stages of change or the transtheoretical model, which you can see here: https://www.cpe.vt.edu/gttc/presentations/8eStagesofChange.pdf. People can revert to an earlier stage at any time, especially without the right rehab. The stages are:

  • Precontemplation, also known as denial of the addiction or refusal to seek help.
  • Contemplation, or consideration of going through rehab.
  • Preparation, or taking proactive steps to be better and healthier. 
  • Action, which involves major changes and prolonged sobriety.
  • Maintenance, which involves long-term sobriety and major efforts to prevent relapse. 

After entering rehab, it is important to stay in the program or programs and remain sober for a period, which is part of the Action stage. Some people need to be sober for a longer period than others. The reason is due to the risk of relapsing. Although it is common to have multiple relapses on the way to full recovery, it takes willpower to be sober in the long term. That is the Maintenance stage. 

 

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