Long term drug rehab programs geared towards addiction to prescription painkillers can assist those who are addicted to street-side prescription pain medications. Unfortunately, prescription drug addictions do seem to be much longer term addictions than those who are going through an addiction to heroin or methamphetamines.
The reason for this is that people with a prescription pain medication addiction tend to suffer from a variety of physical side effects that can include but are not limited to: intense nausea, vomiting, increased heart rate, and diarrhea. These symptoms are usually brought on by the high levels of opiates that the user is regularly ingesting. Many times these opiates do not have an opiate-like effect on the body at all, and instead create opiate tolerance.
Because many long term opiate addiction treatment centers do not offer detoxification services, those seeking to enter these facilities must detox prior to being treated. In detoxification, the individual will be put into a medically supervised detoxification facility under medical supervision to ensure that the person’s body can maintain sobriety and can be safely returned to normal health later on.
Those who successfully completed detoxification in a treatment center may then be given a follow up visit to detox in the facility itself. This visit is typically a one-day event where the individual will be monitored throughout the procedure and given recovery instructions. The detox facility should provide both support and information to help a recovering addict maintain sobriety. Staff should also offer referrals to local agencies and social service programs that are designed to help prevent relapse and offer aftercare programs and support systems for family and friends who have been adversely impacted by an addiction.
Drug rehab in the United States has come a long way from what it was a generation or two ago. Today there are a number of treatment options available to those addicted to prescription medications. The types of medications include methadone, buprenorphine, and newer types of medications used to treat addiction to cocaine and heroin.
If an individual cannot get a prescription from a doctor to supply them with an opioid to take, they can turn to purchasing illegal street drugs and using them as a source of a regular dose of medication. For example, the street name for a popular narcotic is speed, which is also known as “uppers.”
Illegal drug paraphernalia can contain amounts of ephedrine, which is often mixed with ethanol to produce a more powerful kick. Accidental ingestion of speed can result in severe poisoning, which can cause kidney failure, breathing complications, and even death. Because there are no prescription processes for buying the drugs, most individuals who buy speed do so illegally and are subject to arrest.
There is hope for those struggling with an addiction to alcohol or a substance, as more faith based recovery programs for these afflictions are being developed. One such program, called Alcoholics Anonymous, has helped to form several twelve-step groups across the country, which provide individuals with resources for overcoming alcoholism. Another program, called Narcotics Anonymous, has successfully helped to reduce the number of people with drug problems through its acceptance of certain forms of treatment.
