Opioids are a powerful pain medication often necessary for serious injury, surgery, or other painful conditions. Today, doctors are working to prescribe medications that are less addictive, but they still need to prescribe opioids in some cases. For a fraction of those who take the medication as prescribed, and for those who use these substances illicitly, addiction can develop. When it does, it is challenging to overcome without help.
Why Opioid Addiction is So Challenging to Overcome
Those without an addiction may not understand the power that opioids can have over your health and well-being. Opioids interact with the opioid receptors in the brain and body. In doing so, they help to turn off the feeling of pain. Your brain doesn’t perceive pain in the same way. When a person has an acute condition, like intense pain after surgery, this is a very effective way of reducing those pain sensations.
Opioids can also create a feeling of euphoria, or a high, where a person may feel less pain but also feel less stressed, happier, and simply relaxed. It is that sense of euphoria that is worrisome. It triggers the pleasure center of the brain, the area where your brain learns what feels good so it can seek out that feeling multiple times. Your brain is programmed to do this – to constantly find the things that feel good or bring joy. Opioids quickly fill that gap, and as a result, your body and brain begin to demand them.
The demand can be so strong that it can feel impossible to stop using these substances even if you know there are negative consequences to using them. You simply cannot stop craving them, and if you stop using them, you feel intense withdrawal symptoms.
Fortunately, it is possible to break an opioid addiction. To do so, you need a stable environment, the right treatment tools and methods, and a team of professionals who can help you through the difficult periods. Those who develop a substance use disorder benefit from professional care.
Let’s also be clear on what’s at stake. Without treatment, a person is at a high risk for health complications and overdose. Your brain will demand more of the substance until it’s simply too much for your body to handle. The reality is that 80,411 people in the U.S. died in 2021 from opioid-related overdoses, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
How Do You Know You Need Opioid Addiction Treatment?
Many factors contribute to the need for opioid addiction treatment. If you have any of the following signs of addiction, it’s time to reach out to a professional team like our drug addiction treatment specialists in Chester, VA, for help.
- The amount of the drug needed to calm cravings has increased. It takes more to get any relief.
- You have cravings when you do not have access to the drug for even a short period of time.
- You recognize the negative consequences of continued use but feel like you have to use opioids anyway.
- Your thoughts become focused on when you can have your next dose. It takes over your attention.
- It has become more difficult than ever to meet your obligations at home or at work.
- People have told you that you are using too much of the substance or questioned your well-being.
- You don’t feel well or capable of getting through the day without access to these substances.
How are opioids impacting your life? You may not have any idea what is occurring or why. You may even feel as though opioids are something you just need to have because you have pain. Yet, consistent use of them is worrisome, and it’s something to take action on now.
Why Professional Opioid Addiction Treatment is a Viable Option
When you enter into treatment, the first step will be to help your brain stop demanding access to opioids. To do that, you’ll go through a short-term medical detox. While many people worry about detox, it can be a positive experience and one that allows you to move closer to being the more authentic version of yourself. During this time, you’re fully supported while your body works to remove the toxin from your system.
You then move into residential treatment in Chester. This process takes time and allows you to build your confidence and health over a period of a few weeks. It empowers you to learn what happened, why addiction forms, and healthy ways to deal with the stress and pain. Most importantly, it gives you the tools you need to live opioid-free.
Learn More About Our Opioid Addiction Treatment Programs in Chester, VA
We offer a wide range of treatment programs for addiction, including a prescription medication track and a heroin treatment program. If you are struggling with addiction, contact Iron Bridge Recovery Center now. We’re here to help you.
