If you’ve ever wondered about treatments for opioid addiction, you might have come across a medication called Suboxone. But what is Suboxone, and how does it help individuals battling addiction? In this simple guide, we’ll look into the basics of the drug, stripping away the medical jargon to give you a clear understanding. Imagine Suboxone as a helper that holds the hand of someone trying to walk away from opioid addiction, guiding them towards a path of recovery. Stick around as we explore how Suboxone works, its components, and why it’s a beacon of hope for many. Continue reading →
Everyone has different needs when it comes to treating alcohol use disorder, a condition that can be diagnosed when your pattern of alcohol use is problematic and causes significant distress. It can range from mild to severe, depending on how many symptoms you have. The care you’ll need depends in part on where you fall in that range. However, when attempted alone, alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening. In the minds of many, the first step in breaking free from drug or alcohol addiction is to stop using whatever substance one has been abusing.
However, it’s not always that simple. In some cases, when an adult has been using certain substances in high quantities or for such a long period of time that they no longer have control over their usage, there needs to be a more hands-on process. This is where medical detox may be the best course of action to help them begin their recovery journey. Learn more about whether you can safely detox at home or should seek help from a medical professional.
What Does it Mean to Detox?
Detoxification, or detox, is the process of letting the body remove the drugs in it. The purpose of detox is to safely manage withdrawal symptoms when someone stops taking drugs or alcohol.
Everyone has a different experience with detox. The type of drug and how long it was used affect what detox will be like.
For many people, one of the biggest fears associated with addiction treatment is the fear of going through withdrawal. Giving up drugs or alcohol after a long period of heavy use can lead to uncomfortable symptoms, and without knowing what those symptoms are or how to handle them, the whole idea can be intimidating. The anticipation of withdrawal can be enough to derail a person’s motivation to enter rehab and attempt getting sober. Medical detox involves using medication and medical support to bring a drug or alcohol-dependent person to a non-dependent state. The person will receive specific medications so they are less likely to experience the severe side effects of withdrawal.
What Happens During an Assisted Medical Detox?
Medical assessment
The first step in a medically assisted detox is for patients to have a thorough medical assessment in order to build an accurate picture of their individual needs. During this assessment, an expert will gather information on a patient’s medical history and details about their addiction, and use this to develop a personalized detox plan.
Withdrawal
When the amount of alcohol/drugs in a patient’s system is gradually reduced, they will typically begin to experience withdrawal symptoms. The type of withdrawal symptoms that are experienced, as well as how severe these are, depending on how long a person has been addicted to alcohol or drugs, the type of substance that they are addicted to, how much they have been consuming, and their general mental and physical health.
It is important to understand that each person experiences detox in a unique way, and each new detox is entirely different, regardless of whether someone has gone through detox previously.
Withdrawal can result in a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms.
Medication
In order to help patients to cope with withdrawal, they will be given appropriately controlled medication as part of the detox process. There is no medication that prevents all withdrawal symptoms, but some types of medication can help to ease anxiety and depression, enable sufficient sleep, and counteract as many other problems as possible.
Around the clock support
Research has shown that supportive and compassionate care is just as important as medication in enabling successful detox and the best possible outcomes for patients. Therefore, each person going through detox will be carefully monitored, 24 hours a day, for the duration of the process.
When Is Medical Detox Needed?
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) advises inpatient detox for withdrawal from sedatives such as benzodiazepines (e.g., Valium, Xanax) and from alcohol. Withdrawal from alcohol and benzos can result in severe anxiety, agitation, and seizures. Supervised medical detox can provide the safest environment for you if you’re anticipating withdrawal from these drug types.
SAMHSA also recommends inpatient medical detox for opioid withdrawal, which may have relatively less acutely dangerous health risks but can make you very sick and can result in some complications such as dehydration.
Given the inherently higher intensity of care that comes with supervised medical detoxification, such a setting may be additionally beneficial for you if you:
Have a co-occurring mental health disorder.
Have a comorbid medical condition.
Are pregnant.
Have had multiple and/or severe withdrawal experiences in the past, especially if each withdrawal attempt has been worse than the previous one.
Have been abusing multiple substances.
How Medication-Assisted Treatment Works
There is a stigma behind helping recovering addicts reach sobriety with the assistance of medications. However, our goal is to break this stigma. Because opioids are such addictive drugs, they require more intensive treatments when you’re going through drug rehab. Other substances are often needed to lessen the severity of the withdrawal symptoms and the long-term effects opioid abuse has caused. This is where MAT comes in.
We use two FDA-approved medications to treat opioid abuse: naltrexone and buprenorphine. Our licensed staff prescribes and administers these in small doses. We allow all three to be trialed in order to find which one works the best for each patient. We will only use MAT for the necessary duration to help an individual reach a point where they no longer need medication.
Requiring medication-assisted treatment in West Virginia is not something anyone should be ashamed of. We want more people to understand that. By using medications to manage the effects of opioids, our patients at Harmony Ridge have a better chance of being able to focus solely on their recovery.
Types of Medication for Assisted Detox
Naltrexone for Medical Detox
Naltrexone helps patients cope with the effects of opioid withdrawal. Used in a pill or injection form, it blocks out the euphoric high that comes along with the type of drugs the patient has been abusing. The naltrexone also cuts down the urge to use that many recovering addicts face during treatment.
Like any other medication, it comes with some possible side effects, which can include:
Headaches
Muscle weakness
Vomiting
Trouble sleeping
Because it can cause liver damage with excess use, it will be closely administered by our medical professionals.
Buprenorphine for Medical Detox
Buprenorphine is the first medication medical staff uses to treat opioid addiction, and it can be prescribed by any doctor’s office. Other medications can only be given out by certified clinics like ours. Buprenorphine is usually available in pill form, and it alleviates the side effects of opioid withdrawal. Buprenorphine also decreases cravings that come along with the drug abuse treatment process.
Although it has the potential to be abused itself, it is sometimes mixed with naltrexone to decrease this potential. It has uncomfortable side effects that can come along with use that can include:
Fever
Constipation
Trouble staying awake
Vomiting
Irritability
Is A Medication-Assisted Program Right For Me?
While no one can make this decision for you, and ultimately the need for medications is determined by our qualified medical staff, we highly suggest considering all facets of a medication-assisted treatment program.
You should understand how it works and what it offers to see if our MAT program matches your needs. Some questions you can ask yourself are:
Do you have trouble maintaining your sobriety in abstinence-based treatment programs?
Do you commonly relapse upon treatment completion or while in treatment?
Do you want to be able to stay clean with the assistance of craving-reducing medications while working on your long-term goal of obtaining and maintaining long-term, total abstinence?
Are you willing to take medications as prescribed and for their sole purpose of helping you maintain your sobriety during treatment?
How Harmony Ridge Can Help with Medical Detox
Medication-assisted treatments can be overwhelming to think about due to the risk of the medication used becoming addictive. We are here to help you understand that, if done correctly, MAT is an amazing way to help cope with addiction. Our staff is highly trained and certified to provide the care necessary to include MAT in our treatment programs.
If you or someone you know has fallen victim to substance addiction, we are here to provide you with helpful information. In order to obtain your normal life back, it is more than likely you will need some form of substance abuse treatment. Please contact us today, and we will help you start your journey to recovery.
The landscape of mental health care is evolving rapidly, with more and more people looking beyond the usual therapy and medication. They’re turning to a range of different treatments, each with its unique benefits. One such emerging therapy catching attention is ketamine therapy in WV. It’s quite a shift from its initial role in anesthesia to a potential player in mental health care. However, it’s vital to also talk about the addiction risks with ketamine. Misusing it can have severe repercussions. That’s why a clear understanding of addiction treatment is so critical in this context. We need to make sure we’re seeing the full picture when it comes to using ketamine as a therapy option. Continue reading →
Medical drug detox is a crucial first step in the journey to recovery for individuals struggling with substance abuse. At Harmony Ridge Recovery, their commitment to providing effective medical detox programs is evident, offering a supportive environment for individuals to safely withdraw from substances and begin their path to recovery.
Consider the side effects before mixing Lexapro and Trazodone.
What is Medical Drug Detox?
Medical drug detox is a supervised and structured process designed to help individuals safely and comfortably withdraw from substances, such as drugs or alcohol, under the care of medical professionals. This crucial step is often the starting point for individuals seeking recovery, helping to manage withdrawal symptoms and ensure a safe transition to the next phase of treatment.
When is Medical Detox Necessary?
Medical detox is necessary when an individual’s dependence on a substance has reached a point where abrupt cessation could lead to severe withdrawal symptoms or potential health risks. Harmony Ridge emphasizes the importance of a personalized approach, determining the need for medical detox based on the specific substance abused, the duration of use, and the individual’s overall health.
Substances that Require Medical Detox:
Certain substances pose a higher risk of severe withdrawal symptoms and complications, necessitating medical detox. Harmony Ridge highlights substances such as alcohol, benzodiazepines, opioids, and other highly addictive drugs as examples that often require medical supervision during the detox process.
Alcohol:When consumed, alcohol inhibits the activity of the central nervous system, which has control over automated body functions like heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, stress responses, and motor movements. Withdrawing from alcohol causes a rise in body temperature, blood pressure, anxiety, tremors, and heart rate along with other symptoms of withdrawal.
Benzodiazepines:Also known as benzos, these drugs are sedative medications used to treat anxiety and, in some cases, seizures. Benzos have a similar chemical effect on the body and the brain as alcohol does. Furthermore, both benzos and alcohol cause similar withdrawal symptoms.
Opioids: Opioids are prescription medications that come from the poppy plant and are primarily prescribed to treat pain. Since opioids create the same effect on the body’s natural endorphins, taking them regularly will lead to a shut down of endorphins, which will make the body reliant on the effects of opioid use. Although opioid withdrawal is not fatal on its own, withdrawal from opioid symptoms can be extremely uncomfortable.
Prescription Drugs: Many prescription medications are misused purposely to feel relief from stress or the effects of a high. In addition to opioids and benzos, prescription drugs like sleeping medications, gabapentin, and muscle relaxers can also be abused. Each different prescription drug will have a relatively unique withdrawal effect.
Stimulants: Some more popular street drug stimulates are methamphetamine, MDMA, and cocaine. Although stimulants won’t produce life-threatening withdrawal symptoms, most stimulant users will become severely depressed once usage has stopped.
Synthetic Drugs: The most popular and fatal synthetic drug is the prescription opioid fentanyl, which also creates significant withdrawal symptoms that medical drug detox can successfully handle.
Expectations of Medical Drug Detox:
During medical drug detox, individuals can expect a supportive and compassionate environment where their physical and emotional well-being is a top priority. The process involves a thorough assessment of the individual’s health, development of a personalized detox plan, and ongoing monitoring to address any emerging issues promptly.
Medications Used During Detox:
To alleviate withdrawal symptoms and ensure a smoother detoxification process, medical professionals may use medications tailored to the individual’s needs. These medications can help manage cravings, reduce discomfort, and mitigate the risk of complications, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the detoxification process.
Length of Medical Detox Process:
The duration of medical detox varies depending on factors such as the substance of abuse, the individual’s overall health, and the severity of withdrawal symptoms. Harmony Ridge acknowledges the importance of individualized care and adjusts the length of the detox process accordingly to ensure a thorough and effective experience.
Safety of Medical Detox vs. Detox at Home:
Harmony Ridge emphasizes the significant difference between medical detox under professional supervision and attempting detox at home. Medical detox provides a secure environment with trained staff who can address unforeseen complications, ensuring the safety and well-being of the individual throughout the process.
For most substances, the withdrawal process will cause fluctuation in a person’s blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature. Thus, physicians and medical staff will closely monitor the vital signs of individuals during supervised detox.
Experienced physicians and addiction treatment specialists must oversee medical detox. The location of medically supervised detox must be in detox centers or addiction treatment centers with a medical detox area.
Physicians and medical staff will provide medical drug detox patients with round-the-clock medical supervision at detox centers. Physicians and medical staff will also administer prescription withdrawal medications. They will do so to the medical detox patients that need them at detox centers.
The purpose of prescription withdrawal medications is to ease the pain that comes from substance withdrawal during detox. The purpose of medical supervision is to make sure that every detox patient is taken care of if something goes medically wrong during detox.
Next Steps After Detox:
Completing medical detox is a critical milestone, but it is only the beginning of the recovery journey. Harmony Ridge emphasizes the importance of transitioning to further treatment, such as residential or outpatient programs, therapy, and support groups, to address the underlying issues contributing to substance abuse and build a foundation for lasting recovery.
Medical Detox Programs at Harmony Ridge:
Harmony Ridge offers comprehensive medical detox programs, combining medical expertise with a compassionate and supportive environment. Their programs are designed to meet the unique needs of each individual, fostering a sense of empowerment and motivation as they take the first steps towards recovery.
Reach Out For Help:
Harmony Ridge encourages individuals and their loved ones to reach out for help. The journey to recovery begins with a simple step – acknowledging the need for support. The compassionate and experienced team at Harmony Ridge is ready to guide individuals through the process of medical drug detox and beyond.
Medical drug detox is a vital component of the recovery process, providing individuals with a safe and supportive environment to overcome the challenges of withdrawal. Harmony Ridge’s commitment to personalized care and evidence-based practices ensures that individuals receive the attention and assistance they need to embark on a successful journey to recovery. By understanding the significance of medical detox and taking the next steps toward comprehensive treatment, individuals can reclaim their lives and build a foundation for lasting sobriety.
Finding the right medication when dealing with mental health issues can be a delicate balancing act. Many individuals are prescribed medications like Lexapro and Trazodone to manage various mental health conditions. While these medications can be effective on their own, it’s crucial to tread carefully when considering their combination. In this blog post, Harmony Ridge Recovery Center will explore the potential risks associated with mixing Lexapro and Trazodone. It’s important to approach this topic with an open mind, as everyone’s response to medication can vary. Continue reading →
Embarking on the journey of recovery from opioid addiction can be challenging, but taking the right steps toward a healthier life is crucial. In Parkersburg, where support and understanding play key roles, choosing the right medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is an important decision. Two commonly prescribed options are Methadone and Buprenorphine, each with its unique benefits and considerations. We’ll break down Methadone and Buprenorphine, explaining what makes each of them special to help individuals and their families understand medication-assisted treatment options in Parkersburg. Continue reading →
Ritalin serves a useful purpose as a medication prescribed to help people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It improves focus and reduces impulsivity. When used as directed, it can be beneficial. However, its stimulant effects lead to misuse among adults, which raises concerns. Harmony Ridge Recovery Center will explore the connection between Ritalin and adult substance use in West Virginia, the reasons people misuse it, and how we can treat this issue. Continue reading →
Dual diagnosis is tricky and requires a careful approach to design the right addiction treatment plan. One possible solution is methadone, a medicine often used for treating opioid addiction. People with dual diagnosis face additional difficulties because they’re not only dealing with addiction but also with mental health problems. We’re going to talk about how methadone can help in dual diagnosis cases. Continue reading →
What is a speedball? It is a combination of drugs that gives a special kind of feeling – high energy and deep relaxation at once. However, doing this is risky and can lead to addiction and serious health issues, which have to be addressed at reputable rehabs in WV. Harmony Ridge Recovery Center will explore the dangers and risks of speedball and the importance of seeking professional help for treating substance abuse disorder. Continue reading →
Dealing with chronic pain means that every day brings a new set of challenges. For those grappling with persistent discomfort, finding an effective and sustainable solution becomes paramount. In the realm of chronic pain management, one option that has gained attention is methadone. But what exactly is methadone, and how does it fit into the complex landscape of alleviating long-term discomfort? As one of the most experienced addiction treatment centers in West Virginia, we’ll delve into the world of methadone and chronic pain management and shed light on its potential benefits and considerations. Continue reading →
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