If you have found yourself addicted to opioids, you are not alone, as it is estimated that misuse of prescription opioids and heroin affects more than 2 million Americans each year. We at Knoxville Recovery Center in Tennessee want you to understand the importance of quitting opioids as they account for more than half of all drug overdose deaths.
Getting clean should be your number one priority this year. Whether you have become addicted to opioids that were prescribed by your doctor, or if you have fallen into the trap of using heroin, we want you to understand that there is hope, and there is help. Now, let’s have an honest conversation about what to expect with detox and your treatment.
What to Expect During Opioid Detox
You may already know that when you stop or cut back on using opioids, you will experience unpleasant symptoms. This is your body beginning to go through withdrawals. Although you may feel uncomfortable, thankfully your symptoms will not be life-threatening.
You can expect the following symptoms to begin 12 hours after you last used opioids.
Emotionally, you may feel very agitated and anxious. Physically, you may experience symptoms such as muscle aches, a runny nose, sweating, and yawning. As your withdrawals progress, you may have abdominal cramping, diarrhea, dilated pupils, goosebumps, nausea, and vomiting.
Will I Be Free of Opioids After I Have Completed Detox?
Since going through opioid detox presents a challenging set of symptoms, you might assume that your reward is being free of opioids forever. However, life is often not that easy. The strong opioid cravings that you experience during your detox withdrawal period can often creep back in months or even years after your detox period is over.
Known as Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome or PAWS, this condition is marked by high levels of anxiety, mood swings, insomnia and a strong desire to use the drug that you worked so hard to give up. An estimated 90 percent of opioid users experience PAWS.
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How Opioid Addictions Are Treated
There are reasons why trying to detox at home is not the best way to go at it. First of all, when you are in a professional setting, there is no way that you can relapse and give into temptation. Another reason to get help from a detox center is that we help you stay as comfortable as possible during your withdrawals, thanks to medication-assisted treatment.
For example, methadone may be given to relieve your withdrawal symptoms and help with detoxing in general. It is often used long-term to keep individuals away from opioids.
Buprenorphine, also known as Subutex, is another medicine that may be given to shorten the length of detox. In some cases, it may also be prescribed for years.
Clonidine is another medication that is often utilized to help overcome agitation and anxiety. Although it doesn’t help with cravings, it also may help relieve some physical symptoms as well.
Knoxville Recovery Center — Opioid Rehab in Tennessee
Through our high level of experience, we at Knoxville Recovery Center truly understand what you are going through. It is only natural to seek reassurance that after going through detox, you are never going to want to use opioids again. We can’t promise you that. However, what we can assure you of is that we will always be here for you when you are experiencing drug cravings. We will provide you with medication to help you, and teach you skills to overcome your addiction long-term. It all starts with a phone call. Contact us today and get started on a new beginning.
