Understanding Opiate Addiction Symptoms Can Save Your Life

It’s not easy to overcome opiate addiction symptoms – in fact, many experts believe that opiate addiction is one of the most difficult forms of addiction to treat because the symptoms are so powerful.

Opiate maintenance therapy can help ease withdrawal symptoms for the recovering opiate addict, but Suboxone or Subutex alone can’t resolve the underlying issues behind opiate addiction. In order to truly from opiate addiction symptoms, you’re going to need drug abuse counseling. Counseling can help to resolve the underlying psychological and emotional problems that led to your addiction, and it can help you develop the coping mechanisms you need to stay clean for the long run, repair your relationships and rebuild your life.

Opiate Addiction Isn’t Just Physical

If you’re just entering treatment for your opiate addiction symptoms, or if you’re still considering getting help, you could be forgiven for thinking that the symptoms of opiate addiction are largely physical. It’s true that opiate drugs like heroin, methadone and hydrocodone cause a powerful physical addiction that can precipitate a painful withdrawal syndrome. However, treating addiction to opiate drugs must go much further than merely treating the physical dependence.

After the physical dependence on opiate drugs is broken, recovering addicts still must face the psychological symptoms of opiate addiction. Especially in the early days of recovery, recovering addicts don’t know how to cope with stress in normal, healthy ways. Plus, since it can take months or years for the brain to fully heal from the effects of opiate addiction, recovering addicts will continue to struggle with powerful cravings brought on by environmental cues or exposure to people with whom they used to use drugs, or people who still use drugs.

Without proper counseling, recovering addicts will feel consumed by drug cravings and urges to return to use. Eventually, they’ll break down and go back to using drugs. While there’s no single type of counseling that’s right for every recovering opiate addict, there are several psychotherapy methods that have been found to be effective. You may need more than one type of counseling, depending on your individual needs.

Group Therapy for Opiate Addiction Symptoms

Group therapy and recovery support groups, like 12-Step groups, are considered an excellent counseling option for recovering addicts of all kinds. In group therapy, you’ll have the chance to build social skills and break free from the sense of isolation that many addicts struggle with. You’ll learn that you’re not the only one facing the struggles of recovery from opiate addiction. You’ll benefit from the emotional support of your peers, and learn from their insights and experience. You’ll also be able to start building a sober social support network – making new friends who support your recovery and won’t expose you to the temptation to use drugs is a crucial part of recovering from opiate addiction.

Individual Therapy for Opiate Addiction Symptoms

Though group therapy is highly recommended for recovering addicts of all types, you may also benefit from individual therapy. If you have a dual diagnosis – another mental disorder besides your substance abuse disorder – you will need individual therapy for that condition. You can’t recover from opiate addiction unless you also have adequate treatment for your concurrent mental health disorder. However, there are other forms of individual counseling that are considered beneficial for addiction.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Opiate Addiction Symptoms

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is an effective form of therapy for treating many different disorders, including substance abuse disorders, anxiety and depression. CBT can help you learn to recognize the moods, thoughts and situations that most often trigger your substance abuse. Once you learn to recognize these triggers, CBT can help you learn to avoid them by replacing negative, unrealistic thoughts with healthier, more realistic ones. This is a valuable skills that can help you avoid addiction relapse and maintain your mental health for the rest of your life.

Family Therapy for Opiate Addiction Symptoms

Healthy relationships with family and friends can help you succeed in drug treatment and protect you from relapse. Family therapy is also helpful for your loved ones, because addiction affects the whole family. Through therapy, your family members can heal from the damage your substance abuse has caused in their own lives. Including your family in your treatment plan can help you stay in treatment, and motivate you to stay committed to your recovery over the long term.

If you or someone close to you needs help for opiate addiction, we’re here for you. Call the Delray Center for Healing today at 888-699-5679.