Oxycontin Addiction And Fentanyl Addiction Treatments

1. Oxycontin Addiction And Fentanyl Addiction Treatments

2. Synopsis 1. 2. 3. OxyContin Addiction OxyContin Abuse Is Becoming More Common Than Ever How to Identify If Your Loved One Has Developed Oxycontin Addiction Steps Taken During the Initial Stage of Treatment for Oxycontin Addiction What You May Expect From a Rehab for the Treatment of Oxycontin Addiction Fentanyl Addiction – How Does It Happen? Fentanyl Addicts Require More Than a Hospital Options for Fentanyl Detox in Fentanyl Addiction Treatment Treatment for Fentanyl Addiction 10. How Counselling and Behaviour Modification Helps In Curing the Desire for Drugs 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

3. OxyContin Addiction OxyContin is an exclusive formulation of the highly potential opioid analgesic, “oxycodone”. It is recommended to manage conditions associated with medium to intense pain. When used as per the directions, it is an effective and harmlessmedicine and has been proven to behelpful for a large number of individuals with concerns related to pain management. However, a lot of individuals misuse OxyContin in order to obtain a sense of pleasure, a practice, which is proven to behazardous and even fatal. Abuse of the OxyContin pills such as ingesting a large number of pills at the same time, or grinding them toinhale or take through injectionprompts muchpowerful effect as well as increases the possibility of further complications related to the OxyContin addiction. In addition to that, individuals who misuse prescription analgesics are at an increased risk for concurrent or eventual addiction to heroin for the reason thatboth drugs have similar effects. Individuals having an addiction towards opioid painkillers such as OxyContin are more likely to get addicted to heroin too. This may happen due to the fact that heroin in more conveniently available and costs less as compared to opioid analgesics. Adolescents are specifically at the increased risk to develop OxyContin addiction, for the reason that pills are usually easily available in their own homes or can be obtained by friends. A number of OxyContin pills are diverted from those with valid prescriptions, thereforeteenagers can get their hands on the drug in a comparatively convenient manner. In addition to that, a common misunderstanding that prescription opioids are harmless as compared to illegal drugs also leads to the increase ina number of adolescentswho are misusing analgesic medicines like OxyContin. • • •

4. OxyContin Abuse Is Becoming More Common Than Ever Drug abuse particularly addiction to OxyContin has become more common than ever due to a variety of reasons. A major reason is that OxyContin tablets are mostly low priced and can be obtained easily as compared to other recreational drugs such as heroin or cocaine. Another reason is that a large number of population is not accustomed to the hazards related with the misuse of prescription drugs and many people consider OxyContin as a harmless approach to get rid of stress or use them just for fun. According to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, more than 1 million of the population over the age of 12 have consumed OxyContin for a minimum one time for a reason other than medical treatment. It also has been reported that this drug has been gaining popularity among the students of high school and approximate 4 percent of senior students of the high school have admitted for misusing this drug minimum for one time during the year 2017. Similar to other opiates, OxyContin is highly addictive. OxyContin binds itself to the opioid receptors in the brain and prevents GABA from being released. GABA regulates the release of dopamine. Therefore, restricting the release go GABA means that there will be no stop valve for dopamine. This is the reason that user becomes addicted to OxyContin because dopamine is responsible for providing a pleasurable state of mind and reward sensations. That is why it forces the individual to carry on with the intake of the drug just to experience that state of mind again. • •

5. How to Identify If Your Loved One Has Developed Oxycontin Addiction • Any person suffering from OxyContin addiction may experience all, a few or none of the following symptoms: o Fatigue or Lethargy o Extreme drowsiness o Problems with concentration or memory o Dry mouth o Trouble in breathing o Appearance of being disoriented or confused o Weakness o Pupils that are distended o Loss of appetite and weight loss o Sweaty hands o Garbled speech o Severe itching

6. How to Identify If Your Loved One Has Developed Oxycontin Addiction Vomiting Sleep apnea Depression Lack of interest in activities that an individual enjoys previously Persistent interpersonal complications Ignoring important work, education, or domestic responsibilities Intermittent, episodic euphoria and boredom • Along with above mentioned physical symptoms, you may also observe following signs of suspicious behaviour in a person addicted to OxyContin: o Doctor shopping, which means that the addicted individual attempts to go to different doctors to get the prescription for their drugs. o They spend an unreasonable amount of time stressing about running out of the drugs. o They will go through their supplies much more frequently as compared to normal routine o They may experience conflicts in their relationships with their friends and family. o They may attempt to buy drugs through illegal means. o o o o o o o

7. Steps Taken During the Initial Stage of Treatment for Oxycontin Addiction OxyContin detox is practiced as the first step of the initial stage of treatment for OxyContin addiction. OxyContin detoxification is commonly referred to as detox. Detoxification is the method in which the body of the patientis cleaned of all drugs.This may result in withdrawal symptoms like flu that are uncomfortable but not usually life-threatening. This means that the symptoms of withdrawal are not usually dangerous, however, quitting the abuse of OxyContin under clinical administration can allow a patient to have a more comfortable detoxification process and also reduces the risk of relapse. Therefore, an OxyContin addict must not be afraid of beginning the process for OxyContin detoxification. While a few patients opt for outpatient rehabilitation program but most of the patients seeking help for OxyContin treatment need an inpatient rehabilitation program under the administration of qualified healthcare professionals. OxyContin detox is simply defined as the procedure that supports the patient in quitting the use of this drug. It initiates as soon as the OxyContin addict skips a pill and continues to do the same until all of the previous intakes of this drug is expelled from the body. When it comes to the treatment of the addiction of OxyContin, it is very important to look for an addiction treatment center, which also offers counseling and therapies once the OxyContin detox has been completed. It helps the OxyContin addict to understand the fundamental reason that compels you to start misuse of this drug. It also assists a recovering patient to develop healthy behaviors that promote sobriety. • • •

8. What You May Expect From a Rehab for the Treatment of Oxycontin Addiction • A usual day at rehab may include a range of following activities: o Individual therapy sessions o Group therapy sessions o Support groups o Psychiatric assessment o Distribution of psychiatric medications such as antidepressants o Learning about the effects of untreated addiction o Lessons about nutrition, exercise, and overall health o Swimming o Art therapy o Sauna therapy o Aromatherapy o Acupuncture o Journaling

9. Fentanyl Addiction – How Does It Happen? Fentanyl tends to release endorphins in a quicker and more intense manner as compared to other less powerful opiate and opioid painkillers such as hydrocodone or even heroin. The term endorphin is derived from “endogenous morphine.” It refers to the pain-relieving agent like morphine and properties of natural endorphins, which induces euphoria. In a situation where a person is treated with fentanyl, similar to other opioids, it forms a strong binding with specific receptors in their brain, which are responsible for the control of the feelings of pain in their body. It results in a sharp increase in the concentration of dopamine that makes the person under influence of fentanyl feel good and leads to a blast of euphoria after the intake of the drug. This is why fentanyl is more addictive and highly possible to cause extreme discomfort when withdrawn as compare to other opioids. The body becomes highly accustomed to the high levels of endorphins, which are released by the fentanyl, and the addicted person finds it impossible to function without fentanyl or similar agent that can release the similar amount of endorphins in his / her body. The brain tends to send distorted signals to the body because it becomes dependent on the increased levels of endorphins to transmit proper messages. When the ingestion of fentanyl is suddenly stopped, the release of high levels of endorphins in the body also stops. This situation makes recreational users of fentanyl to develop a physical addiction towards this drug. A major reason for fentanyl being highly addictive and hazardous is that the body and the brain rapidly develops a tolerance to the drug and the individual addicted to fentanyl needs to intake the drug in higher quantities to make the body produce the same level of endorphins. • •

10. Fentanyl Addicts Require More Than a Hospital As soon as a patient is no longer physically reliant on the use of fentanyl, then the focus of the inpatient fentanyl rehabilitation program moves to psychological and emotional rehabilitation. This supports train the patient to learn to discover healthy options to substitute the psychological requirement for the euphoria, induced by the use of fentanyl. Also at this stage, the atmosphere and background of a residential rehabilitation center further assist the patient to relax and focus on accomplishing a real sense of well-being with the help of healthy thoughts and activities. Outpatient treatment is based on the all-inclusive approach to fentanyl rehabilitation program, which was offered at the residential rehabilitation center. Patients can further improve the possibility for success during the outpatient treatment phase of rehabilitation for fentanyl addiction by getting all the essential or supportive counselling. Experts for handling drug addicts can support fentanyl addicts in the recovery phase to identify the basic problem leading to drug abuse along with its contributing factors in order to teach them the required skills to secure them from relapse. Some patients can also be encouraged to seek career counselling in case they are experiencing a dissatisfaction with their existing career and this frustration has been the major element, which directed them towards fentanyl abuse. Family therapy is also recommended and similar to group therapy, it can be a part of some residential rehabilitation programs. It is mostly suggested as the part of the stage of outpatient treatment of fentanyl rehabilitation program. • • •

11. Options for Fentanyl Detox in Fentanyl Addiction Treatment Fentanyl detox or fentanyl detoxification is used to handle the instant need for drugs, which occurs when a recreational user with a physical addiction abruptly quits the use of fentanyl. Because of the fact, the fentanyl is a comparatively strong drug, an abrupt discontinuation of its usage can result in discomforting side effects on the physical condition of the drug addict. This happens because of the decrease in endorphin levels resulting in confused signals from the brain to the body. Medicinal detoxification is helpful in reducing the intensity of these side effects. Fentanyl detox or fentanyl detoxification is the step followed in the initial stage of the treatment for fentanyl addiction. This step is administered in an agreeably selected residential recovery center, which combines comfortable facilities and a naturally appealing environment equipped with latest medical instruments and therapeutic techniques. This initial stage of Fentanyl detoxification for the treatment of fentanyl addiction in residential rehabilitation centers is administered by well- experienced specialists for addiction treatment. In a situation where clinical facilities are needed for fentanyl detoxification due to further health problems, it is always assured that complete measures are taken to make the patient physically comfortable and maintain a pleasant state of mind so that he/she can effectively go through the medical phase of the treatment and start concentrating on overcoming the basic problems that led towards fentanyl addiction. • •

12. Treatment for Fentanyl Addiction The biological and chemical mechanism of fentanyl that results in the relief from excruciating pain is also the same mechanism that becomes the reason for the abuse of this drug by the addicts. The clinical and recreational effects of fentanyl in addition with its capability of instigating withdrawal symptoms, which calls for the treatment for fentanyl addiction, are caused because of the fact that it acts as an agent for the release of endorphins. When the human body is under the influence of stress, endorphins provide with a comforting feeling of pleasure. For the reason that human body is not capable of producing sufficient level of endorphins on its own to deal with intense pain, fentanyl is used to activate a quick release of large amount of endorphins, which helps in getting rid of the pain. When it comes to the recreational use of fentanyl by addicts, there is no pain to cure. As a result, addicts experience a strong emotion of pleasure as soon as fentanyl penetrates into the bloodstream and reaches the brain. This condition is what addicts meant when they use the term, “getting high”. In the technical terms, such penetrating experience of joy and pleasure is identified as “euphoria”. •

13. How Counselling and Behaviour Modification Helps In Curing the Desire for Drugs Cognitive therapy is aimed at providing help to a fentanyl addict in the recovery phase with changing his/her thought patterns, which are associated with fentanyl abuse with improvement in the thinking process. It alters the previous intentions of the patient to avoid a persistent problem with the use of fentanyl and teaches the patient to identify the possibilities for handling these problems by facing them and using internal strength to come up with a positive solution instead of taking life-threatening escape with drug abuse. This results in making patient accept the fact that getting back to fentanyl use will make his/her problems even worse. Behavioural modification is another therapy, which is intended to substitute drugs misuse with healthy activities. In some cases, a patient turns to abuse of drugs such as fentanyl to experience the state of euphoria for the reason that there is an absence of any exciting activities, which can produce and maintain healthy levels of endorphins in the body. That is why most of the experts recommend physical activities to treat the addiction to fentanyl. Residential rehabilitation centers provide the patients with gym and sports training facilities and other recreational programs in order to assist patients to develop healthy habits. • •

14. The End For more details, please visit:  https://canadianaddictionrehab.ca/our- program/oxycontin-addiction/  https://canadianaddictionrehab.ca/our- program/fentanyl-addiction/