Detox

How To Get Over The Withdrawal From Opiates

A drug/alcohol-free lifestyle is the best life one can ever live. Nothing feels better than overcoming that nasty addiction and bringing your life back on track. A lot of bad things happen when living under the influence of drugs. If you are suffering from opiates abuse or addiction, learn how to get over the withdrawal from opiates.

During days of active addiction to opiates, all what you can think about is opiates recovery and sobriety. Why? Because the moment you realize that you are a victim of opiates addiction, you definitely know that your life is in a mess and things can get worse if you don’t find your way out of the addiction.

Understanding Opiates Addiction

Opiates, also preferred as opioids are derived from opium which is extracted from poppy plant. Opiates are natural or slightly modified opium like codeine, heroin and morphine while opiates are synthetic opiates like fentanyl and oxycontin. Yeas back, they were used as prescription drugs but today they are majorly used as recreational drugs.

Opiates are prescription pills that change the way your body responds to pain stimuli. Opiates also interfere with the functioning of your central nervous system and trigger the pleasure hormone. Opiates are highly addictive stimulants and most people today are using them as recreational drugs. They produce a sense of euphoria which can lead to a quick addiction.

If you are struggling with opiates addiction, achieving your dreams to overcome the addiction and feel much better is possible but withdrawal can be a tough process to endure. Just like most drugs/alcohol, once the body gets used to functioning under the influence of substance, it becomes difficult to operate without drugs.

So, for you to enjoy a successful withdrawal from opiates, understanding opiates addiction, signs, and symptoms of withdrawal, treatment and recovery is very essential. This is because, you are now going to fight opiates addiction from a point of knowledge and you’re going to be mentally and physically prepared to face the challenges of withdrawal as you head towards recovery.

How Do You Know That You Are Addicted To Opiates?

I don’t know how you got introduced into using opiates. It could be you got involved in a serious accident and the doctor prescribed strong painkillers like fentanyl, codeine, oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone or hydromorphone among others to treat your pain. When opiates are used as painkillers, many people develop tolerance meaning that you need more to get the similar effects.

So when you use opiates to relieve pain, with time you will be well and the pain will disappear. The problem now lies when you finish taking your dose and you start experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

I remember before I came to realize that I was addicted to opiates, I had suffered a bad ankle injury and when I was rushed to the health centre, I was given some strong painkillers. Every time I took my dose, I would feel so energetic and things were working better for me. I took the drugs for a while and I realized that the pain was over but I still had more drugs remaining.

I kept them aside and I was ready to continue with my life as usual. Some few hours after the last dose, I started feeling like something was going terribly wrong with me. I couldn’t figure out what was happening. And because I was feeling fully recovered, I didn’t see any need to continue using the drugs.

Before the day was over, I was experiencing nausea, dizziness, flu like colds and I could tell that I wasn’t alright. Something in me told me to do a research and see whether it’s the side effects of the drugs I was using. Well, I took my Smartphone and started searching online. To my shock, I discovered that the drugs I have been using were addictive and I felt confused since I couldn’t wish to let anyone know that I was suffering from opiates addiction. I didn’t want them to take me to rehab so I decided to not to tell anyone.

The only option remaining for me was to go back to the drawer and continue with my prescription as usual. At least I felt good. I felt like things are working well for me again. So, after finishing all the drugs I had remaining, I didn’t have a choice but to go look for more. Fortunately, I talked to a doctor who helped me get some more and life continues.

I used the drugs for years without letting anyone in my family know. Things weren’t getting any better. In fact, I started suffering from a severe addiction and this started affecting my health and life badly. This is the point where someone close to me realized that I was suffering from addiction.

The most terrible bit about it is that this time round I had stopped taking the drugs through oral administration. I would either snort the powder through the nasal canal or inject the drugs through to my body system. At times, when with my gang, I would smoke the drugs and at with time I started using a combination of drugs. I didn’t know how dangerous it was.

I had lost a lot of weight and I was looking so weakly. This is because I had lost appetite for food terribly. In fact, I preferred taking heroin instead of eating. When taking opiates, you don’t feel sleepy. In fact you may feel so energetic and you can handle a very strenuous task for hours without getting exhausted. So, you can imagine how exhausted I was. Going without food and sleep for a long time was the order of my life.

With time, anxiety and depression was all over me. I didn’t have time to rest or even thing about important things in life. I had lost interest in people. It was becoming hard for me to socialize or make friends. I almost preferred staying alone. I was feeling so overwhelmed. My moods were intolerably changing and I would get irritated too fast. In many incidences, I would overreact to a matter that is so tiny and I would even become violent.

That’s when my friend got me and talked to me. I was taken to my local rehab centre where I had a one-on-one talk with a very friendly and caring lady doctor who took me through intense counseling and later into opiates addiction treatment and the rest is history.

I discovered that with medicated drug detox, withdrawal becomes more tolerable, painless and even fast. That’s what happened to me. When it got tougher, I was given some prescription drugs to ease the pain and help me go through treatment and achieve my long-term goals for sobriety.

Signs of opiates addiction

  • your use of opioids increase over time
  • you experience withdrawal symptoms when not using drugs
  • the obsession makes you take higher doses than prescribed
  • instead of feelings of wellbeing, you experience negative consequences
  • drugs make you lose interest in other important things in life like family, career, relationships, work or so
  • All you can thing about is using the drugs and where to get more drugs
  • Your attempts to quit drugs are unsuccessful

If you are experiencing the above symptoms, you should know that you are suffering from opiates addiction and you need to find help. Talk to a professional doctor now to help you with a safe, fast and easy withdrawal from opiates.

Take your time and read more about how to get over the withdrawal from opiates. A lot of online resources are available to help you understand opiate addiction and how you can overcome the addiction and enjoy living the life that was meant for you.

You will read about experiences of those who were ahead of you and how they were able to overcome. You will also be able to know the tricks to avoid so that they don’t hinder your quest for drug cessation.

Opiates Addiction Treatment

If you are feeling desperate about your severe addiction to opiates, there’s no need to worry since treatment is available. Again, you should know that you are not alone in the fight about drug/alcohol addiction. Millions of people around the world are going through the same and a lot of them are able to overcome opiates addiction.

When it comes to drug addiction treatment, the choice of the right treatment option depends with your individual goals for drug cessation. Some people prefer home remedies for opiate withdrawal while others go for medicated withdrawal. I highly recommend medicated withdrawal.

Opiates withdrawal involves three key stages:-

Drug Detox

This is the stage that involves flushing out every drug traces in your body. Detoxification is one of the most intense stages that can easily result to a relapse if not handled properly. Withdrawal symptoms for opiates may not be life-threatening but they can be difficult for you to handle on your own. These symptoms are very intense in the first two to five days after the last dose. They can last for a week or month depending o the severity of your addiction. The peak of the withdrawal symptoms is between 3-5 days.

Because your body has developed dependency to opiates, it now starts demanding for the usual dose to function normally. When you go for hours without the drugs, now the real battle begins. Life starts becoming totally intolerable. A very intense craving and urge to take the drugs arises and because of the many bad effects you are experiencing, you feel like the only thing that you can do to save yourself out of the mess is to take more drugs. This is what we call a relapse. It means going back to drugs after a period of abstinence. Relapse is deadly and should be avoided at all cost. It is worse that when you were in the previous addiction. Chances for opiates overdose to experience the same effects are very high after a relapse.

The reason why I recommend medicated detox during withdrawal from opiates is because the doctor will be there to help you overcome the tough symptoms. When it gets so intense, medication is available to make it tolerable for you. When the cravings are so severe, the doctor will help you manage the situation. This is unlike when you are using home remedies for withdrawal from opiates. It is easier then to get into a relapse.

Opiates withdrawal symptoms

  • Runny nose
  • Teary eyes
  • Nausea / vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Abdominal cramping
  • Goose bumps
  • Profuse sweating
  • Irritability
  • Mood swings
  • Low energy
  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Intense cravings

Some of these symptoms, if went untreated can result to severe health complications or even death. For instance, if the vomiting and diarrhea goes untreated, it can result to dehydration which can lead to death.

Why Drug Rehab Is Good For You

Some times in life, it is always good to walk with people who are going through similar experiences with us. Finding the right treatment for opiate withdrawal from a rehab centre is good for you. It helps you overcome the feelings of guilt and shame. At least you will find a great relieve to know that you are not alone in it. You will meet others who are in critical condition and this gives you the motivation to know that your case isn’t even as critical as you thought.

With this, you will be able to interact with those who have made larger steps towards recovery and will encourage you to gain strength to overcome the tough stages of withdrawal. You will be able to share experiences and this boosts your determination to quit drugs.

Depending on the severity of your addiction, the doctor can advise to go for inpatient, outpatient or residential drug rehab. Inpatient rehab means that you will stay within the rehab centre until the time you gain stability. This is the best option for emergency visits or to individuals who are suffering from a severe addiction and they don’t have career or family responsibilities that may hinder them from staying in the rehab facility for a couple of days or weeks.

Opiates Overdose Is Deadly

Though not many individuals use overdose opiates willingly, many of them do it due to the desire to experience a high ‘high’.  Opiates overdose is dangerous. It can lead to sudden death even in the first incidence.

Rehabilitation Stage

After you are through with a successful drug detoxification, meaning that you are now stable and you can function without drugs, you proceed ahead to the rehabilitation stage. Gaining sobriety is a great thing that can ever happen to anyone who is struggling with addiction. But it is important you know that sobriety is not a one day event. It is a process. It is a journey with its full share of ups and downs. But it is achievable.

In the drug rehab stage, the addiction specialist now helps you evaluate your addiction case. This includes knowing what triggered the addiction and makes you understand the dangers of opiates addiction. He takes through a series of self-examination where you will be able to understand your position and the circumstances surrounding you. You will be able to know the mess that you are in and help you find a way out of the menace. It helps boost your awareness on drugs/alcohol and help you know what to do to avoid going back into your former habits.

Maintenance stage

As you now understand, sobriety is a journey. Before you are totally freed from the temptations to heed to the cravings that will keep creeping even months after drug cessation, it can take you up to one year or so. During maintenance stage, you will now be seeing your doctor on scheduled appointments. You will also be registered to support groups whereby you meet once a while and discuss your experiences with one another.

A relapse can occur even at this level. It doesn’t occur because you aren’t trying but it can happen to anyone. So don’t put blame on yourself if a relapse occurs. Take it positively and learn your lesson. If a relapse occurs, don’t give up the fight. Try again and again until you finally achieve your long awaited goals of living a drugs free lifestyle.

What’s My Role In Overcoming Opiates Addiction

Your family and doctors will do all they can to help you overcome that nasty addiction. The family will offer all the physical, emotional and financial support that you require during addiction treatment. Your doctors will do their best and use their skills to help you in every way. But, you also have a role to play.

The first thing is to overcome denial. Immediately you notice signs of opiates addiction, you should be willing to own up the mess and find help as soon as you can. If you realize these signs during the initial stages of the addiction, the better for you to find help. Don’t wait until the addiction becomes more severe because you are putting your life in a risk and again you are making treatment to be more complicated and expensive.

When you start addiction recovery treatment, be honest and tell your doctor the whole truth, even when it hurts. Remember the doctor trusts the information you give to find the right treatment option for you. Be patient with yourself even when it takes longer than you expected. At times it will force to use lots of your resources, but the results are worth it. Do not suffer in silence. Don’t let shame or guilt stop you from forging your way forward. Try as much as you can to avoid anything or anyone to hinder you from staying motivated to your recovery process.

When you are put in the support groups, be active and be open to share your experiences. This is the right channel for you to find help to make it through addiction recovery. With discipline, self-love and patience, you are guaranteed a successful recovery.

Drugs Free Lifestyle Is The Best Life For You

Are you sick and tired of living under the influence of drugs? Do you feel like it’s the time you bring your life back on track and make your dreams a reality? Are you feeling so ensnared by the sea of addiction and you don’t know how to go about it? Relax. We can help you find the right treatment option that works for your lifestyle.

If you want to know how to get over the withdrawal from opiates, I know this article has really helped you with a comprehensive knowledge, ideas and inspirations that you really need. Alternatively, you may feel like you didn’t get all what you needed for your specific case. Don’t worry. Feel free to talk to a professional doctor now or visit our website for more details.

Need help with opiates addiction for a loved one?

You might not be the one going through opiates addiction, but it could be a person close to you or family. It is possible for you to help them get out of the mess. If it is an emergency case, take the patient to the nearest health facility. This can help save life. Be careful how you handle the patient with care and give the right information to the doctors. This information is so important when the patient can’t talk on his behalf. It helps the doctors know how to effectively handle the emergency.

Try This At Home

When going through opiates withdrawal treatment, ensure that you get the necessary support you require. A supportive family is very important. Incorporate basic exercise and get plenty of rent. Ensure that you bank on healthy foods and liquids and call your doctor any time you feel like things are not working right on you. If you start experiencing negative effects when taking your prescription dose, call your doctor immediately. Do a thorough research and find out more about the drugs you are taking immediately you doubt or feel like it is not working well for you.