If you or anyone you know has dealt with opioid addiction, you must already be aware of how difficult things can get. Not only does it feel impossible to overcome the addiction, but in most cases, the sufferer also keeps procrastinating the treatment.

However, as challenging or impossible as it may sound, it is not impossible to overcome opioid addiction. While it may take some time and a lot of effort, a complete opioid detox is certainly possible. Read on to learn more about treating opioid addiction.

Opioid Detox

For some people, an opioid addiction seems like the end of the world. In fact, according to the American Addiction Centers, it is the hardest addiction to kick off, surpassing alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine. Yet, with proper treatment, innumerable people have been able to successfully overcome this drug addiction and leave it in the past for good. All you need is a strong will and resilience.

When it comes to opioid addiction treatment, the best course of action is to combine therapy with medication. Some people still seem to be skeptical about medication, as they believe that addiction is not the same as a physical ailment. Therefore, they argue that changing your habits can help fix the addiction. However, this isn’t always true.

Behavioral therapy may be beneficial for mild addiction and substance abuse, but it still isn’t always effective. In some cases, it may actually be impossible to kick off an addiction without taking the necessary medications. This is because even if one has a strong desire to quit, the withdrawal symptoms can be extremely challenging to overcome. And more often than not, opioid addiction requires some medication.

Why Is Opioid Addiction so Hard to Overcome?

An opioid is a component that naturally occurs in opium poppy plants. There are various ways this component affects the brain, including blocking pain signals between the body and the brain. This is why the component is extracted to create mild painkillers.

Some people also experience a feeling of relaxation or a “high” after taking these painkillers, which makes them addictive. As a result, a lot of people start abusing these drugs and take them in higher than recommended doses. This is how street drugs like heroin became common. In moderation, opium can be very useful. However, it becomes harmful when people start abusing it. And considering the kind of effect it has on one’s brain, it is not difficult to see why it has become so easy to abuse the substance.

In most cases, if you’re struggling with opioid addiction and drug abuse, your healthcare provider will prescribe methadone for the treatment of opioid addiction. If you are not aware of what methadone is, think of it as what insulin is to diabetes or what aspirin is to headaches. Read on to learn everything you need to know about this treatment and how it can help you do a complete opioid detox.

What Is Methadone Treatment and How Does It Work?

Methadone is the oldest and most widely available treatment for opioid addiction. The earliest records of this treatment being used for the treatment of opioid addiction date back to 1947. However, it is highly likely that the treatment has been used for longer than that.

In general, there aren’t any known side effects of using methadone treatment, provided that the substance is used in moderation and under expert supervision.

It is hard to determine how long you’d have to undergo the treatment to completely overcome the addiction. As with any medication, the treatment cycle lasts as long as the patient need; and the same is the case with methadone. Provided that there aren’t any side effects of the treatment, the patient can use it as long as they benefit from it. However, if the healthcare provider believes that the treatment is causing any harm to the patient or may prove to be risky in the future, the treatment should be stopped immediately.

It is also important to note that methadone alone cannot fix the problem. The harsh truth is that opioid addiction is a complicated issue. In an ideal world, it would have been possible to just take certain medications one time and fully recover from the addiction. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. While methadone treatment is certainly beneficial for those recovering from opioid addiction, you shouldn’t entirely depend on it to fix the issue.

When an addict tries to stay off the drug, it can lead to a number of severe and complicated withdrawal symptoms. This is the main reason most people struggle to give up their addiction and often relapse. Taking a moderate dosage of methadone after weaning off illicit opioids can significantly decrease the chance of relapse and avoid severe opioid withdrawal symptoms. Not only does methadone act as a replacement, but it also prevents the user’s ability to function properly without losing their senses.

However, it is necessary to combine long-term counseling and other treatments with methadone treatment to make a full recovery. While you’re going through counseling, methadone treatment will provide the physical relief necessary to prevent severe relapses and opioid withdrawal symptoms.

How Effective Is Methadone in Treating Opioids Addiction?

If you’re opting for a new medication, you want to learn as much about it as possible; this includes being aware of your chances of success. However, when it comes to treating any type of addiction, it can be extremely hard to determine the success rate. A lot of factors affect determine whether a patient is able to make a full recovery or not.

That being said, methadone treatment has shown to be highly effective for most patients struggling with opioid addiction. The success rate for this treatment ranges from 60 to 90%, which is better than any other treatment for addiction. And considering how long it has been used, it is safe to assume that people are actively benefitting from it. Even if you don’t end up benefitting from it, the statistics show that it is worth giving a shot.

Seek Help

When it comes to overcoming any kind of addiction, the most important step is the very first one. Unless you seek help, no one can help you. So if you or a loved one struggles with opioid addiction, now is the best time to seek the necessary help. Consider visiting MAT Texas for a consultation as soon as possible.