Due to the stigma that addiction has acquired, individuals who battle with addiction are often thought of as derelict, low-class or doomed. Addiction is a reality that has no bounds and may strike anybody, anywhere, at any moment. Addiction has some good news: recovery is just around the corner for everyone who wants it.
Stopping drug usage is only the first step in a lengthy and challenging rehabilitation journey. Addiction has frequently had severe implications in people's lives when they enter treatment, potentially affecting their health and how they operate in their families, at work, and in the community. According to 2016 research, over 19.9 million American individuals need drug abuse treatment in the preceding year. However, only 10.8% of this group obtained treatment at an addiction treatment center. Identifying if you require substance abuse treatment and following the appropriate steps might help you avoid long-term health, financial, and familial consequences.
Many people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol see rehabilitation as a tough path to take. They believe that rehabilitation is "only for quitters" and that the tasks that must be completed in recovery are nonsense. When comparing addiction with recovery from a rational standpoint, recovery is the more straightforward, gentler lifestyle. There is still work to be done in recovery, but it will open your eyes to how you may better impact your life. Self-awareness increases, then relationships thrive, all of this as part of a personalized recovery plan.
One of the most successful ways to save lives is to get those struggling with addiction treated with medication that helps eliminate their cravings. Two of the medications utilized are naltrexone called Vivitrol and a form of buprenorphine called Sublocade, both of which are injected just once a month.
Buprenorphine pharmacotherapy has proven to be a treatment approach that supports recovery from addiction while reducing or curtailing the use of opioids. A research was carried out on a group of young individuals with opioid addiction aged 15 to 21 years to see how buprenorphine affected them. A comparison was made between counseling without the help of buprenorphine versus counseling with the use of buprenorphine. Three months of buprenorphine medication resulted in better results, with minimal safety or tolerability concerns. With the introduction of buprenorphine, opioid-addicted individuals may be treated in the same manner as chronic illness patients are. In conclusion, buprenorphine has the potential to enhance the lives of many opioid-dependent people. Still, doctors must be mindful that if the medication is not taken as prescribed, it might cause problems. For this reason, Sublocade is a tool Solstice Pacific recommends. It is safe, long lasting and blocks the effect if someone does relapse.
Vivitrol is a medicine that works by blocking the effects of opioids and is used to treat drug and alcohol addiction. It is given once a month and provides further protection against cravings and withdrawal symptoms. 14 out of 20 participants in a study showed that withdrawal, craving, and opioid or other drug use were significantly lower during induction and after Vivitrol administration than baseline, and no serious adverse events were recorded. Vivitrol, in combination with psychosocial treatment, may enhance opioid addiction medication acceptability and provide a viable treatment option for many individuals.
The road to sobriety may feel uncertain and challenging to recovering patients, but regaining control of one’s direction and mood again is only one of the many benefits of recovery. Adjustment and acceptance take time, but each step you take towards the right path will eventually lead you into a better and more productive life.
You will find others.
Recovery enlists people that have problems with drugs and alcohol to become a part of it. Being among individuals similar to you in many ways might make it easier to relate to them. The point of recovery is to show you that you do not have to be alone anymore. The relationships and networks you can form with these people can act as a source of support as well as an encouragement to become better. When you witness firsthand that addiction is entirely curable, you may be inspired to do the same for yourself.
You will have a chance to mend broken relationships.
Addiction can get in the way of healthy relationships. It may cause you and some important people to fall apart. It will take time and work to rebuild these connections, but you will fully appreciate their importance in your life once they are healed.
You will find other ways to cope.
In our everyday lives, there can be certain situations that can trigger many emotions at once. Emotions like stress and grief may be overwhelming, which is maybe why you might turn to opioids to help you cope. However, you will be taught how to deal with your feelings and develop new coping skills in recovery. When you gain confidence in your ability to de-stress, confronting these emotions will not be as intimidating anymore.
You will regain control of your life.
No matter what reason for addiction to opiates, you deserve to be the one behind the wheel in this journey of life. Just seeking help and accepting that you need treatment is a huge step towards gaining control of your life. Sublocade and Vivitrol might be right for you. The first step is a thorough psychiatric evaluation at Solstice Pacific or from another integrative provider.
The vision of recovery is one with a bright future if you wish to accept the challenge, use cutting edge support and create a personalized recovery plan. If you start today, you will give yourself the foresight you deserve in life and relationships. It's only a matter of time before you're back on your feet using imagination and feeling all the feelings without all the fear. All you have to do is put in the effort to envision and stay consistent. You hold the key to a better life. It will be up to you to figure out how to unlock it. You are the pilot in overcoming opiate dependence, the addiction does not get the final word, you do.
REFERENCES:
- Woody GE, Poole SA, Subramaniam G, et al. Extended vs short-term buprenorphine–naloxone for treatment of opioid-addicted youth: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2008;300:2003–2011. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2610690/]
- Paolo Mannelli, L.-T. W. K. S. P. M. S. S. G. E. W., 2014. Extended release naltrexone injection is performed in the majority of opioid dependent patients receiving outpatient induction: A very low dose naltrexone and buprenorphine open label trial,. pp. 83-88.
