According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, America has the highest rate of opiate use per person in the world. Research shows that almost 2 million people over the age of 12 exhibited opioid use disorder, adding more than $72 billion to the nation’s medical costs. Around 60,000 die each year as a result of opiate overdose and many are introduced to the drug through being prescribed opioid-based meds for chronic pain or severe injury. These are all the contributing factors behind opiate addiction in America being much more widespread than many people realize.
Addiction is a very solitary place to be, particularly when the drugs involved are opiates. This is because the withdrawal period can be physically and mentally challenging and intense, with long-term abuse leading to an even more prolonged and uncomfortable experience. Detoxing is something that requires consideration before starting because the severity of opioid withdrawal has been proven to contribute to high rates of relapse, possibly even overdose.
The duration of the detox process depends very much on what the ‘half-life’ of the drug is. What this means is that drugs like heroin, with a shorter half-life, will take less time to detox from than longer-acting drugs like methadone or buprenorphine. Shorter acting drugs will present withdrawal symptoms sooner, usually within 6-12 hours of abstaining, whereas long-acting drugs may take a few days before the withdrawal is noticeable.
The kind of active ingredients in meds used in supervised opioid detox are methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, which all serve to reduce the risk of overdose. This treatment combination is known as MATs and is offered in many private treatment programs for a more effective method of preventing relapse after detox. In all cases where someone is seeking treatment for drug addiction, it is recommended to attend supervised detox so that there is someone on standby to deal with any uncomfortable symptoms as they present themselves.
Seek Support and Opiate Addiction Rehabilitation in Southern California at Casa Recovery
Medical supervision is always recommended when it comes to treating addiction to opiates. At Casa Recovery, our dedicated and highly qualified team of therapists provides comprehensive treatment for all kinds of drug and alcohol addiction rehab in Orange County, and we can direct you to a detox center if necessary. If you want to get more information on opiate detox, contact us in confidence today at Casa Recovery in San Juan Capistrano, CA!