Opiate Addiction in Pharr, TX

If you are concerned about the way you use opiate drugs, one of the best things that you can do is to speak with an expert to learn about this disorder. There are some of the most qualified experts at the drug rehab for opiate addiction in Pharr, TX.

Available in formulations such as hydrocodone, oxycodone and fentanyl, opiates are narcotic medications prescribed primarily for severe and chronic pain situations. In most cases, in the quantities that physicians prescribe, these opiates do not cause addictive disorders; in some who suffer from pre-existing mental disorders or from genetic vulnerabilities, however, long-term use at even low prescription levels is able to bring on signs of opiate addiction. Once addictive tendencies turn up, users may begin to move to abuse, popping several more pills a day than their prescriptions require.

Detoxification -- the First Step to Getting Off Opiates

Knowledge is the addict's most powerful weapon against addiction. The more you know about what exactly drugs do to your system, the better the position is that you are in to apply reason against your cravings. Your first challenge opiate addiction recovery, however, is not your cravings; instead, it is the withdrawal symptoms.

Long exposure to opiate painkillers causes disruption to the brain's functioning. The brain's chemical balance, in particular, tends to sustain some damage. When you quit drugs, it can take the brain considerable time to return to normal. The process can involve serious fluctuations of the brain's chemical equilibrium, and some very uncomfortable symptoms -- nausea, headaches and tremors, among others. In some rare cases, these symptoms can be serious enough to cause death.

It isn't safe to detoxify without medical help. While some do manage it, going through the process without medication unnecessarily lengthens the period of time that withdrawal symptoms last, and the sobriety achieved usually turns out to be very unstable. More than 90% relapse within weeks.

In detox, individuals suffering withdrawal symptoms are carefully supervised by medical professionals, and administered medications for symptomatic relief from painful and dangerous withdrawal symptoms. In many cases, powerful medications such as the buprenorphine and methadone are prescribed for relief in very deep addictions. Detox can last as long as two weeks.

Treatment After Detox

Addiction is a mental disorder. It doesn't appear spontaneously the way other regular mental disorders that dual diagnosis does; instead, it comes about through the damage caused by drugs. It is a mental disorder, nonetheless, and its effects stay for life the way they do with many conditions to do with the brain.

Treatment for opiate addiction usually doesn't offer a cure once and for all. Rather, it creates a situation where the addiction can be managed, and kept under control.

After medical detox in Pharr, your brain is still addicted, just as greatly as it was prior to treatment. It is only temporarily in remission, allowing you to gain some traction against.

The period immediately after detox can be particularly critical for the way your sobriety takes shape. You may experience post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS), a certain amount of lingering craving for your drug of choice, depression and anxiety. If you aren't very careful at this time, you may relapse.

PAWS is one of the reasons it's a good idea to place yourself in inpatient detox, rather than to accept outpatient treatment. The supervision and support of the residential care can dramatically improve your chances of success.

Seeking Therapy for Long-term Sobriety

While PAWS and the instability that it brings last only a few weeks post detox, the risk of reappearance of the cravings never goes away. When stressful situations turn up, when you find yourself feeling intense emotion, or when you find yourself in a situation that powerfully reminds you of your time with drugs, those cravings will reappear.

You need to be ready -- both to find ways to prevent such triggers from coming up, and to make sure that you are able to resist them when they do. Program for relapse prevention in Pharr help with these issues tremendously.

Long-term therapy at rehab is one of the most important things that you can do to help ensure that you have the skills. Rehabs for opiate addiction in Pharr, TX, offer comprehensive therapeutic programs to ensure that you are able overcome your cravings through sheer psychological strength.

If you have questions, or if you'd like to begin treatment, you should visit a center for opiate addiction in Pharr, TX. You're so much more likely to win your battle against addiction when you have serious professionals in your corner. Call now for help (877) 804-1531.