Opium addictions encompass a wide range of drugs that all have the potential to produce the same damaging effects on the body. Just a few of the opium-based drug-types include:

• Heroin
• Demerol
• Percodan
• Percocet
• Oxycodone

Anyone considering inpatient opium addiction treatment has probably experienced the worst of what this drug has to offer. Frequent withdrawal episodes, failing health and damaged relationships can all result from a lifestyle of opium abuse.

Inpatient opium addiction treatment programs offer a range of benefits for people unable to break the hold of opium on their lives. From the start of inpatient opium addiction treatment, patients receive needed support and encouragement, which can go a long way towards helping addicts follow-through on their decision to get well.

Inpatient opium addiction treatment programs specialize in addressing the physical and psychological damage caused by chronic opium use. Medication therapies and psychosocial supports provide recovering addicts with the types of supports needed to overcome the effects of opium addiction in their lives.

Following Through

With inpatient rehab the level of care and support is elevated.

Anytime an addict reduces dosage amounts or stops taking a drug altogether, uncomfortable withdrawal effects will likely develop. For people wanting to stop drug use, these withdrawal effects pose the biggest obstacle to taking the first step in the recovery process.

According to Harvard Health Publications, withdrawal effects associated with chronic opium use include:

• Aches and pains throughout the body
• Fatigue
• Depression symptoms
• Bouts of anxiety
• Hot/cold flashes
• Nausea
• Irritability
• Vomiting

Inpatient opium addiction treatment programs apply interventions designed to relieve the discomforts associated with withdrawal, which greatly increases a person’s ability to follow through on getting well.

While there are facilities that specialize in helping a person through the detox stage, many inpatient opium addiction treatment programs offer both detox and short-term residential treatment. In this way, patients can go directly into residential treatment once they complete the detox stage.

Medication Therapy Options

Opium-type addictions, in particular, leave the brain in a perpetual state of chemical imbalance. This imbalance can persist for months and even years after a person stops using drugs. Under these conditions, a person remains at high risk of relapse until brain chemical imbalances return to normal.

Inpatient opium addiction treatment programs can administer medication therapies that help support and strengthen damaged brain functions so a person can feel normal and function effectively in daily life. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, medications commonly used include:

• Buprenorphine
• Methadone
• Clonidine
• Naltrexone

Psychosocial Supports

Someone addicted to opium has developed a psychological dependence on the drug’s effects. This type of dependence influences a person’s belief systems in terms of what’s most important in his or her life. Inpatient opium addiction treatment uses psychosocial supports to help addicts recover from psychological dependence and rebuild their sense of identify and purpose.

Psychosocial supports take the form of:

• Drug counseling
• Drug education
• Individual psychotherapy
• Group psychotherapy
• 12-Step support group meetings

Overall, the physical and psychological supports offered by inpatient opium addiction programs provide addicts with a firm foundation in the recovery process.