Comprehensive treatment is the most recommended method to help opiate addicts overcome their addictions and to achieve lasting recovery, as opposed to other treatment methods, such as the use of medical marijuana.
The Argument in Favor of the Use of Medical Marijuana for Opiate Addiction Treatment
There are some supporters of incorporating medical marijuana into the treatment process for opiate addiction. Clients with opiate addictions struggle with any number of symptoms, such as insomnia, body aches and pains, nausea and anxiety, during the detoxification process as a result of the drug’s serious withdrawal symptoms. The intensity of the detoxification process can deter clients from continuing to the treatment process, wanting to end the pain instead by returning to using the drug.
This is where supporters of medical marijuana for opiate addiction treatment say the drug can be of great use. It can help calm anxiety symptoms during detoxification as well as help clients with such symptoms as nausea, pain and difficulty sleeping. The majority of clients in studies were shown to have stopped using marijuana once they had completed the detoxification process. Medical marijuana for opiate addiction is clearly a controversial treatment method due to the fact that it is utilizing a drug to help a client to stop using other drugs.
The Tried-and-True Treatment Methods of Opiate Addiction
Often the best opiate addiction treatment is a comprehensive treatment. Once clients have completed medically-supervised detoxification, clients go to a rehabilitation center to work through the recovery process. Clients participate in various psychotherapy sessions – individual, group, family and cognitive behavioral (therapy utilizing thoughts to impact behaviors) – in order to uncover the underlying personal causes for their addictions. Over time and throughout various therapy sessions, clients are able to experience moments of clarity referred to as breakthroughs. These breakthroughs give clients the tools to be able to work towards establishing strong processes of recovery. The personal insights gained are also useful for other areas of life, including their relationships with themselves and others and everyday living.
Comprehensive opiate addiction treatment also consists of attending and participating in support group meetings with addiction recovery peers, learning valuable stress management techniques and receiving lifestyle counseling. Lifestyle counseling helps clients to shape their lives in manners conducive to successful, recovered living, with a focus on healthy lifestyle habits. A great tool in opiate addiction treatment, as well as after the program, is the relapse prevention strategy. Clients create specific, step-by-step strategies for avoiding harmful triggers that may easily lead to relapse. These are tools that clients of opiate addiction treatment utilize every day.
If you or someone you love is suffering from the effects of opiate addiction, substance abuse or any other type of addiction, please call us today. Our addiction treatment counselors can help you deal with the physical, emotional and psychological consequences of drug and alcohol abuse.
Programs for substance abuse are effective, safe and have helped many people reclaim their lives. Destination Hope is a full service drug, alcohol and dual diagnosis treatment facility in Florida for men and women suffering from substance abuse and mental health issues.
