San Diego Addiction Treatment Center
According to the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse, more than 100,000 drug overdoses happen yearly. Up to 60 percent of those overdoses involve fentanyl. Due to its potency, fentanyl is highly addictive, requiring someone struggling with addiction to seek rehab and treatment.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that more than 2.5 million Americans report using or abusing opioids each year, and some of this usage includes fentanyl or drugs laced with the substance. There is a severe issue with opioid and Fentanyl use, and the stakes are high with the high number of overdoses.
Similar to morphine, fentanyl is a synthetic drug in the opioid family. However, it’s between 50 and 100 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl is a prescription medication typically prescribed for extreme pain after surgery.
However, some people use fentanyl illegally or abuse a prescription. They use the drug to get high and can experience some of the following:
Many people who struggle with alcohol addiction are hesitant to get help. They worry that admitting that they struggle with alcohol or entering an alcohol rehab will force them to change their lifestyle. Most people are unwilling to give up their coping mechanisms for dealing with day-to-day stress, disappointment, and depression.
Unfortunately, this unwillingness to seek help at an alcohol rehab is what leads alcoholics to stay stuck in the spiral of addiction. There is no cure for Alcoholism, but there is a solution.
One of the biggest dangers of fentanyl is that some illicit opioids and other drugs are sold with the addition of fentanyl without the buyer knowing. A person struggling with opioid and drug addiction might be using fentanyl and running the risk of overdose without knowing it.
Some common fentanyl-laced drugs include:
These drugs are created to look like opioid pills, and fentanyl is added to enhance the substance’s potency. As all of these drugs are highly addictive substances. A person who uses them occasionally can quickly become addicted and begin to abuse the substance.
It can be challenging for the person struggling with addiction or their family members to know when the person has crossed the line from medical usage to addiction. Since fentanyl and other opioids are highly addictive, it’s essential for people to recognize the signs of fentanyl abuse.
The signs and symptoms of fentanyl abuse include:
When a person using opioids or a family member recognizes these symptoms, they must seek treatment for addiction to fentanyl quickly to avoid the possibility of an overdose.
When someone struggles with addiction, their best option to beat it and return to a sober lifestyle is fentanyl rehab. They must seek the therapy needed to build the emotional tools they need to stay drug-free. Of course, the type of fentanyl addiction treatment can vary from one person to the next.
People struggling with fentanyl addiction should understand their treatment options to make the right choice for recovery. A person might need to start with detox and then choose either a residential or outpatient for therapy and recovery.
This is almost always the first step in a fentanyl addiction treatment program. During this period, the person struggling with addiction stays in a facility under the watchful eye of medical professionals while they stop taking fentanyl, and the drug leaves their system. This isn’t a step-down program. The patient stops using fentanyl completely.
Detox and withdrawal from fentanyl can have severe physical and emotional symptoms, which is why this step occurs under medical supervision. The patient is constantly monitored, and in some cases, they might receive medication to offset the worst of the withdrawal symptoms to ensure their health and safety.
Once the patient has gone through detox and the withdrawal symptoms are under control, they need counseling and therapy to help. This can mean one-on-one therapy, group therapy, and family therapy.
A residential program for fentanyl addiction treatment allows the patient to start building these tools. They can work on their foundation of sobriety without the pressure and triggers of everyday life. It also provides the time and building blocks of a support network to rely on. The patient stays in a facility day and night for an extended period.
Some patients go directly from detox to outpatient treatment, while others go through residential treatment. During outpatient therapy for fentanyl addiction, the patient lives at home and returns to normal activities, such as work or school.
The therapist might recommend intense outpatient therapy when the patient first detoxes. In outpatient treatment, they may spend several hours a day in treatment. Many times, a patient leaves residential therapy and transitions into outpatient care. The goal is to remain drug-free, which requires examining the behavior and triggers that lead to addiction and changing the patient’s reaction to them.
Fentanyl abuse can be deadly for someone struggling with an addiction or even occasional usage. When someone struggles with addiction, it’s always a good idea to seek a treatment program. This is especially true with fentanyl. It’s essential to find the best fentanyl addiction treatment program available.
If you or a loved one are struggling with fentanyl abuse or addiction, reach out to Healthy Life Recovery in San Diego today. Healthy Life Recovery offers substance abuse treatment in a caring and compassionate environment. Our staff is invested in the recovery of our patients, and our program sees many successes.
Sean Leonard is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. He received his master’s degree in adult geriatric primary care nurse practitioner from Walden University and a second postmaster specialty in psychiatry mental health nurse practitioner from Rocky Mountain University. Sean has experience working in various diverse settings, including an outpatient clinic, inpatient detox and rehab, psychiatric emergency, and dual diagnosis programs. His specialty areas include substance abuse, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, PTSD, ADHD, and OCD.
Dr. John Allen, MD is a psychiatrist in El Cajon, CA and has over 45 years of experience in the medical field. Dr. Allen has extensive experience in Addiction & Substance Abuse and Psychotic Disorders. He graduated from Baylor University in 1976.
