Opioid Addiction Treatment Options

Help for Opioid and Opiate Addiction

Compassionate, evidence-based care for lasting recovery

If you or someone you love is struggling with opioid abuse or addiction, know that recovery is possible. Both prescription opioids, like OxyContin and hydrocodone, and illicit opiates, such as heroin, are highly addictive substances. But with professional addiction treatment, you or your loved one can achieve sobriety and go on to live a happy, healthy, and meaningful life free from the crushing weight of drug addiction.

Opioid Treatment at SOBA New Jersey

At SOBA New Jersey, we offer comprehensive opiate addiction treatment in New Jersey for adults struggling with opioid abuse and similar substance use disorders. Our personalized programs are tailored to each individual’s unique needs, and our clients and their families always have direct access to our clinicians, many of whom are considered among the top addiction specialists in the state. You will find a welcoming, stigma-free setting to undergo medical detox and attend short-term residential, intensive outpatient, and standard outpatient rehab. We provide the tools and therapies you need for continued success on the path to sobriety.

Ways that SOBA New Jersey stands out from other opioid rehab centers:

• Expert staff including clinical psychologists, nutritionists, aftercare planners, and more.
• Accredited by The Joint Commission and dually licensed by the NJ Department of Health.
• Capable of accepting major health insurance plans.
• Founded in 2014 with a new, fresh approach to rehab and addiction treatment.

The Importance of a Safe Detox Setting

The goal of going through detox is to decrease the severe withdrawal symptoms associated with opioid detox and help you successfully proceed to the next level of treatment. However, it is generally not recommended that people with opioid use disorders suddenly stop taking opioids altogether. In fact, “going cold turkey” can cause a risk of severe health complications and possibly death.

Instead, it is recommended that people suffering from opioid abuse and addiction attend medical detox in a safe, supervised facility. This allows individuals to receive the attention and care they need while ensuring that withdrawal symptoms are managed as effectively and comfortably as possible.

How Opioid Detox Works

Opioid detox works by helping you minimize withdrawal symptoms while your body adjusts to the absence of opioids in your system. Staying at a professional medical detox will help you get through the roughest part of addiction recovery. At SOBA New Jersey, our compassionate and caring health experts will work with you to create your unique, comprehensive treatment plan for detox and continued help.

Opioid or opiate detox will usually involve one of two methods:

Gradual dose reduction

One way is to gradually decrease the dosage of opioids under the supervision of your physician to minimize symptoms. During this time, you will have medical support to keep you healthy. This method is usually not the first choice, though, if another method is available.

Medication-assisted treatment

You can also undergo medication-assisted treatment (MAT). With MAT, you’re prescribed a less dangerous opioid to minimize the harsher detox symptoms. Medications like methadone or buprenorphine are common for MAT. However, you won’t be using these medications forever; they are short-term aids for helping people get free from opioid addiction.

You may choose to attend an opiate detox center for a week and then go on to continue treatment in a residential or outpatient setting. Our team can help you find the right New Jersey opiate addiction treatment program for your situation.

Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms

When you begin going through opioid detox, your body goes through a process that removes the toxins associated with the drug(s) you were taking. This process can be mildly or severely uncomfortable; the level of discomfort a person might feel during detox depends on many factors, including their level of dependency on the drug, how much of the drug they were taking and how frequently they were taking it just before detox, and the individual’s overall physical health.

The amount of time it will take for withdrawal symptoms to begin also depends on each individual, but symptoms typically begin in as little as 6 to 12 hours after the last dose. You may begin to feel nausea and experience some anxiety, cravings, and/or mild depression in the hours after stopping opioid use.

Common opioid withdrawal symptoms include:

• Flu-like symptoms
• Increased sweating
• Diarrhea
• Trouble sleeping
• Runny nose
• Yawning
• Increased heart rate
• Irritability
• Itching
• Muscle aches
• Stomachache
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Chills
• Watery eyes
• Increased blood pressure
• Restless legs

What to Expect from the Detox Process

The detox process is different for everyone, but most people experience a certain pattern of symptoms when undergoing opioid detox.

Here is what you can generally expect from the process:

• During the first few days, symptoms typically intensify and peak. You may experience flu-like symptoms, including muscle aches, sweating, chills, runny nose, watery eyes, vomiting, and stomachache. Medication is sometimes prescribed to help decrease the intensity of symptoms.
• It’s during these few days that the chances of relapse increase significantly because it can be challenging to endure these symptoms. This is why it’s important to have professional support and supervision during the detox process. Relapsing could cause an overdose.
• After the first few days, physical symptoms tend to decrease in intensity. However, you may still experience diarrhea, insomnia, cravings, body aches, anxiety, and depression.

Withdrawal symptoms vary in intensity and frequency depending on how long you’ve been using opioids, the dosage, frequency taken, overall health, taper schedule, and more. Our New Jersey opioid addiction treatment specialists can develop a personalized detox plan for you or your loved one. Our goal is to ease your discomfort and guide you through the process, setting you up for continued success.

Rehab Treatment After Opioid Detox

There are different options for detox and treatment for opioid addiction. Detox is simply the first step on the recovery path, and we always recommend continuing treatment with residential care and/or outpatient treatment. You could be dealing with triggers and cravings for weeks, months, or even years, so you want to be sure you’ve got a strong foundation for recovery.

Attending treatment is a great way to get that foundation. You can attend a residential (inpatient) or non-residential (outpatient) treatment program. If you’re able to leave home and get treatment, a hospital or residential facility will likely suit you well.

Typically, clients in residential opioid rehab stay for about a month to learn more about the disease of addiction, as well as how to manage life without opioids. They’ll also learn about other pain management options if they’re dealing with chronic pain. The fact that you’re supervised 24/7 and have time to solely focus on recovery increases your chances of experiencing long-term recovery success.

If you have family or work obligations, you can attend our outpatient treatment center. You will be able to attend a certain number of sessions throughout the week to strengthen your recovery foundation, but you will continue living at home. Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) and standard outpatient programs (OPs) are most beneficial when individuals have milder addictions or cannot attend full-time residential treatment programs.