Suboxone Rehab

Overcome Suboxone Withdrawal Symptoms in a Safe Setting

One of the most widely utilized drugs to treat opioid dependency is Suboxone. Moreover, this medicine is extremely addictive and deceptively deadly, despite the fact that, if used carefully and under medical supervision, it can be very helpful in reducing the intense cravings and withdrawal symptoms linked to opiate addiction.

It’s crucial that you notice the warning symptoms and seek the expert assistance of a professional Suboxone rehab, which you invariably will need to recover from this dependence if you or a loved one are one of the unexpectedly huge amounts of people who become addicted to Suboxone each year.

Keep reading to find out more about Suboxone detox and how Icarus in Nevada can help with programs for effective treatment and recovery!

How does Suboxone Work?

Suboxone can be a very effective treatment for opioid addiction when used sparingly and only as directed by a doctor. Suboxone users frequently have no signs of opioid withdrawal and can carry on with their lives as usual. It is typically included in the detox phase of another opioid addiction in the form of a medication-assisted treatment program

Suboxone works by changing the way your body responds to opioids and by helping you stop taking them. The first use of suboxone can be very difficult, but it will get easier over time. Suboxone should only be used for as long as it takes for you to stop using other opioids. It’s essentially a partial opioid agonist which binds to opioid receptors and blocks their effects in your brain, helping you withdraw safely without experiencing uncomfortable symptoms such as nausea and vomiting or withdrawal symptoms such as muscle aches or diarrhea. You may also be given suboxone if you are dependent on other drugs like alcohol or benzodiazepines (e.g. valium).

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Suboxone in Treating Opiate Addiction

When it comes to opioid addiction treatment, using Suboxone to treat the physical withdrawal symptoms comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. Read on to learn some of the things to keep in mind when considering this as part of a larger, more comprehensive treatment plan.

There are a number of advantages to using Suboxone therapy in addiction treatment, including:

• Suboxone is an FDA-approved medication, meaning that it has undergone extensive testing and has been proven to be safe and effective for the treatment of many different types of addictions.
• Suboxone is less addictive than other opiate medications or illegal drugs because it contains a small amount of the drug buprenorphine. Buprenorphine helps to reduce cravings for other substances to prevent relapse and also reduces withdrawal symptoms.
• Suboxone is an effective medication to be used in substance abuse treatment because it does not typically produce euphoric effects commonly associated with opioid misuse.
• Suboxone can be prescribed by doctors who have been trained in the use of buprenorphine – known as “Suboxone doctors” – which means you don’t have to travel far from home if you need help with your addiction.
• Suboxone can be taken at home instead of having to go into a clinic every day or week for treatment. This allows people who are addicted to stay out of trouble while they’re recovering from their addiction rather than putting themselves at risk by going out looking for opioid drugs or alcohol while they’re still using illicit drugs or alcohol.

The Drawbacks of Relying on Suboxone for the Long Term

Suboxone is the most commonly used medication in substance abuse treatment but it has its own set of potential side effects and dangers:

• The main disadvantage of suboxone is that it’s only effective for a short time — usually about three to six months. This means that clients may need to keep taking the drug indefinitely, which can lead to complications.
• It’s also very difficult for persons struggling to get off suboxone once they start using it regularly. The drug itself doesn’t cause any cravings, so clients often don’t realize how high their tolerance has become and how dependent they are until they try to quit.
• Suboxone can also be very expensive, especially if you’re only paying out-of-pocket without insurance coverage. Depending on your insurance plan, you may not be able to get your prescription filled without paying a high co-pay or deductible first.

The Reality Of Becoming Addicted To Suboxone

Suboxone may cause physical dependence, although it’s less likely to lead to addiction than some other opioids. Physical dependence means that your body has become used to the drug and needs it in order to function normally.

If you suddenly stop taking Suboxone after taking it regularly, you may experience withdrawal symptoms, but these can sometimes be milder than those associated with heroin or painkillers like oxycodone.

The risk of addiction varies from person to person based on factors such as how long you’ve been using Suboxone and how much you take at one time. People who take larger doses of Suboxone for longer periods of time are more likely to become addicted than those who use smaller doses for shorter periods of time.

Suboxone Withdrawal And Timeline: How Long Do Symptoms Last?

As with any type of drug, suboxone withdrawal symptoms can be uncomfortable. The physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms associated with suboxone addiction are similar to the effects of opioids associated with any opioid addiction or opioid use disorder and include:

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Agitation
• Insomnia
• Abdominal cramping
• Vomiting
• Mood swings
• Cravings for more Suboxone

Suboxone withdrawal symptoms can last anywhere from several days to several weeks. There are many factors that contribute to how long and how severe possible withdrawal symptoms will be, including:

• The amount of time you’ve been taking Suboxone. The longer you’ve been on the drug, the longer it takes for your body to cleanse itself of it.
• Your individual physiology and medical history. Some people may experience worse withdrawal symptoms than others, but it’s also possible that some people need more time for their bodies to detoxify than others do.

Managing Drug Addiction without Medication

Medications like suboxone are commonly used for tapering off of drug addiction as part of a larger treatment program. However, some people are cautious and nervous about the use of medications like opioid antagonists. In essence, they want a non-medicated detox. They want to manage their own recovery from addiction without any medication at all. Is this possible? Can you quit cold turkey?

Cold turkey is slang for quitting drugs suddenly without any kind of treatment or counseling beforehand. When someone quits cold turkey, they don’t use any kind of replacement therapy or medication to ease withdrawal symptoms or prevent relapse into drug use after detoxification from substances such as alcohol or opioids.

The Risks of Cold Turkey Detox

Whether you can be successful in doing a cold turkey detox depends largely on various factors including your genetics and physiology, how long you were addicted to a particular substance, as well as how much of the substance you were accustomed to taking.

Still, the general rule of thumb is that for very serious, long-term addictions, the withdrawal phase can be incredibly difficult without the intervention of medical support.

Why Medical Detox Is Crucial for Suboxone Addiction

Before we discuss why medical detox treatment is so important for Suboxone withdrawal, let’s take a look at what detoxification really means. When we use the term “detox,” we are referring to the process during which an individual stops using drugs or alcohol and starts getting back to normal health after having been dependent on substances for an extended period of time.

Detoxification can happen either naturally or artificially through medical intervention; however, most experts agree that it is best accomplished with the help of professionals who can provide comfort and support throughout the process.

Quitting suboxone addiction is a complex issue, and there are many factors that contribute to the development of a substance abuse problem. Some people start taking opioids for legitimate medical purposes but later find themselves abusing the medications. Others may have started off abusing opioid substances recreationally, but then began taking them as a way to cope with chronic pain.

Getting the Support of a Suboxone Detox Center

In addition to providing a safe withdrawal process, suboxone detoxification as part of a suboxone addiction treatment program is beneficial because it can help you prevent relapse once the detox process is complete. Since suboxone is an opioid medication and can have serious negative effects on your body if taken in high doses or over a long period of time, medical detox allows you to get off Suboxone without suffering any serious side effects associated with detoxing from a substance use disorder on your own.

Additional Treatment for Suboxone Addiction

Aside from the detox, Suboxone addiction is handled just as if one were to treat opioid addiction of any other type. It is important to deal with the psychological symptoms associated with the drug abuse habit as an integral part of the recovery process. Addiction to suboxone can be just as debilitating as “harder” opiates.

To that end, treatment centers seek to treat not just the physical symptoms but also the underlying mental health issues associated with taking suboxone to the point that it constitutes an addiction. Below we examine some of the additional treatment options typically employed to combat opioid misuse.

Behavioral Therapies

These are commonly used as a form of therapeutic intervention in suboxone addiction treatment programs to help people overcome the disease. Conducted by a qualified medical professional, these can be administered in individual or group therapy sessions. When used in this way, behavioral therapies help address underlying causes of addiction and promote healthy living through strategies such as:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT helps people identify the thought processes that drive their behavior so they can change those thoughts in order to change their behavior. For example, if an individual feels like they need drugs because they are stressed out at work, CBT would teach them ways they could manage stress without using drugs as well as how they can better handle situations where they might feel tempted by drugs in the future (e.g., coping skills).
• Contingency management (CM). CM is a type of behavioral therapy that uses rewards to encourage positive behavior change.
• Motivational interviewing (MI). MI involves an interaction between you and your counselor or therapist during which he or she asks open-ended questions about your reasons for using opioids, the benefits, and drawbacks of taking opioids, how long you’ve been using them, and what you want for yourself in the future. This type of therapy might help you develop healthy coping skills so that you can resist cravings when they occur.

Alternative Therapies

Also known as a holistic therapy, these therapies are typically administered in conjunction with evidence-based behavioral approaches. They might include practices such as art therapy, acupuncture, meditation, and yoga.

The thinking is that by employing a holistic approach, the client develops a much more well-rounded life and gains competence with the use of various tools that aid in addressing their anxieties and the mental aspects of everyday life.

Aftercare

Aftercare and support are essential parts of the recovery process. They are important because they provide you with a network of people who understand what you’re going through and can help you stay clean and sober. This can take many forms but most commonly manifests as 12-step meetings. It’s important to find a program that fits your needs and helps you stay sober for the long term.

One of the major advantages of finding effective aftercare is the emotional support offered. Struggling to stay sober and recover from addiction can be an isolated and lonely experience. The aid of a support network can do wonders for the mental health of someone in recovery from addiction to suboxone.

Get High-Quality Addiction Treatment From Icarus Behavioral Health Today!

If you or someone you know is struggling with suboxone addiction, at Icarus Behavioral Health, our Suboxone detox program is sure to be a good fit. Fully comprehensive and tailored to all manner of circumstances, our suboxone treatment centers are fully equipped and staffed by qualified medical professionals with years of addiction experience and medical care expertise in the field.

Our compassionate and empathetic staff are standing by to handle your case with tact, understanding that keeping your information and details confidential and private is key. Don’t hesitate, reach out today and take the first step to eliminate the hold addiction has over your life!