Opiate withdrawal symptoms are not something that you want to have to deal with. But when you’re faced with a moment, a day, a week, when life is coming unglued because of your addiction, you start to wonder if you can handle opiate withdrawal to get to the other side. You may know someone in Fairfield or nearby who died of an overdose. Unfortunately, opioids kill people every day. These are people who once had ‘normal’ lives, but they got hooked on painkillers, heroin, or synthetic drugs like fentanyl.
Why your body has opiate withdrawal symptoms
Opioids block pain signals, so when you take the drug, you get a feeling of extreme pleasure. But over time, you actually have an increase in pain perception, so you need more and more of the drug to get the same high. For example, OxyContin is highly addictive because it is in your system for a relatively short time before you want more. With these type of conditions, it’s easy to overdose.
What to expect
When you stop taking drugs, your body will suffer for several days in opiate withdrawal. Because so many people think they can go cold turkey on their own, you need to know what opiate withdrawal symptoms would be like. Your body slows down on the drugs, so without the drug, your body starts to go into what may feel like overdrive. Anxiety, panic, sweaty, trouble sleeping, and rapid heartbeat – these are the things that people report. You may also have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. It will be horrible without any kind of medication to help you through the first week or more. The intensity of opiate withdrawal symptoms vary based on how much you were using, and for how long.
Change your story
Medication-assisted treatment eases the body through opiate withdrawal symptoms. We’re not saying it’s easy. However, your body needs help to transition off of drugs. And methadone treatment can do that. When you go into treatment, you’ll start into withdrawal for one day. Then, the doctors can know how much methadone to give you so that the body can safely and effectively come off of the pain killers or heroin. You can expect to be feeling better within 3 – 5 hours of taking methadone. And in a week to 10 days, you’ll really be better and be in a position to start the process of emotional healing that comes after physical healing. Everyone has issues. Family history of addiction, trauma, or chronic stress may have gotten you into addiction. Or just taking pain killers prescribed by a doctor. Regardless of the circumstances, you will need to and want to address anything in your life that could cause you to relapse.
A new normal
It’s important to note that you may be on methadone for a long time. Many people think of methadone for former addicts as like insulin for diabetics. Taking methadone is NOT trading one addiction for another. Methadone is legal, and has been safely used to treat opioid addiction for over 50 years. There is no euphoria feeling with methadone, which eliminates the psychological addiction. Taking methadone shouldn’t interfere with any job that you have, and it isn’t part of a drug test. In fact, use of Methadone is protected by the ADA (American Disabilities Act). Knowing these facts about Methadone can give you the confidence to seek treatment. You can do this. Take charge of your life with resources in Fairfield, CA.
