Although some people think that detox symptoms only occur after someone has been using drugs for a long time, opiate withdrawal can happen even after short-term use. According to Healthline, more than 2 million Americans abuse opiates. Opiates can be used safely to treat pain, but they have powerful side effects when they’re not managed properly.
What Are Opiates?
Opiates are drugs that come from opium. Medical professionals used to refer to synthetic opiates as opioids, but now the terms are generally interchangeable. Heroin is an opiate.
So are prescription pain medications that are sold under brand names such as:
- OxyContin
- Percocet
- Vicodin
- Percodan
- Demerol
You can develop an opiate addiction if you use a prescription to manage pain after an injury or surgery. People who use the drugs recreationally are also at risk of addiction.
How Opiates Affect Your Brain and Body
Endorphins are an endogenous opioid meaning they are naturally produced in your body. These chemicals are released when you take part in pleasurable activities, like eating or exercising. They’re responsible for managing mild pain, making you feel calm and improving your mood.
Endorphins aren’t strong enough to relieve intense or chronic pain. Your body can’t make enough of its own opiates to trigger an overdose.
Opiates are much stronger. They produce stronger feelings of elation than your endorphins do. They also have greater side effects.
When you start taking pain pills, the body thinks it is getting too many endorphins. It slows down production of the chemical. Therefore, as the opiates leave your system, you feel pain, anxiety and a host of other opiate withdrawal symptoms.
What Does Opiate Withdrawal Feel Like?
Opiate withdrawal brings about sensations that are completely opposite to those that you might feel while you’re high. Many users report that withdrawal is the worst experience of their lives. They feel like they have the flu, but they also suffer from psychological distress.
Within just six hours after taking your last dose of the drug, you may start to feel severe symptoms. You might have nausea and diarrhea. You may have a fever, chills, and sweats. Throughout the next week or so, you can be confused, have tremors and feel out of control.
If you took opiates again, the drugs would bind to the appropriate receptors in your brain and make you feel better. However, chronic opiate abuse can lead to severe physical, emotional and social complications.
Getting Opiates Out Of Your System
Trying to get through opiate detox alone is grueling. Imagine being sicker than you have ever been in your life. You would give anything to feel better, but there’s nothing you can do.
Opiate withdrawal with the proper support can be manageable. Envision what it would be like to have access to a comfortable bed, entertaining amenities, and beautiful scenery as you go through the most difficult milestone of your life. You don’t have the stress of home, and you have access to medical detox and psychological support around the clock.
That’s what detox is like at Spring Gardens Recovery. At our luxury facility, you can take the pressure off of yourself during the opiate withdrawal process. Your physical symptoms can be managed with medication, and your mental anguish is alleviated by our team of caring professionals.
We offer a variety of evidence-based treatments to help your brain and body heal. These include:
- Amino acid infusions to speed up healing
- Guided meditation to calm the body and boost mood
- Sauna therapy to flush toxins from the body
- Methadone to reduce opiate withdrawal symptoms
Patients usually complete the detox process within about a week. Those with severe substance abuse disorders or who have previously relapsed will want to take advantage of our inpatient detox services. We also provide residential services along with a two-week stabilization program as our guests continue their journey.
If you want to immerse yourself in an environment that is focused on rejuvenating you, head to Spring Gardens Recovery. Call us at (866) 244-9556 to find out how our spa-like facility can help you stop letting opiates control your life.
