When it comes to drug abuse, and increased risk for mortality, the drugs – prescription and illegally obtained, constituting the highest liability fall into the opioid category. The addiction to opioids is such that measures taken to become free of the attachment to the drug must involve a comprehensive and integrated approach. Different schools of thought exist regarding how to tackle the problem. Yet, every treatment center follows the same procedure at the beginning. This is detox – a process producing the conditions for opioid withdrawal.
What Is Withdrawal?
If you have a heavy dependency on drugs such as the opioids, your body and mind have developed a strong connection to the substance. In the case opioids, the attachment is actually physical. When you do not obtain and use the drug at the level required by your body, you will suffer various physical symptoms. This is withdrawal or discontinuation.
Symptoms
The indications of withdrawal are not identical for everyone. It will depend upon the substance being abused as well as the level of current usage. Someone suffering from opioid withdrawal, may exhibit symptoms comparable to those signifying a bout with the flu. Symptoms of withdrawal include the following:
Abdominal cramping
- Agitation
- Anxiety
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Runny noise
- Vomiting
- Sneezing
- Goosebumps
- Dilated pupils
- Yawning
None of these symptoms is life threatening. They appear anywhere from 12 to 30 hours following drug use. The timing and duration will depend upon other factors including type of drug and level of usage.
Management of Opioid Withdrawal
Withdrawing from any substance can be very painful. The longer a person is on the drug, the more difficult it may prove to be to extract them. Treatment may involve going cold turkey. However, certain medications can help decrease the overall impact of the withdrawal symptoms. The medications most commonly employed are:
1. Methadone
2. Buprenorphine
3. Clonidine
4. Benzodiazepines
Opioid withdrawal, however, is only one-step in a process moving from addiction to recovery.
