Symptoms of Opiate Withdrawal

The symptoms of opiate withdrawal involve both physical and psychological ramifications. When dealing with the symptoms of withdrawal, it seems like using opiates again is the best option. The reality is that trying to quit on your own is what makes the withdrawal so difficult. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be quite so hard. A rehab facility can mitigate some of these withdrawal symptoms to make the process more comfortable.

Why do the Symptoms of Opiate Withdrawal Happen?

When you use opiates, your brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that gives you pleasure. The brain knows that this feeling is good, so it wants you to keep getting it as much as possible. Eventually, due to the excess flood of dopamine, the mind and body both become highly dependent. The receptors in your brain are now reliant on opiates coming into your system to function properly.

The problem is that once the opiates begin to metabolize, they leave those receptors vacant. The time frame for this varies depending on the person and what type of opiates you’re using. When the opiates begin to disappear, the brain and body don’t know how to function or react. This leads to the misfiring of neurotransmitters in your brain, which then leads to symptoms of opiate withdrawal.

What are the Symptoms of Opiate Withdrawal?

Unlike other drugs like meth and cocaine, the symptoms of opiate withdrawal are physical and psychological. Drugs like meth and cocaine primarily result in psychological withdrawal. When you’re coming off of opiates, you experience symptoms that are extremely painful and uncomfortable. Some of the most common symptoms of withdrawal from opiates include the following:

• Aches and pains
• Nausea
• Cold sweats
• Anxiety
• Irritability

When you’re going through the symptoms of withdrawal, it can feel like you’re going to die. This is why trying to quit without help is one of the leading causes of relapse. The problem is that once you pick up the drug again, you continue the cycle that’s ruining your life. This is why going to an inpatient rehab for a medical detox is so beneficial.

Help with Symptoms of Opiate Withdrawal

The good news is that you don’t need to go through the symptoms of withdrawal on your own. Medical detox is the best way to end opiate use. This experience will make going through withdrawal far more comfortable as well.

Medications like Suboxone are beneficial for people who are quitting opioids. Suboxone works by tricking the brain into thinking that you’re still using opiates. The medication is able to do this by occupying the opiate receptors in your brain that the drugs left vacant. From here, you gradually taper off the medication so you come down much easier than by simply quitting all at once.

The Hills Treatment Center specializes in helping people like you get off of opiates for good. We’re a full-service facility, which means that we’re here to help you get sober and maintain that sobriety. Once the detoxification process is complete, you’ll begin the rehabilitation process. We provide a variety of different therapies to help you learn how to live a brand new life free from addiction.

Some of the therapies we provide include:

• Dual diagnosis treatment
• Family therapy
• Pet therapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavioral therapy

To learn more about how The Hills Treatment Center can help you, call us today at 844-915-0287.