Recovering from an opiate addiction can be a lifelong battle for many individuals. At Michael’s House, we offer a comprehensive opiate detox program in Palm Springs, California, that supports individuals on their journey toward sobriety. These programs use evidence-based methods, such as medication-assisted treatment, to create individualized plans for each patient in our care. At our opiate detox center, we also provide therapeutic support to address the underlying issues that may have contributed to substance use.
Proper treatment for opiate addiction can mean the difference between life and death. Medically-supervised detox at a drug and alcohol detox center can deliver the mental, physical and chemical support needed to ease the symptoms of opiate withdrawal. To learn more about Michael’s House and our opiate detox center, don’t hesitate to contact us at 760.548.4032. We are here to support you on your path to recovery.
Opiate Withdrawal Syndrome
During opiate addiction, the chemical makeup of the body is changed. This makes addiction recovery difficult and withdrawal symptoms more likely. Each time a person uses an opiate, the drug moves into the bloodstream and attaches to opioid receptors. The body treats the opiate as a naturally-occurring chemical, and the body begins to undergo a series of chemical reactions in response. Over time, the body stops producing the neurotransmitters responsible for pain response and pleasure. This is called opiate withdrawal syndrome.
As a result, a person may feel a variety of symptoms, including:
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Insomnia
- Sweating
- Muscle aches
- Anxiety and agitation
These symptoms are not often life-threatening, but they can be severe and last up to a week. The goal of detox is to reduce or eliminate the symptoms. If the patient is kept comfortable, they are more likely to complete the detoxification process and move forward with treatment.
What Happens at an Opiate Detox Center
At Michael’s House, our opiate detox program is designed to support the individual through this challenging process. First, the medical staff assesses the patient and creates a personalized treatment plan that may include medication-assisted treatment. Medications can help to manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings during the detox process. Next, patients participate in therapy sessions to address the psychological aspect of addiction.
Not only does detox allow the body to rid itself of opiates, but it also sets the stage for a successful recovery journey. Detox prepares patients for the rewarding work involved with opiate addiction treatment.
Benefits of an Opiate Detox Program
When a person enters inpatient detox, they are forced to step away from their life and entirely focus on the addiction. Checking into a program and focusing on the addiction can be one of the most helpful parts of a structured detox program. During a residential detoxification program, the staff works hard to stress the importance of completing drug treatment. They may ask the patient to attend meetings with others in recovery, or the person may meet an addiction counselor and begin participating in one-on-one sessions. Overlapping detoxification and rehabilitation programs allow the patient to stay motivated and keep the momentum moving forward.
How Can Medication Management Help?
Medical staff at an opiate detox center may prescribe various medications to keep the patient comfortable during detox. Buprenorphine is one of the most common, but the use of medications is not universal among all treatment programs. Buprenorphine is a medication that functions in much the same way as an opiate. It attaches to the same receptors and sets off the same chemical reactions. However, it does not cause euphoria and is not considered addictive. Depending on the patient’s condition, consulting physicians may prescribe high doses of buprenorphine at the beginning of the detoxification process and then give smaller and smaller doses as the program progresses.
What Is Rapid Detoxification?
Michael’s House ascribes to the social model form of detox in collaboration with consulting physicians, but other detox centers have different detox styles. To reduce all symptoms of opiate withdrawal, some providers use rapid detox. In this process, the patient is placed under sedation and given the medication naltrexone. This medication renders all opiates in the patient’s system inactive, forcing the person into immediate withdrawal. Since the person is sedated, they feel no symptoms. Often, manufacturers claim that people can be “cured” via this method in as little as a weekend.
While this might sound like a real breakthrough in addiction medicine, professionals have been less enthusiastic about the method. People undergoing opiate withdrawal tend to vomit, and those who vomit while under anesthesia can breathe that fluid into their lungs and die. Since there’s little-to-no risk involved in standard detoxification programs, and the long-term results are often just as good, it doesn’t seem worth taking any additional risks.
In addition, a rapid detoxification program doesn’t provide the patient with the opportunity for quiet reflection. Some people need time and space to adjust to the idea of a drug-free lifestyle, and a rapid detox program doesn’t support this sort of activity. Our opiate detox center in Palm Springs, California, offers our patients a place to think, heal, and begin the hard work of recovery. We prioritize our patients’ security, comfort, and long-term sobriety at Michael’s House.
Take the Next Step with Michael's House
Detoxification programs are not a standalone treatment for addiction. People who complete a detoxification program without completing a drug rehabilitation program have an increased risk of relapse. Opiate addiction is challenging to conquer, and the average person will need significant help to succeed. Drug rehabilitation programs can provide that help, and once the patient has completed detox, they should be ready to work on those essential therapies.
At Michael’s House, we offer an opiate detox program in Palm Springs, California. Medical physicians at our opiate detox center are adept at creating the right programs to meet the needs of our patients, and we offer a significant amount of medical and emotional support to ensure the process goes smoothly. Contact us at 760.548.4032 to learn more about our detox programs.