Drug overdoses are currently the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, far surpassing motor vehicle accidents or falls. In fact, in 2017 alone, more than 72,000 people lost their lives to drug overdose, a significant increase from the 64,000 people who died due to overdose in 2016. And while these numbers represent overdoses on several kinds of substances including meth, cocaine, barbiturates, and sedatives, a whopping 68 percent of these deaths involved an opioid.
Opioids are a class of drugs that include OxyContin, fentanyl, Vicodin, morphine, heroin, and numerous other prescription painkillers and illicit opiates. When legal opioids are consumed as prescribed, they can be highly beneficial in treating chronic physical pain, pain caused by an injury or surgical procedure, or for other purposes where making a patient more comfortable is necessary.
Conversely, when legal or illicit opioids such as heroin and opium are taken outside of prescribing guidelines, used to self-medicate, or used simply for recreation, they become highly addictive. Opioids of all kinds can trigger the onset of dependence within days of one beginning to abuse them. For many people, it only takes one hit to suffer fatal consequences.
While opioid addiction impacts people from all over the globe, there is no other place on the planet that is experiencing an opioid crisis like the one in the United States, who consumes 80 percent of the world’s opioid supply. For example, 99 percent of the world’s supply of hydrocodone (Vicodin) is used by Americans.
Part of this consumption can be directly linked back to the dishonesty of major pharmaceutical companies who touted products like OxyContin as being non-habit forming when introduced in the 1990s, while another part of it can be connected to medical professionals who are overprescribing these medications. In 2015 alone, 300 million prescriptions were written for painkillers.
Today, 130 people will die from an opioid overdose in the United States. Each and every day, this same amount of people lose their lives to opioid overdose and do not get a second chance to get clean. The disease of addiction is fatal if left untreated, however, those who are addicted to opioids can access evidence-based, clinically-backed treatment that can help them stop abusing opioids before they, too, suffer an early death.
Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction has saved the lives of countless individuals who have walked the line between life and death. Studies have proven that participating in medication-assisted treatment when recovering from an opioid addiction reduces the risk of future relapse and overdose, as well as offers significant benefits in the beginning stages of one’s treatment process.
For example, the introduction of a medication like methadone or buprenorphine can help to decrease the amount and intensity of withdrawal symptoms that a client may experience when stopping use. This is highly beneficial, as reducing withdrawal symptoms like sleep problems, vomiting, depression, and flu-like symptoms can allow for a client to get to accomplishing his or her recovery goals faster.
And while most clients feel that the most important time to be in medication-assisted treatment is only when they are detoxing, that thought process could not be more untrue.
Methadone and buprenorphine, which are two of the most commonly used medications in medication-assisted treatment in Jensen Beach, quickly start working by binding to the opioid receptors in the brain. When this occurs, clients do not get high but also do not feel such strong symptoms of withdrawal. When used long-term, these medications can continue help to rebalance brain chemistry, which is vital in order for a client to succeed both in treatment and in everyday life.
Clients who participate in medication-assisted treatment in Jensen Beach and throughout the country are saving their own lives one day at a time through this opioid addiction treatment approach. Not only are they solidifying their recovery by no longer using, but they are also increasing their odds of survival, minimizing chances of an overdose, decreasing their risk of contracting bloodborne diseases, and developing into hirable individuals who can both obtain and maintain a career.
Medication-assisted treatment is more than just taking a pill and going to therapy sessions. When the work is put in on a regular basis, those who were once addicted to opioids can turn their lives around for the better.
Medication-Assisted Treatment in Jensen Beach
Medication-assisted treatment has never been more available that it is right now. Even though studies show that this type of opioid addiction treatment is widely underutilized, it does not mean that it is unattainable. Nearly all addiction treatment centers that offer opioid addiction care provide medication-assisted treatment.
The medication-assisted treatment in Jensen Beach that 12 Keys offers is top-of-the-line and designed specifically to meet your needs. The type of medication you will be prescribed, the length of consumption, and the kinds of therapies you will attend will all be based on your treatment goals.
At 12 Keys in Jensen Beach, we do not rely solely on medication to fix your problems. Instead, we understand the deep value that medications like methadone and buprenorphine possess, which is why we carefully prescribe them and utilize them alongside a therapeutic program.
When you enter into medication-assisted treatment in Jensen Beach, you can rest assured that you are in a safe place where your recovery will always come first. You can also feel confident in knowing that you are in one of the leading medication-assisted treatment programs in the country. Our team of professionals will be with you for every step of the way, helping to guide you towards achieving your treatment goals and maintaining a solid stance in your medication-assisted treatment.
Get Professional Help Right Now through 12 Keys In Florida
If you are addicted to opioids, the time is now to reach out and ask for help. Medication-assisted treatment in Jensen Beach can help you stop the physical act of using, uncover the reasons behind your use, and rebuild your life piece by piece.
At 12 Keys, we are ready to talk more with you about medication-assisted treatment and how it can help save your life. Do not wait any longer. Call us right now.