Treatment Options for Opiate Addiction

By Anne Watkins

When seeking treatment for opiate addiction, there are several options available depending on your needs.

Opiate Inpatient Treatment

Inpatient treatment for opiate addiction requires patients to stay in a hospital or residential treatment facility for an extended period of time. Inpatient treatment is designed for severe, long-term addicts who need comprehensive treatment, and usually involves three main elements:

1. Hospital detoxification, during which an addict is assisted in overcoming the strong physical urges that tend to occur during the first three to seven days after quitting.
2. Residential addiction treatment, during which a patient stays at a care facility and is immersed in multifaceted addiction treatment and therapy for anywhere between one and six weeks.
3. Aftercare treatment, which works like long-term outpatient treatment, and usually involves therapy, support groups and medication.

Opiate Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient care is a broad term referring to any treatment program that does not require a hospital visit. While it’s not recommended for all addicts, outpatient drug rehab is growing in popularity among people who, for any number of reasons, don’t need full-time, intensive care.

Circumstances in which people opt to use opiate outpatient treatment include:

• Not being able to get out of work. In cases of severe addiction, treatment experts advise patients to seek inpatient treatment at all costs, even at the expense of a job. However, some people simply don’t have the luxury of being able to leave work. If you own your business, if your work is your entire livelihood or if people at work depend on you for their lives or safety, it’s understandable that you won’t want to check yourself into an inpatient treatment facility.
• An addiction that is mild to moderate. There are many different levels of addiction, and there are different types of addicts. For those who have developed only a mild to moderate addiction to something such as prescription painkillers, outpatient treatment may be effective for kicking the habit.
• A strong support network of family and friends. Addicts may be able to recover just as effectively in the comfort of their own homes. That is especially true if there is supportive family at home, and if family and friends are educated about addiction and treatment.
• No prior history of addiction. There are some people who become addicted to things very easily, and then there are those who will never get hooked on drugs or alcohol. However, even among people in the latter category, there is always the danger of slipping into addictive habits during times of pain or stress. Inpatient treatment is designed for people who have deep, long-term addictive tendencies, which may be more than is necessary for someone who is not genetically or psychologically prone to addiction.

When Outpatient Treatment Isn’t Effective

Even in the above cases, outpatient treatment is not for everyone. Some people may become addicted during times of weakness, even though they may otherwise be completely healthy, totally functional and in control of themselves. These people may just need a little help getting through the recovery process so that they can continue with their lives as normal.

However, there are some people for whom opiate outpatient treatment is not advisable, including:

• People with other medical or psychological illnesses. Outpatient treatment is much less likely to be effective if the addict has depression, anxiety or a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia.
• People with other addictions. Anyone who has an opiate addiction in addition to alcoholism or any other type of drug habit needs extensive inpatient care.
• People who may harm themselves or others. People with suicidal thoughts, a history of abusing others, or a history of drug-related crime or violence likely need the additional treatment that goes along with inpatient care.
• People who have relapsed repeatedly. If previous attempts to beat an opiate addiction have ended in failure and relapses, inpatient treatment may be the only way to kick the habit once and for all.
• People with high-stress lives or jobs. It’s often the people with busy, high-pressure jobs who opt to use outpatient care. However, there’s always a chance that work-related stress will make recovery more difficult.
• People with volatile or unstable home lives. If the individual does not have a stable and comfortable home, it will be hard to recover using exclusively outpatient care.

Elements of Outpatient Treatment

There are three main stages to outpatient treatment for opiate addiction. First, there is detox, in which the addict deals with withdrawal symptoms. This can last anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Most addiction treatment programs employ medications such as suboxone, which helps reduce withdrawal effects, or methadone, which emulates the chemical effects of opioids without the impairment or altered consciousness. The detox stage is also the period during which the addict should seek medical care for any physical affects of addiction.

Secondly, beginning very early in the process (usually during detox), the addict receives counseling to address any psychological issues related to the addiction. Though group, individual or couple’s counseling, the addict works through his or her issues and begins to figure out how to live a better and healthier drug-free life.

Finally, the addict has several options for long-term care. For many, it’s a good idea to continue counseling in the long term, even if not at the same frequency as during earlier stages. Twelve-Step programs or other support groups are also suggested because they help the recovering addict find support, understanding and accountability from a community of similarly afflicted people.