Tag Archives: detox

Mental Health and Addiction Treament, Methadone Rehab

Can Methadone Cause Personality Disorders?

On This Page:

<>
  • Methadone and Personality Disorders
  • Recovering from Methadone Abuse
  • Getting Help for Methadone Abuse

    •  
    There is a strong link between the abuse of methadone and personality disorders. In general, there is a connection between a great number of personality disorders and opioid addictions. The more you know about the true impact of being addicted to methadone, the better equipped you will be to break away from the opioid addiction that is controlling your life.
     

    Methadone and Personality Disorders

    Studies have shown that those who are addicted to methadone demonstrate a specific set of personality traits that are indicative of a personality disorder.

    Some of these traits include the following:
     

    • Neuroticism
    • Anti-social tendencies
    • Paranoia
    • Impulsivity
    • Short temper
    • Hostility
    • Loss of self-esteem

    These same traits can also be indicative of a true mental disorder, which can make diagnosis a bit tricky sometimes. You may struggle with coming to terms with the changes in yourself or your loved one but may not readily attribute the changes to an addiction. With the personality concerns often building up over time, methadone abuse is not always suspected as being the primary culprit behind the personality alterations.

    Depression and thoughts of suicide can also accompany methadone abuse. Hostility to family and friends, no longer enjoying things that were once a source of comfort and entertainment and displaying the signs of paranoid personality disorders or even some form of schizoid personality disorder are all markers that could potentially mask the fact that you are addicted to methadone.

    >>> READ THIS NEXT: Are You an Enabler?

     

    Recovering from Methadone Abuse

    Methadone is often used as a substitute for those who are weaning themselves off of heroin. While these types of programs offered at a licensed methadone clinic can be effective, they are not a good choice for individuals with personality disorders or mental health concerns.

    Group counseling sessionIn order to truly get the right type of help for an addiction to methadone and personality disorders, you need to seek out treatment in a rehab facility that can offer you dual diagnosis treatment.

    What this means is that you will receive treatment from medical professionals who recognize that you are addicted to methadone and are also displaying the signs of a mental health problem and potentially issues with personality disorders.

    You will then receive customized treatment plans that work to address both the addiction to methadone and your personality disorder so that you are treated holistically. You are not treated simply as someone struggling with addiction or a personality disorder. Rather, you are treated as a whole. This will help to ensure that your recovery is comprehensive and successful.
     

    Getting Help for Methadone Abuse

    If you or a loved one is addicted to methadone, call our toll-free helpline today at 760-548-4032. We can help guide you to a methadone detox program that will treat both the addiction to methadone and personality disorders, while also effectively addressing mental health concerns. You are not alone and don’t have to face your addiction by yourself. Call us today.


    Save on Pinterest
    Share on Facebook
    Tweet This
    Share on LinkedIn

    Opiate Addiction

    Are There Homeopathic Treatments for Opiate Addiction?

    With opiate addiction rates soaring and the cost of treatment out of reach for many, people often search for alternative way out addiction for themselves and their loved ones. Thousands of homeopathic approaches and herbal therapies are one Google search away, promising all manner of detox benefits for opioid addiction.
    Continue reading Are There Homeopathic Treatments for Opiate Addiction? →

    Drug Abuse

    How Long Does It Take to Get Addicted to Methadone?

    On This Page:

    <>
  • The Dangers of Methadone
  • Treating Methadone Addiction
  • Help to Quit Methadone

    • Methadone is a medication that is often used during opioid detox to help ease withdrawal symptoms among people who are addicted to heroin and opioid/opiate drugs. It has become popular as a way to help people manage withdrawal symptoms, but it is still a narcotic pain reliever capable of causing addiction.

    This synthetic opiate stands out from other drugs in its class because it affects people differently than heroin or opioid painkillers. Methadone generally does not produce a “high” feeling and, like similar drugs (such as suboxone), it is believed that people can stop using methadone faster and easier than other opioid drugs.

    Even medically supervised use of methadone has risk. It is possible to become dependent on drugs like methadone and suboxone. Some people even take methadone recreationally. Whether it is taken recreationally or for opiate detox and addiction recovery, methadone hooks people at different rates, but those most susceptible can become addicted in less than two weeks.
     

    The Dangers of Methadone

    The dangers of methadone are real and should not be taken lightly. Like many narcotics, methadone can slow a person’s respiratory rate. While the pain relief wears off after six to eight hours, the drug can stay in the body for days, so individuals often take more methadone before the previous dose or doses have left the system. Without medical input, incorrect dosing can lead to respiratory failure, coma, or even death.

    It’s a good idea to be aware of these methadone dangers:
     

    • Combining methadone and alcohol is dangerous and potentially lethal
    • Withdrawal symptoms do still exist and can lead a person to relapse on heroin or other
    • Methadone can lead to overdose
    • Addiction to methadone, like all drugs, has a long list of undesirable side effects
    • Heroin relapse is more common with methadone users who got hooked during detox
    >>> READ THIS NEXT: Start with Drug Detox

     

    Treating Methadone Addiction

    Quitting methadone “cold turkey” can cause an individual to experience withdrawal symptoms that can be overwhelming, discouraging, and even physically unhealthy. Sudden cessation of methadone is not recommended.

    Man taking methadone

    Medically supervised detox services are strongly advised.

    Proper treatment can minimize discomfort in a comfortable and safe environment that will help prevent relapse and offer support for ongoing recovery. Methadone detox alone does not constitute a full recovery. It’s a good idea to seek a customized program that addresses the whole person, and the whole addiction history. This might involve addressing mood disorders, past traumas or co-occurring addictions to other substances. With the right program you can regain control of your life.
     

    Help to Quit Methadone

    Few addictions are as dangerous to ignore or as difficult to break, but we can help make the process as painless and effective as possible. We are happy to answer any of your questions about the healing process at 760-548-4032. We can even check your health insurance to see if methadone addiction treatment is covered. This is one addiction where proper treatment can make all the difference.


    Save on Pinterest
    Share on Facebook
    Tweet This
    Share on LinkedIn

    By Kathryn Millán, LPC/MHSP, Contributing Writer

    Heroin Addiction, Heroin Rehab

    Heroin Addiction and Weight Problems

    On This Page:

    Heroin is an opiate drug that is synthesized from morphine. Morphine is a naturally occurring substance found in the seed of the Asian poppy plant. Heroin can be snorted, sniffed, injected or smoked. Heroin works in the brain, binding to opioid receptors to produce feelings of euphoria in the user. These opioid receptors also control breathing, heart rate and arousal.

    Death from heroin overdose typically involves extremely suppressed respiration so that the person simply can no longer breathe because of the drug.

    Heroin addiction can cause a variety of side effects.1 One of the most noticeable side effects is a rapid change in body weight. Heroin can cause both dramatic increases and decreases in appetite and weight depending on the individual through its effects on the GI system — like appetite changes and nausea or vomiting. Looking for these and other symptoms of heroin addiction can help you get your loved one the treatment he or she needs.

    Signs of Heroin Addiction

    Heroin addiction happens when the body develops a tolerance to the drug and continually needs more to produce the same type of experience. Once tolerance for the drug occurs, the person abusing heroin feels he or she needs the drug to function at normal levels.

    Tolerance and dependence quickly lead to addiction. The person addicted to heroin becomes more and more preoccupied and obsessed with getting and using the drug and is unable to control the amount he uses or how often he gets high.2 If you suspect your loved one is addicted to heroin, there are several side effects to look for.

    Some side effects include the following:

    • Sudden and rapid weight gain or weight loss
    • Periods of increased energy or euphoria
    • Restlessness, inability to sleep
    • Excessive sleeping
    • Changes in clothing (to hide scars and needle marks from IV drug use)3

    Noticing any of these symptoms in your loved one means it is time to get help.

    >>> READ THIS NEXT: Start with Heroin Detox

     

    Heroin and Weight Changes

    syringeOne of the most common symptoms of heroin addiction is a sudden and rapid change in weight. This is because heroin suppresses the appetite. Most people who are addicted to heroin become dangerously thin — not only because the appetite is suppressed but because the person addicted to heroin will often sacrifice basic needs like food to be able to buy more of the drug.

    Heroin can also cause severe nausea, which can lead to weight loss as well. Heroin users can sometimes see a rapid weight gain if they are also using other drugs like marijuana to control the nausea from the heroin use. Marijuana can stimulate the appetite, which can lead to weight gain from binge eating while using both drugs.

    Finding Help for Heroin Addiction

    Heroin is a highly addictive drug that can cause all kinds of complications to your health, including appetite and weight changes. If you or a loved one is addicted to heroin, we are here to help you. Our caring admissions coordinators are ready to answer your questions about heroin addiction and help you find the right treatment program for your unique situation. Please call our 24-hour, toll-free helpline, 760-548-4032, to get a new start to a drug-free life today.


    Save on Pinterest
    Share on Facebook
    Tweet This
    Share on LinkedIn

    Sources

    1 “Heroin.” National Institute on Drug Addiction, June 2018.

    2 “Tolerance, Dependence, Addiction: What’s the Difference?” National Institute on Drug Addiction for Teens, January 12, 2017.

    3 “Signs of Heroin Use and Addiction.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, Accessed July 22, 2018.

    Alcohol Addiction, Alcohol Rehab, Drug Addiction, Drug Rehab, Drug Treatment, General Issues

    Drug Treatment or Cold Turkey

    When a person with drug addiction decides they may need to slow down or even quit their drug use, they might strongly consider going cold turkey. Just drop it all at once and gut out the symptoms. They don’t need a shrink telling them what to feel or what to do, and they certainly don’t need to share their feelings with bunch of strangers. This might be the mindset of someone who decides to go cold turkey from drugs or alcohol – a lone wolf who’s confident and gutsy. But is this really the best way to handle a tough drug addiction?

    coldturkey

    Pros and Cons To Cold Turkey Approach

    Let’s go over a few pros to the cold turkey approach. First, the addict may feel a strong sense of control over their situation. They may also feel some pride in believing they are self sufficient enough to manage something so “bad”. Deciding to tough it out may boost their ego. They can demostrate they are capable of handling it. It could also show that their drug use really wasn’t as bad as everyone has said.

    Unfortunately, a lot of the benefit of going cold turkey is on the front end of the process. The idea of it may sound good, but following through the entire withdrawal process without any professional help often ends with relapse or other trouble. Symptoms can be miserable and even somewhat dangerous if a person has other health conditions. Relapse risk is very high simply because the quickest way to end the misery is to use again. And that usually ends the cold turkey process dead in its tracks. Perhaps a good theory, but for the true drug addict or alcoholic, very difficult to carry out in practice with healthy lasting results.

    Pros and Cons To Drug Treatment

    First, the cons to drug treatment. It will take time and patience to complete a full drug treatment program. This could also mean a halfway house or sober living arrangement for a while until sobriety is better established. This could be tough for a person with a job or a family to look after. However, the alternatives are to either continue with the drug use or go cold turkey. Neither of those prospects will result in good things for a job or a family.

    Drug treatment can also cost some money. These days, everyone has to watch their wallet closely. Drug addicts and alcoholics may not want to spend another dime if they are in dire straights with their finances. On the other hand, what would happen if the addiction wore on? Would they eventually lose their job or continue to spend foolishly? Yes, most likely. And thankfully, there are many financial options with insurance, government supported programs, and payment plans. Drug treatment can actually save your finances.

    Drug Treatment Or Cold Turkey

    So what do you think? Drug treatment or cold turkey? Which approach will truly help you get and stay sober? When you are ready to consider drug treatment, it only takes a phone call to get started.