detox will be best for your situation and what kind of therapy will be used.
You will not be stuck in these plans as they are subject to change if the client is not responding as anticipated. After you wrap up your medical detox, you will then enter either an inpatient or outpatient treatment program.
If your medical staff determines that you will be more suited to living on-site in a residential center during your recovery, you will enter the inpatient stage of the continuum of care. You will be here from anywhere between 30 days to 90 days, depending on the severity of the addiction, and if you were diagnosed in detox with a mental health disorder. The longer one stays in treatment increases their likelihood of success.
While in this program, you will share a healing space with like-minded individuals who are on the same road to recovery. You will attend therapy sessions that will teach you the roots of your addiction, and give you the tools to help cope with cravings.
In some cases, you will also learn life-skills such as cooking, how to balance a budget, and how to build a resume.
Outpatient treatment is recommended for those who can’t leave their daily lives for an extended time. If the medical team deems it appropriate, you can receive recovery services at an outpatient treatment center. This will be dependent on the stage of addiction you are in, and the severity of the addiction.
Outpatient treatment will allow you to attend therapies throughout the week but have the luxury of going home upon completion. These in-depth therapies have been found to be just as effective as inpatient treatment centers. You will be required to submit to mandatory drug screenings through this process. This treatment option is great for those with employment obligations or school.
Is Suboxone Use Dangerous?
Suboxone was created to make it difficult to overdose while using, but it still holds the potential of overdose. Overdose is more likely to happen when individuals use the drug in combination with other addictive drugs such as benzodiazepines or alcohol.
Combining the two substances can become fatal, causing one’s breathing rates to decrease, causing respiratory distress. Coma and death are considerable outcomes as well when using these drugs together. You must seek immediate medical help if you or a loved one ingests Suboxone and experiences any of these side effects you must call 911 immediately.
- Extreme drowsiness
- Slowed breathing
- Sluggish reflexes
- Lack of coordination
- Slurred speech
- Intermittent loss of consciousness
- Problems with vision
Is Suboxone Right For You?
Medication-assisted treatment with medicines like Suboxone has helped many people get out of active addiction, reduce their exposure to illicit opioids, and maintain employment. However, MAT can also prolong the amount of time that you are dependent on a chemical substance, albeit one that is much safer than illicit and even other prescription options.
Ideally, you would go through detox and then addiction treatment and maintain abstinence from opioid use entirely. However, many people go through several attempts at treatment and still relapse. Some struggle with the withdrawal phase in treatment and can’t make it through detox without using.
Suboxone is especially helpful for people that have struggled with chronic relapse.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), addiction relapse occurs about as commonly as other chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. Around 40 to 60 percent of people that stop using drugs after developing a substance use disorder, relapse at some point later.
Relapse is a threat to everyone in recovery, and it takes continued dedication to recovery to avoid active addiction. Still, relapse isn’t inevitable, and treatment can help give you the tools to deal with cravings and triggers.
Suboxone will enable you to skip the uncomfortable withdrawal phase and go right into treatment. This allows you to remove yourself from a lifestyle of active addiction.
Suboxone is not for people who have not been usin