Opioid Addiction Treatment for Men
Opioid Addiction
Research shows that there are more opioid prescriptions in the state of Tennessee than there are people, just one indication of the surging numbers of opioid addictions statewide. Over 7.8 million opioid prescriptions were written by Tennessee health care professionals in 2015, marking Tennessee the second highest state in the nation, behind Alabama, for opioid prescriptions.
Opioids include highly addictive prescription medications such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and Percocet, as well as non-prescription drugs like heroin. In 2014, over 1,200 Tennesseans died as a result of opioid overdose. Opioid treatment gives those struggling with addictions the means to regain their health and wellbeing.
Opioids such as heroin, morphine, and oxycodone, are highly addictive drugs with a high risk for overdose, making them particularly dangerous. These drugs attach to proteins called opioid receptors (found on nerve cells in the brain, spinal cord, and other organs), reducing pain and providing a sense of feeling well. Prolonged use of opioids inhibits the body’s production of endogenous opioids, contributing to uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. Because opioids impact the reward regions of the brain, snorting or injecting the drug can result in euphoric sensations, but also raises the risk of respiratory arrest, addiction, and coma. In pregnant women, use of opioids can lead to health problems for newborns including neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), meaning that the child is born with an addiction to the substance. In the United States, occurrences of NAS have increased by 300% since 2000.
Effective opioid treatment requires continuous support throughout every stage of recovery, and careful attention to the ways in which opioids and opioid withdrawal impact the brain, body, and behavior.
A study published by Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in 2015 found that 80% of those struggling with opioid abuse do not seek opioid treatment. At Freeman Recovery Center, we’re working to change by helping men fight and overcome opioid addiction.
While we believe the 12 Steps of recovery offer many lasting and helpful ways of overcoming addiction, we also know that addiction, particularly to hard drugs, is often a complex and individual condition that must be addressed from all angles for effective recovery. We work with those struggling with opioid addiction to address related trauma with individual and group counseling, psychodrama, mediation, experimental therapy, and more.
If your loved one struggles with opioid abuse, we are here to help at every stage, with intervention guidance, in-patient opioid treatment in Dickson, TN, and continued support.