Opioids can lead even those who have never used illegal drugs to develop addictions. Therefore, preventing addiction to drugs starts with doctors regulating the use of these opioids. However, they also must encourage their patients with signs of opioid addiction to get help as soon as possible. If you or a woman you love is battling an opioid addiction, please contact The Willows at Red Oak today at 855.773.0614.
What Are Highly Addictive Opioids?
Most drugs in the opioid class, including legal pain-relieving prescriptions, are highly addictive. Examples of such medications include:
- Oxycodone
- Codeine
- Morphine
- Methadone
- Hydrocodone
Unfortunately, women typically have a greater likelihood of getting a prescription for an opioid from their doctor. However, many women don’t talk about opioid addiction. Regardless of the legality of a drug, addiction can still occur and cause severe life disruptions.
Opioid addiction occurs from drugs in this class due to the way they interact with the brain. Opioid drugs cause a rapid release of endorphins in the brain, which produce a feeling of extreme happiness. Then, the brain’s reward center experiences a boost from using the drugs. The euphoria and the rewarding sensation make the individual more likely to want to use the drug again. However, the individual builds intense cravings and tolerance for lower amounts of the drug with regular use. Therefore, they need to take higher doses or more potent medicines to experience the same happiness and rewarded feeling.
Some women who take prescription opioid drugs may progress to illegal alternatives as they develop a tolerance for their medications. Heroin and some synthetic opioids are examples of more potent, illicit opioids. Moreover, women who take these have a greater chance of overdosing due to these drugs’ extra potency. An overdose on an opioid could lead to death.
What to Do to Prevent Opioid Addiction
To prevent opioid addiction, doctors have a responsibility to monitor patients’ prescriptions. For example, they may need to find alternatives to opioids for pain relief or choose other long-term pain management options. Doctors should also watch for signs of tolerance, including patients refilling prescriptions early or too often. Patients with these signs need a referral to an opioid addiction treatment center.
Individuals taking opioids should watch out for signs of dependency or addiction, including needing more medication to feel relief and feeling withdrawal symptoms when skipping a dose. If these signs appear in yourself or a loved one, seek a substance use treatment program for help.
Treatment Options for Those with Opioid Addiction
For opioid addiction, treatment may include various therapies to mitigate the physical and mental effects of opioid use. At The Willows at Red Oak Recovery, we help women with opioid addictions to restore balance and healthy behaviors to their lives with holistic treatments that include:
- Yoga therapy
- Meditation therapy
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Coping skills education
- Trauma therapy
- Dual diagnosis treatment programs
These treatment options can help women learn to handle the mental impacts of quitting opioid use. Since many who have prescription pain medication addictions may also experience pain by quitting opioids, they also need ways of handling the pain without the drugs. Furthermore, our programs take an individualized approach to care. Therefore, each woman gets a treatment plan suited specifically to her needs and recovery goals.
Contact The Willows at Red Oak Today
Women with opioid addiction fight a battle that they may not win alone. However, with help from our expert addiction recovery staff and our healing environment, recovery can happen. Learn about getting help for yourself or a loved one here at The Willows at Red Oak near Asheville, NC. Contact us online with a message or phone us at 855.773.0614. We have the resources to help young women to break out of opioid addiction and find healing for their body and mind.
