Addiction is running rampant in America. Opiate addiction is on the rise, and alcohol and adderall, a stimulant, are also major sources of substance abuse problems.
There are many different types of opiods, and many are strong prescription painkillers. Opiods include heroin, morphine, oxycodone (like OxyContin and Percocet), Cedein, and Fentanyl.
Prescription drugs like OxyContin are popular for pain relief because they are time-release medications: you take a high dose of pain reliever one time, and the medicine is released into your body over the course of about 12 hours, instead of having to take a weaker painkiller every few hours.
Whether it’s an opiate addiction, adderall addiction, a cocaine addiction, a methadone addiction, an OxyContin addiction, or any other dependency — if you’re suffering from addiction, you aren’t alone. 20.5 million Americans over the age of 12 had a substance use disorder in 2015; 2 million of those were suffering from a substance use disorder related to prescription pain relievers, and over half a million were dependent on heroin.
Any type of opioid use can be a slippery slope down to addiction. Nearly one out of every four people who use heroin develop an opiate addiction. And usage starts early: in 2015, around 21,000 adolescents had used heroin in the past twelve months, and around 5,000 were currently using heroin. And a year earlier, an estimated 6,000 adolescents suffered from a heroin use disorder.
Are you ready to free yourself from the prison of addiction? Read on for four reasons to seek help from a rehab facility.
- Who wants to be a statistic? The leading cause of accidental death in the United States is drug overdose; 52,404 people died from a drug overdose in 2015. Over half of those deaths were related to opioid addiction: 20,101 people died from an overdose related to prescription pain relievers, and 12,990 died from an overdose related to heroin.
Overdoses related to heroin and other opioids are now killing more than 30,000 people a year. Don’t be a statistic: seek help before it’s too late. - Withdrawal is never fun. When you suffer from withdrawal, it’s hard to stay in control of your own life and well-being. Addiction means dependency: you’re dependent on a substance both mentally and physically. For many substances, the first three to five days of withdrawal are known as “acute withdrawal,” and the second phase (“post-acute withdrawal syndrome” which can last up to a year.
For short-acting opioids, withdrawal symptoms usually peak within the first one to three days, and die down over the course of a week. Drugs like heroin, which have a short half-life, cause withdrawal symptoms to begin six to 12 hours after the last dose. Longer acting drugs like methadone and buprenorphine may not cause withdrawal symptoms until a day or two has passed.
Even once the worst has passed, chronic symptoms can persist. Anxiety, insomnia, and dysphoria may stay with an addict for weeks or months after their last dose.
For alcoholics, withdrawal is often less severe. Only 10 to 20% of alcoholics experience withdrawal severe enough to warrant monitoring or medication. These severe symptoms include goosebumps and fever.
No matter your dependency, a rehab program can help you manage and conquer withdrawal to avoid relapse into opiate addiction or any other dependency. - Rehab doesn’t have to feel like rehab. The best rehab should feel like a vacation, a holistic reset, a door opening to a new start. Rehab can be luxurious and pampering — yoga, massages, beautiful scenery — kick your addiction in style.
- Your addiction will only get worse. No matter what you’re currently addicted to, addiction can spread. More than 23 million Americans older than age 12 are addicted to both alcohol and other drugs, according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency. Seek help now, before it gets worse.
If you’re suffering from an addiction of any kind, a rehab facility could save your body, your sanity, and your life. Don’t wait: seek help today.