Archives for August 2020

Detoxing from heroin and opioids in general most likely requires a team of professionals. As you are detoxing, there are three important steps you can take to set up your new lifestyle for success:

1. In addition to MAT services, get professional help for managing cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
2. Engage in care of your health with by seeing a PCP. If you have Hep C and or any abscesses, work with your doctor on a treatment plan.
3. Seek out mental health care in order to Rest, hydrate, eat, block drug dealer and using buddies.

Typically, addiction struggles causes one to live in a cycle of withdrawal symptoms, cravings and obsessive thinking to get drugs. Nonetheless, there are many was to rise above and overcome that consuming cycle. In addition to MAT services, counseling with an addiction specialist allows for the ability to pin point thinking patterns and behaviors that contribute to the cycle and break them by developing new schemas (thinking patterns).

Obviously, before we get much deeper into discussing schemas the best thing to do is follow medical direction while detoxing. In the early stages of detox, it is important to allow time for rest and nourishment.  The ability to rest properly, typically includes a meeting with a doctor to attain treatment for any acute medical problems that have been ignored such as abscesses, high blood pressure, pain, and anxiety. I always explain that whatever problems a person already has, detoxing from opioids makes them all the more miserable.

Also, any mental health symptoms you typically have will likely be more intense during withdrawals. For instance, if you typically experience anxiety, withdrawals will magnify your worried thoughts to what may feel like times a billion. In turn, mental health care is likely needed to assist with calming.

Clearly, putting a team of professionals together may not be realistic task for one in the grips of addiction. Therefore, a loved one, an addiction counselor, social worker or significant other may need to assist you. If you would like assistance in forming your professional addiction team, contact me.

I have never worked with someone who really wants to be on drugs. Yet, mention detox and you may see your loved one running for the door. Just mentioning detox can lead to a big blow up. So, how does one detox from heroin, then? Well, it’s complicated. And it must be understood that detoxing from heroin will most likely be a slow and long term process. As you have likely noticed quitting, “cold turkey,” doesn’t work and neither does anything else, for most people. That being said, a key element to detox that can also be life saving is Medicated Assisted Treatment (MAT) services, more specifically methadone. Here are the three steps that will assist in detoxing from heroin and other opiates:

1. Seek out MAT services at a methadone clinic, community health clinic or a private doctor.
2. Work with your doctor to find the right dose of methadone that will prevent opiate use.
3. Follow through with your treatment provider’s recommendations.

The best way to detox from heroin is to first understand that there is no quick fix. Recent research indicates that people utilizing MAT services are 80 percent lest likely to overdose. services are harm reduction methods that can save lives.

There are several key factors to stopping addiction. For instance a professional support team, motivation to change and self-work are essential. Many times those struggling with addiction lack a sense of purpose and meaning in life which is a barrier towards motivation to change. One way to find motivation, meaning and purpose is to experience logo therapy.

Logo therapy is rooted in the belief that finding meaning in life is the most profound and driving force in humans (Frankl, 1963). The presence of meaning in life is one’s sense of self-value, a healthy sense of self and whereupon an individual takes action towards finding value in their life.  (Dezutter, Luyckx, Wachholtz, 2015). A lack of meaning in life could be observed in one’s life when it is found that they do not engage in activities that they are passionate about that by performing the given activities gives them an increased sense of positive regard towards themselves. When someone has tissue dependency it often takes away from their sense of meaning because they tend to engage in drug seeking activities, psychological numbing, euphoria, withdrawal symptoms, and seems to ignore responsibilities in favor maintaining their use (Phelps, 2015). 

It is frustrating to be trapped in a cycle of use, drug seeking, and experience crippling withdrawal symptoms. However, rising above the addiction cycle is possible. Through hard work, a support team that includes professionals, and a willingness to take action; progress will occur.

It is understood that by enhancing meaning in one’s life people challenged with addiction will have more motivation to change and work towards stopping their addiction.

References:

Dezutter, J., Luyckx, K., & Wachholtz, A. (2015). Meaning in life in chronic pain patients over time: Associations with pain experience and psychological well-being. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 38(2), 384. doi: 10.1007/s10865-014-9614-1

Frankl, V. (1963). Man’s search for meaning: An introduction to logotherapy. New York: Washington Square Press. 

Phelps, L. (2015). Intervention treatment and recovery: A practical guide to the tap 21     addiction counseling … competencies. Place of publication not identified: Kendall Hunt.