6 Tips To Help Prepare You For Opiate Addiction Treatment

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Opiate addicts may abuse different drugs, from heroin to morphine to Oxycontin, but they all share the same crippling addiction and vicious withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms alone are often enough to discourage addicts from seeking treatment, even without knowing how the brain-altering addiction is manipulating them.

There are ways to ease the struggle for those ready to seek treatment, who are concerned about withdrawal or their ultimate success. Taking a few proactive steps can increase your chances of success once you begin inpatient or outpatient treatment. If you’re willing to put as much energy into your recovery as you invest into your addiction, getting through treatment and becoming sober is within your reach.

Consider these tips to help you overcome your opiate addiction:

  1. Change Your Routine

Addiction is often deeply ingrained in an addict’s daily routine, and can consume every waking moment from making the money for the drug, getting the drug, and of course abusing the drug. Before seeking treatment, attempt to disrupt this lifestyle by changing your schedule, focusing on family and work, and breaking all the regular habits that opiates have perpetuated.

Know that after treatment, your routine will have to be drastically different to discourage relapse. It’s all too easy to fall back into old patterns, but it helps to have an idea for what you want for the future.

  1. Taper Intake

Many treatment centers offer methods to ease withdrawal symptoms, but you can help yourself by having as few toxins in your body at the beginning of treatment as possible. Slowly reduce your opiate consumption by up to 25% a week before treatment to make the withdrawal and cravings easier to manage.

Do not attempt to cut your doses significantly or uncomfortably. The greater the addiction, the more shock to the body when the substance is taken away.

  1. Treat Your Body Well

Prepare your body for the physical toll of addiction recovery by getting regular meals and plenty of sleep. Often, opiate addicts are malnourished and sleep deprived before receiving treatment, making it even more difficult to recover. Consider taking vitamin supplements, especially the B vitamins and vitamin C. Hydration is also important, so nutrient-rich juices are highly recommended during this time.

If you’re looking for an effective cure for opiate addiction, be sure your body is ready to rebuild.

  1. Make A List Of Questions And Concerns

Once you’re in treatment, you’ll be exploring all the things that have brought you to this point. It can be confusing, and many addicts can become defensive when faced with such soul-searching.

Prepare yourself for what’s ahead by making a list of questions you’d like to ask a medical professional. The questions may be health-related, or emotionally charged. Being honest with yourself about your weaknesses is the only way to turn them into strengths. Think of any relevant information that may help your treatment staff better serve you.

  1. Understand The Long Journey Ahead

The unfortunate truth is that there is no single cure for addiction. Preparing for treatment is an excellent first step, but remember that there is life after rehab, where you will be subject to the same influences which resulted in you becoming an addict. Before you start the journey of recovery, meditate on the challenges ahead, and come to terms with the fact that many things will have to change before you are truly free of addiction.

Relapse is common but this doesn’t mean that your recovery efforts have failed. Having the faith to get up and continue is the real indicator of success.

  1. Make A Plan

After you have reserved yourself to the fact that recovery will be an ongoing process that will last months, if not years, you must make a plan for that time to come. Give yourself something to look forward to once you leave treatment, and a plan to achieve the life you always wanted. Be realistic in your goals but trust in yourself to meet them.

The worst thing you can do is find yourself outside of treatment without a clear vision of your future without the opiates; as you may be drawn into the same familiar habits. Again, be honest about the places, relationships, and things that must change in order for you to be in a healthy environment once you are sober.

The opportunity is yours to choose life over addiction, and you are not alone. Take advantage of every moment during your recovery.

Helen Garvey
Author of Beauty Zone https://www.beauty-zone.co.uk, Healthy Woman https://www.healthy-woman.co.uk, and New Promo Codes http://www.newpromocodes.co.uk. Written on various topics, including finance, relationships, health and beauty, skincare, and health and fitness.