What it’s like going through Prescription Drug Rehab

Each year millions of people become addicted to medications that were prescribed by their doctors. Prescription drug misuse is defined as use of a prescription medication that is outside of the manner and intent for which it was prescribed; this includes overuse, use to get high, diversion i.e sharing or selling to others, having multiple prescribers or other sources of the medication, and concurrent use of alcohol, illicit substances, or controlled medications. Misuse is a necessary but not sufficient criterion for a substance use disorder.

If you want to get help for your addiction, it is important that you check yourself into an inpatient Drug and alcohol rehab center immediately. You will be able to learn how to overcome your addiction in a long lasting way.

What to Expect

Principal strategies for clinicians to prevent prescription drug misuse and its consequences are optimization of alternative treatments, patient risk assessment, use of a treatment agreement, and limiting dose and early refills. Patient risk assessment should include a history, physical examination, and consideration of the presence of contraindications to prescribing controlled substances. When you go into a rehab center for prescription drug addiction, you will need to know what to expect. There is a certain process and steps that you’ll have to go through before you can successfully complete the program. The more you find out about this process, the more prepared you will be overall. When you are prepared for this experience, you will significantly increase your chances of staying off prescription drugs for good.

Answering initial Questions

You will first need to answer some questions relating to your prescription drug addiction before you are officially admitted to the rehab center. A counselor at the facility you go to will sit down with you and collect as much information as possible about your drug addiction so they can get a better idea as to how to help you. You will also be able to ask the counselor you speak with any questions you may have. This is a very important part of the rehab process, so you will need to answer any questions you are asked with absolute honesty.

Detox

The process of detoxing from prescription drugs can be quite difficult because of all the potential adverse symptoms you may experience. Not everyone who goes through prescription drug withdrawals experiences the same symptoms, but you should definitely expect to feel unpleasant for a little while.

A few of the more common symptoms of prescription drug withdrawal include:

• Tremors
• Sweating
• Cravings
• Headaches
• Diarrhea
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Nausea and vomiting

Sometimes medications like Naltrexone and others are prescribed to help combat withdrawal symptoms so they aren’t quite as intense. Whether or not you are given medication to help with withdrawal will depend on the severity of your addiction. Some people are able to make it through the detox phase without any help from medications, while others need them. Buprenorphine is another medication that is sometimes given to those who are going through withdrawals to lessen cravings.

A medical professional at the rehab center you go to will monitor your condition during this period of time to ensure that no serious complications arise. A vast majority of prescription drug addicts are able to get through the detox phase without any health complications, though it does depend on the individual patient.

Treatment

After you have gone through detox and withdrawal of prescription drugs, the next phase involves active treatment. There are many different treatments that are used for this sort of addiction, and it’s important that you know about some of them.

Group and one-on-one therapies have been proven incredibly effective for those who are addicted to prescription drugs. In these sessions you will be expected to open up about how you feel and share your thoughts with a counselor as well as others when you’re in a group therapy session. There are various types of therapies that are used for people who are addicted to these drugs, and the kinds that are used depend on the treatment facility as well as the patient’s needs.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is pretty standard when it comes to treatment in a rehab facility. This form of therapy involves the patient learning how to identify certain connections between what they think and feel and how they act. This particular form of therapy can be a great way to gain more self-awareness and as a result remain clean long term.

How long does the process take?

If you are going to a rehab center for an addiction to prescription drugs, you can expect the whole process to last about a month, though it may be more depending on the severity of your addiction. When you are going through the initial screening process at the rehab facility, a counselor may recommend that you spend more than 30 days in the program for the best possible results.

Some people with very serious prescription drug addictions spend over 90 days in a rehab center in order to give themselves the very best chance of success. The last thing you want o do is leave a rehab center before you are ready.