Opioid addiction affects people from all walks of life across Seattle and the United States. Most opioid addiction begins with prescription opioids for routine surgery or chronic pain. Unfortunately, opioids are highly addictive and hard to stop talking without medical intervention. The team at Northpoint Seattle helps the community recover from opioid addiction with our comprehensive outpatient programs.
If you or someone you love is struggling with opioid use, don’t wait. Call Northpoint Seattle now at 888.483.6031 to enroll in our opioid addiction treatment programs or another substance abuse treatment program.
What are Opioids?
Opioids are synthetic or semi-synthetic drugs made from the opium poppy. Over the last few hundred years, chemists have produced stronger and stronger opioids from both opium and synthetic compounds. Unfortunately, the United States has spent several decades in an opioid crisis. A rise in its accessibility, misinformation, and overprescribing has dramatically increased the rate of opioid addiction across the country and here in Washington State.
Opioids are popular and effective painkillers. They work by inhibiting pain receptors in the brain and flooding the body with dopamine. This can cause a powerful euphoric effect that lessens when someone takes opioids. Unfortunately, opioids change the brain over time, and the body builds tolerance. This means the more often someone takes opioids, the higher the dose they will need for the same level of pain relief.
Common Legal and Illicit Opioids
Doctors prescribe opioids across the country every day. Whether someone is recovering from injury or managing chronic pain, there’s a good chance they’re taking a prescription opioid. There are many commonly prescribed opioids and illicit opioids. Common opioids include:
- Amytal
- Codeine
- Darvon
- Demerol
- Dilaudid
- Fentanyl
- Heroin
- Hydrocodone
- Hydromorphone
- Kratom
- Lorcet
- Lortab
- Methadone
- Morphine
- Opana
- Opium
- Oxycodone
- Oxymorphone
- Percocet
- Vicodin
Understanding Opioid Abuse and Addiction
Taking prescription opioids more often, using someone else’s prescription, or buying street opioids are the first signs of opioid abuse. Crushing and snorting prescription opioids is another sign someone is abusing opioids. Unfortunately, because someone can build an opioid tolerance quickly, opioid abuse is a common way to enhance the drug’s effect. It’s also often the first step towards addiction.
Opioid addiction occurs when the brain becomes dependent on opioids for chemical processes. When addiction develops, a person will experience intense opioid withdrawal. Also called “dope sickness,” withdrawal can be physically, emotionally, and mentally difficult. Withdrawal symptoms include:
- Flu-like symptoms
- Mood swings
- Drug-seeking behavior
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
- Drug cravings
- Hallucinations
- Sweating
- Digestive problems
- Shaking
- Depression
- Return and worsening of physical pain
Opioid withdrawal can make it impossible to stop taking opioids without treatment. Withdrawal symptoms and cravings can last several months after someone stops taking opioids. For those taking opioids for chronic pain, alternative treatments can help lessen the effects of withdrawal and decrease pain.
Outpatient Opioid Addiction Treatment in Seattle, Washington
Call Northpoint Seattle now if you or someone you love is struggling with prescription or illicit opioids. Our comprehensive outpatient programs provide a range of care that fits clients’ individual needs and schedules. With two centers in Seattle and Bellevue, we believe in helping Washington State recover from addiction.
With a range of mental health services, we put dual diagnosis at the forefront of treatment, helping clients understand, treat, and manage mood disorders alongside addiction recovery. With individual, group, and family therapy programs, Northpoint Seattle helps people reconnect and recover together. We accept most insurance carriers and provide affordable, effective recovery with partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient treatment programs.
Call Northpoint Seattle Now to Begin Opioid Addiction Treatment
Call us now at 888.483.6031 to find the right opioid outpatient program for you and your loved ones in Seattle today.