The Austrian psychologist Viktor E. Frankl said, “There is nothing in the world, I venture to say, that would so effectively help one to survive even the worst conditions as the knowledge that there is a meaning in one’s life.” People struggling with active addiction often feel as if they have lost all meaning in their lives. Of course, this is not true; it is just the nature of the disease of addiction to keep the individual hopeless and isolated. This lack of meaning can be especially pervasive for people struggling with opioid use because it is such a powerful addiction. However, the good news is there is always hope for recovery and getting that vital meaning back in one’s life.
The Prevalence of Substance Use Disorder in the U.S.
Substance use disorder (SUD) is still highly prevalent in the U.S. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “46.3 million people aged 12 or older (or 16.5 percent of the population) met the applicable DSM-5 criteria for having a substance use disorder in the past year, including 29.5 million people who were classified as having an alcohol use disorder and 24 million people who were classified as having a drug use disorder.” Also, perhaps more tragic, “In 2021, 94% of people aged 12 or older with a substance use disorder did not receive any treatment.”
Many of these people specifically struggle with opioid use and opioid addiction. This is because opioid use is one of the most prevalent types of addiction occurring today (behind alcohol use disorder).
The Prevalence of Opioid Use Disorder in the U.S.
Opioid use and opioid addiction have hit crisis levels in the U.S. According to the peer-reviewed thesis, Opioid Use Disorder, by Doctors Dydyk, Jain, and Gupta, “OUD [opioid use disorder] affects over 16 million people worldwide and over 2.1 million in the United States… More than 120,000 deaths worldwide every year are attributed to opioids.[2] Examples of opioids include heroin (diacetylmorphine), morphine, codeine, fentanyl, and oxycodone.”
Many of the people who become addicted to opioids do so unintentionally when getting prescribed synthetic opioids for reasonable medical issues, and it slowly “snowballs” out of hand. Then, there are many people who use opioids without understanding how addictive and dangerous they can be.
The Dangers of Opioid Use
Opioid use can be extremely dangerous as it can lead to physical, mental, and emotional dependence as well as potential overdose and overdose death. Of course, those are not the only dangers of opioid use. The following are just a few of the more prominent dangers of opioid use and opioid addiction:
- Can lead to financial insecurity and familial detriment
- May cause legal issues
- Many gastrointestinal problems, including extreme constipation
- Dangerous disruption of sleep patterns, including not sleeping enough and sleeping too much
- Increases the chances of risky behavior
- Can disrupt brain development (specifically in people under 30)
- Leads to anxiety, depression, and other co-occurring issues of mental health
- Increases the chances for co-occurring addictions (including other substance and behavioral addictions)
- Can lead to serious withdrawals
- May lead to self-harm and suicidal ideations
As one can see, these are not insignificant dangers. Also, if any, many, or all of these signs are present, it is highly recommended that professional help be sought as soon as possible. Doing so could mean the difference between short-term side effects and long-term consequences.
A Focus on Fentanyl
One particularly frightening aspect of opioid use and opioid use disorder is the introduction of fentanyl. Fentanyl is a particularly deadly synthetic opioid that is responsible for many of the opioid overdoses and overdose deaths happening today.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Even in small doses, it can be deadly. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.” Also, many people are often unaware they are even ingesting fentanyl because it is now being laced into many different substances.
According to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), “Two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a person’s body size, tolerance and past usage… 42% of pills tested for fentanyl contained at least 2 mg of fentanyl, considered a potentially lethal dose… One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.” It is because of these types of dangers of opioid use that getting help as soon as possible is critical.
How to Get Help for Opioid Use Disorder
Many people who struggle with opioid use disorder feel stuck in a situation that they don’t know how to escape from. Again, this is the disease of addiction – it keeps individuals from reaching out and asking for help.
On the other side, many people don’t know how to approach an individual who is struggling with opioid use disorder because they don’t know what to say, and they may even be worried that they may offend them. This hopelessness from the individual and this hesitancy from loved ones must be overcome if anyone is to heal and recover.
The key to getting help for opioid use disorder is honesty. If an individual is struggling, they must know that it is okay to reach out for help. Also, family members and loved ones must understand that being uncomfortable is worth the cost of saving a life.
Sometimes, loved ones have to make changes in order to get an individual the help they need. For example, many people are unaware that they are enabling a loved one’s addiction by allowing them to use and stay at home or by giving them money to keep them from doing something illegal to get their opioids. This is only prolonging the problem.
If a loved one is unwilling to get help for their opioid addiction, boundaries must be set. Again, these may be hard, but they are for the health and wellness of everyone involved. These may be boundaries such as not allowing an individual to come into the home if they have been using, no longer giving them any financial help, and not letting them near the family if they are under the influence. Now, these may feel difficult, but they can be life-saving. They can also help an individual decide that they need detox and treatment.
Detoxing From Opioids
For many individuals struggling with opioid use disorder, a medical detox is required. This is because opioid withdrawals can be extremely dangerous. According to the peer-reviewed thesis, Opioid Withdrawal, by Doctors Shah and Huecker, “Opioid withdrawal syndrome is a life-threatening condition resulting from opioid dependence.” Also, “Opioid dependence impacts the drug user and imposes a significant economic burden on society by increasing healthcare costs, unemployment rates, absenteeism, and premature mortality… When opioid withdrawal signs are present, pharmacological management of opioid withdrawal is needed.”
It is because of these opioid withdrawal dangers that detoxing in the care of professionals is crucial. Yes, not doing so may potentially be deadly, but it will also be unnecessarily uncomfortable. Not detoxing properly can also lead to a relapse.
Relapses are more common than many people may realize. According to the peer-reviewed thesis, Relapse Prevention, by Doctors Guenzel and McChargue, “One primary concern in addiction treatment is the high rate of relapses within a short period after even the most intensive treatment. Many studies have shown relapse rates of approximately 50% within the first 12 weeks after completion of intensive inpatient programs that often last 4 to 12 weeks or more and can cost tens of thousands of dollars.”
These relapse rates go down exponentially with the proper addiction care. A safe and secure detox is just the start of that care as it can help people to the next step, which is often day treatment.
What Does Day Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Look Like?
Day treatment is a form of treatment that allows an individual to closely focus on their recovery while also staying connected to their everyday lives. This can be particularly helpful for individuals who have financial and familial responsibilities that they can not completely step away from.
Day treatment for opioid use disorder should always look individualized and comprehensive. This means that each recovery plan should be tailored to the specific needs of the client, and each recovery plan should use as many treatment means, methods, and modalities as necessary.
Effective day treatment for opioid use disorder is also going to look very active. Many people are under the misconception that day treatment is less intensive than residential addiction care. This is simply not the case. Effective day treatment often consists of five days a week of focused and rigorous work. For some people, their day treatment will also include medication management.
Medication Management for Opioid Use Disorder
Many treatment centers have yet to offer medication management, even though it has been shown to be effective in many cases. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “Effective medications exist to treat opioid use disorder: methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. These medications could help many people recover from opioid use disorder, but they remain highly underutilized. Fewer than half of private-sector treatment programs offer medications for opioid use disorders, and of patients in those programs who might benefit, only a third actually receive it.”
Medication management is also a great way for individuals to slowly work their way down to abstinence. This process can be greatly aided by the use of psychotherapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and trauma therapy.
Psychotherapy for Opioid Use Disorder
Many people are under the misconception that the sole problem of the addiction is the substance involved. This is simply not the case – as is said in many recovery circles, “The substance is but a ‘symptom’ of the disease.”
Psychotherapy can get to the underlying issues that cause the negative behaviors of addiction. Often, these underlying issues include issues of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma.
Trauma is much more common than many people may be aware of. According to the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, “Exposure to traumatic events is not rare, as has been consistently found in epidemiological studies. The World Mental Health Surveys of adults were carried out among nearly 70,000 participants from 24 countries ranging in economic status from low to high. These data showed that at some time in their life, 70.4% of the respondents had experienced at least one type of a traumatic event.”
For individuals with opioid use disorder, these underlying issues must be addressed if one is to heal at the molecular level. Another modality that can be particularly helpful for this is group therapy.
Group Therapy for Opioid Use Disorder
Connecting with others in recovery is vital for long-term success. One way to make these connections is via group therapy. Group therapy allows for a safe space where individuals can engage in “shared experiences” and help each other work through the process of recovery. This type of therapy also helps people in recovery get comfortable meeting and working with new people.
Connecting with others in recovery is often referred to as the “primary purpose” in many recovery communities – “Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help another person in recovery.” This is also a great way to maintain sobriety on both ends.
Addiction recovery can be full of many paradoxes. A very common one is, “You have to give it away to keep it.” This is what connecting to other people in recovery is all about. The primary text of 12-Step recovery (often referred to as the Big Book) puts it this way, “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking [and using] as intensive work with other [people in recovery]. It works when other activities fail… You can help when no one else can.” This work also helps with long-term recovery after day treatment has concluded.
A Focus on Long-Term Recovery
Here at NorthStar Recovery Center, we believe in long-term recovery over short-term “fixes.” It is why there is always a focus on what comes next after treatment. This includes connecting with a recovery community and getting involved.
It is important to stay active in one’s recovery. This might include doing service work at a recovery meeting, volunteering to help out at a rehabilitation center (such as coming to speak about one’s “experience, strength, and hope”), and continuing to go to individual therapy sessions.
Long-term recovery also often involves helping the entire family recover. It is important to remember that not only is addiction a disease, but it is a “family disease” as well. The entire family can be affected by one person’s addiction, and thus, the entire family has the right to recover.
Another way to maintain long-term recovery is by utilizing the alumni support services that are often offered by treatment centers. These services can help individuals stay active in their recovery and keep them connected with healthy, sober events and sober outings that they can take part in. After all, opioid addiction recovery is about a lot more than simply putting down the substance. It is about having fun and living life to the fullest as well.
Building a New Life in Recovery With NorthStar Recovery Center
Viktor E. Frankl also famously said, “When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves.” No place is this more true than in the realm of recovery.
Here at NorthStar Recovery Center, we know that recovery must begin with the individual. But we also know that the best road to success is one aided by others. That is where we come in. Recovery is possible; we can help make it happen.
There is little doubt that there remains an opioid crisis in the United States. This is why it is important to continue discussing the dangers of opioid use and how quickly dependency can occur. Opioid use disorder can take everything and everyone away, but that doesn’t have to be the case. There is treatment out there. The key is reaching out for help. If you feel like you or a loved one may be struggling with issues of addiction or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the positive path toward recovery right away. For more information about the dangers of opioid use and how there is hope, please reach out to NorthStar Recovery Center today at (888) 311-0911.