In the United States, millions of people develop opioid addictions, often after being prescribed opioid pain medication. While this type of pain medication can offer relief, it can also make you dependent on the opioid itself. If you struggle with opioid cravings, you can get help no matter what stage of addiction you’re experiencing.
At Drug, Alcohol, Mental Health Counseling & Evaluation Services, Inc. in Honolulu, Hawaii, we are proud to offer opioid treatment services to help you on your journey. Here is some information about opioid addiction and what to expect when visiting our practice.
Signs of opioid addiction
It can be difficult to recognize addiction, especially as it affects everyone differently. Some symptoms and signs of opioid addiction include:
- Having trouble sleeping
- Unusual cravings for your opioid medication
- Losing weight
- Sicknesses, such as the flu, dizziness, or diarrhea
You may also wonder how to notice opioid addiction in your loved ones. Some additional signs that your loved ones may be battling an opioid addiction include:
- Sudden financial troubles
- Disengaging with loved ones
- Issues with keeping up employment
If you think you may suffer from opioid addiction, you should get help as soon as possible. Opioid addiction can have immense complications if left untreated. It is also worth remembering that if you suffer from chronic pain, opioids may not be suitable long-term solutions due to their addictive nature.
How suboxone can help
In opioid addiction treatment, we may prescribe you suboxone, which consists of two medications: buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine helps with withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings. Naloxone causes withdrawal symptoms if suboxone is injected rather than the usual oral use, so this ensures you take suboxone correctly.
In addition to suboxone, we also offer different types of therapy. We recommend a combination of medication and therapy to beat your opioid addiction for good.
Administering suboxone
When going through suboxone treatment, we will slowly introduce suboxone to your body once the opioid is out of your system. First, you receive a small dose of suboxone just to treat withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
Once your body doesn’t experience withdrawal symptoms anymore, we increase your suboxone dose as needed. The final step of treatment involves finding an appropriate long-term suboxone dosage.
Suboxone treatment can be a temporary solution, but you can also stay on suboxone your whole life. Either way, we help every step of the way, and you can always come back to us when you decide to get off suboxone.
To get help with your opioid addiction, call Drug, Alcohol, Mental Health Counseling & Evaluation Services, Inc. at (808) 400-5003 to book an appointment today. You can also book online or use our online contact form to request more information for yourself or a loved one.