What Is The Best Codeine Addiction Treatment?
Codeine addiction is a problem that has to be addressed gradually and with medical assistance because the withdrawal process can be incredibly distressing. The recovery process usually starts with the first stage, medical detox.
Detox involves assisted withdrawal from the drug and careful supervision by a staff of medical addiction specialist professionals. This phase is crucial as it aims to eliminate any traces of the drug from the system. Medical detox can help recovering users overcome their addiction to gain a stable sobriety state.
Medical Detox
This stage of codeine addiction treatment can be particularly intimidating to those who have tried getting off of codeine and presented withdrawal symptoms. However, the advantage of conducting detox in a medically supervised environment is that qualified medical professionals and staff are on-site to offer assistance if things become complicated.
They can intervene accordingly by administering anticonvulsant or anti-anxiety drugs to help patients withstand the challenging aspects of withdrawal without it being too unbearable. This also helps to reduce the chances of the recovering user relapsing back to codeine use to alleviate their withdrawal symptoms.
When trying to get off of an opioid drug such as codeine, your doctor will typically give you medications such as buprenorphine and methadone to help ease the withdrawal symptoms experienced.
These medications also have a high risk of generating psychological dependence. This is especially true for individuals who exhibit risk factors increasing their likelihood of developing substance use disorders. However, when these drugs are administered under the proper circumstances, they can benefit the user.
Medical detox during codeine addiction treatment can take between one week to almost 30 days to complete, based on the duration and severity of the individual’s addiction. Other contributing factors include the patient’s mental health, medical history, and whether they were abusing any other addictive substances during that period.
Long-Term Rehab
Recovering codeine users looking to gain lasting recovery from their substance abuse disorder are better off enrolling in a long-term rehab program, including family therapy, addiction education, relapse prevention, life skills, and behavioral therapy.
Codeine addiction treatment can differ based on the patient’s rehab participation level, motivation, and personal situation. The National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends that attending a long-term rehab program lasting at least 90 days will offer the best outcome from the treatment.
Clients in codeine rehab will work with addiction specialists such as sober peers, recovery specialists, therapists, and certified counselors. This involves learning how to deal with high-risk situations, managing triggers, taking up efficient coping strategies, and working through the 12-step program’s core values.
Codeine rehabilitation helps people in recovery by employing various evidence-based practices and behavioral therapies. The approaches used can differ based on the user’s needs, but codeine addiction treatment typically involves customized therapies such as:
EMDR therapy- Creative arts therapy
- Family behavior therapy
- Pet therapy
- Music group
- 12-step facilitation therapy
- Contingency management
Recovering users can achieve complete recovery with outpatient or inpatient codeine addiction treatment. Inpatient codeine rehab programs require clients to stay in the rehab facility during the entire treatment period.
They will have to strictly adhere to the rules of the treatment center and the structured schedule. There is limited contact with the outside world except for interactions with loved ones, which is still allowed based on a plan.
Outpatient rehab programs for codeine addiction treatment include group sessions where you meet in a clinical, secure location several times a week. The outpatient group sessions have the same topics, which are also covered in an inpatient environment, such as stress management, coping skills, addiction education, and relapse prevention.
Outpatient treatment offers more flexibility for the participants who can’t fully commit to a residential stay in a treatment facility.
Therapy for Codeine Addiction Treatment
After medical detox, a recovering user can start dealing with the underlying psychological problems that led to their dependence. The next stage of codeine addiction treatment after medical detox includes therapy, and it can be conducted in various settings, namely:
Family therapy.- Group therapy with other recovering individuals.
- Individual therapy sessions with a therapist.
Therapy is a crucial element of addiction treatment, which cannot exist without it. The National Institute on Drug Abuse indicates therapy as a principle of effective addiction treatment.
Therapy helps you understand the underlying issues behind your substance abuse and whether any hidden mental health conditions could have driven your addictive behavior.
Therapy sessions with a qualified therapist can help you process these health conditions and their effects healthily and constructively. This could include:
- Taking up non-opioid based therapies for pain management
- Learning the psychological principles of positive mindsets and behaviors
- Developing new and improved ways to deal with physical discomfort
Another essential part of therapy is staying in contact with other recovering patients working on their recovery. This helps you learn from them, find solidarity and companionship, and find support and accountability during recovery.
All these benefits of a support group can significantly reduce the chances of relapsing back to codeine use. Even something as simple as texting minimizes the likelihood of relapsing when you experience painful, frustrating, bored, or lonely moments.
There are even smartphone mobile apps that send out emergency alerts 24/7 when you are having trouble so a sobriety sponsor can assist. Without therapy, you would not be able to make such connections as easily.
Most people are usually not ready to rebuild psychologically after a codeine addiction without medical detox to manage the physical damage. You can opt to continue with your treatment after completing rehab through aftercare or sober living programs. These programs offer recovery support services for people who need help sustaining their sobriety long-term.