Opiate Detoxification

Opiate detox can be a frightening prospect.  At Paradise Recovery, we make the opiate detoxification process as comfortable as possible. We take the worry out of opiate detox! One of the ways we do this is by providing a medically-based opiate detox that is done more slowly over time than at most other treatment centers and hospitals.  Because the detox is medical, meaning you have medications to help you through the process, in addition to the support of our recovery staff, your body does not need to go through the painful withdrawal process that you may have experienced in the past.  By slowing down the opiate detoxification process, your body has time to adjust to a new-found state without opiates.  Opiate detoxification is just the start of your recovery process, but an extremely important start indeed!

In-house Opiate Detoxification

Unlike most treatment programs, Paradise Recovery is able to provide you with opiate detox right in our treatment program.  You will most likely be in our poolside detox suite while you are undergoing opiate detoxification.  The detox suite has its own private full bathroom and has a laundry area.  The room faces the pool and the ocean, so you are able to listen to the gentle ocean waves as you drift off to sleep at night.  What does all of this mean to you?  It means that your opiate detox is done right in our very comfortable home with our support staff and terrific meals, instead of in a hospital room.  Hospitals tend to provide opiate detox in a very rapid fashion, causing a lot of discomfort, opiate withdrawal symptoms, and pain.  Our opiate detox uses clinically proven medications that are monitored and prescribed in a proven manner by your personal psychiatrist.  The amount and type of medication that you will receive is personally tailored to you and your opiate detoxification needs to ensure maximum comfort.  You will also be receiving acupuncture during your opiate detoxification process, which has been clinically proven to reduce certain withdrawal symptoms, adding to your comfort.

Opiate Detox Philosophy

The philosophy behind the detoxification program for opiates is generally to switch the individual from short-acting opioids, which are more highly addictive, to long-acting opioids.  It is much easier to slowly taper or cut back on a long-acting opioid than a short-acting opioid, thus leading to fewer withdrawal symptoms.  One example of a long-acting opiate medication that we sometimes use is SUBOXONE® (buprenorphine).  Some people are switched to SUBOXONE® from their current opiate medication and then the SUBOXONE® is tapered.  On occasion, some individuals will be best treated by remaining on a low maintenance dose of SUBOXONE®.  You and your psychiatrist at Paradise Recovery will decide what is best for you and your long term recovery.  These long-acting opiate medications are combined temporarily with other medications that help keep you quite comfortable through the tapering process.

Pain is often the reason that people were started on opiates in the first place.  Often, the body develops tolerance to the opiate medication, so the individual has to use more and more of the opiate in order to achieve the same pain coverage that used to be achieved with lower doses.  The need to use more and more of a substance in order to achieve the same effect is called tolerance. Tolerance is one of the signs of addiction.  Increasing tolerance to opiates is one of the reasons that opiates are often not an ideal long-term pain management strategy.  When coming off of opiates, especially if the taper is done too quickly, the individual can experience a heightened sensitivity to pain.  When the detox is done correctly, though, people are often surprised at how little pain they have once they are completely tapered off of the opiate medication.  They are shocked that they no longer need the opiate medication for pain control!  In other cases, more specialized approaches are used to address pain control once the opiate is fully tapered.  You and your psychiatrist will decide if you need some of the more specialized pain management approaches. 

With a good medically-based opiate detox, you may experience none or very few of the withdrawal symptoms that worry people so much.  The general sense of discomfort, feeling “antsy”, the sense of impending doom, pain, nausea, irritability, diarrhea, severe sweating…. All of these symptoms can largely be mitigated by a solid opiate detox approach.  It also allows you to function and to begin to engage in your recovery process, instead of relapsing back into use. 

It is impossible to enter the recovery process without a clear mind to absorb the therapy and interventions designed to move you from the addictive way of proceeding to a clean and sober lifestyle. It is an important but difficult undertaking, which requires help from professional and para-professional staff. Once the physical detox is complete, then you can more clearly engage with staff and peers to begin to meet your recovery goals.  It is the first step toward a lasting recovery!