Codeine Addiction Treatment Near Me

You have a respiratory infection and go to the doctor. They give you cough syrup with codeine in it. The results are glorious. You get a reprieve from coughing, allowing your poor abs to recover. You go to the doctor when your IBS is flaring up and receive a prescription for codeine as a treatment for the diarrhea. You express your surprise to the doctor, but what a relief it is being able to go into public again without worrying about having an accident. Your condition subsides and you have extra codeine in the medicine cabinet.

One night you are coughing from a mild allergic reaction and notice the codeine cough syrup in the bathroom. You figure you will see what happens since it helped so much before, and notice a pleasant sensation come over you. You took the same amount as before, but your body didn’t need it as much, so you actually get high off of it. You have started down a path of codeine addiction that if not gotten under control, will lead to the need for codeine addiction treatment. Codeine is one the most abused drugs, used for its sedative properties. When someone recognizes that they are sliding toward addiction, they can rely on professionals to help them resolve their codeine addiction with thorough treatment.

What exactly is codeine?

Codeine is an opioid drug used to treat mild pain, as well as acting as a cough suppressant. It was popularly used in cough syrups until the 1990s when laws were changed to require a prescription for any cough syrup containing codeine because people were using it in meth labs. Cough syrups have been used for years by teenagers who would add them to alcoholic drinks, creating a dangerous combination. The two drugs feed off of each other and create an intoxication that can be fatal. It had become such a problem that deaths from codeine doubled in a nine-year span. Since that time in the mid-2000s, pharmacies could no longer sell even low-dose cough syrups with codeine unless there was a prescription.

Why is codeine so dangerous?

It is extremely easy to overdose on codeine. Breathing slows anyway when someone enters sleep, and opioids can depress breathing to the point of oxygen deprivation. Individuals who mix codeine with alcohol are enhancing the effects of both chemical substances, making it difficult for medical personnel to reverse the overdose. Alcohol and opioids are two of the most addictive substances, so the mixing of the two creates an intense addiction and dependence. Codeine use not only results in short-term negative side effects, like loss of motor skills and liver damage, but it can also lead to long-term issues:

• Sleep disordered breathing
• Overdose
• Increased anxiety and depression
• Reproductive health issues
• Critical respiratory issues
• Cardiovascular issues, which includes heart failure
• Gastrointestinal issues, such as constipation

How do I know if a loved one or myself needs help?

Common signs of addiction can let someone know if they need to seek out a codeine addiction treatment program. They include:

• Flu-like symptoms, such as chills and a runny nose
• Uncontrollable cravings
• Lethargy
• Poor personal hygiene, such as body odor, dental issues, health conditions related to codeine use, and weight loss
• This is in addition to typical signs that include:
  • Social isolation
  • Misusing the prescription
  • Seeking more on the streets
  • Frantically attempting to find the drug, use it, and recover from it
  • Negative effects on relationships and finances

How do I choose a codeine addiction treatment center?

The majority of people who try repeatedly to quit on their own end up relapsing and using again because detox is intensely uncomfortable. Medical assistance can be found at a professional drug detox center center or inpatient drug rehab program and are designed to ease the physical and psychological symptoms so that someone trying to recover has a higher likelihood of success. 70% of overdoses on American streets are due to opioids, so finding help in the right program is essential to sobriety and regaining control of one’s life. A variety of concerns will need to be addressed to form a customized treatment plan, and they include:

• How severe is the addiction, including how long and how frequently used is codeine?
• Do they provide dual diagnosis treatment (when there is a mental health component)?
• Is this the first time they have attempted rehab?
• Is the facility skilled at handling the intense detox and recovery of codeine, which can last five to seven days?
• Is there a maintenance plan that follows a successful completion of rehab, like 12-step programs or sober living homes?
• How much will it cost and do they accept insurance? What are the options if they do not?

What kind of treatments are utilized in codeine addiction treatment?

Every program offers different techniques to help someone fully recover; however, research throughout the decades has pointed to the fact that a combination of methodologies is most effective at helping someone maintain the sobriety for which they are seeking. Some methods include:

• MAT (medication assisted therapy) – methadone and suboxone were designed to ease the side effects of opioid withdrawal without producing a high.
• Group therapy – helps those recovering know that they are not alone and have the support of those going through similar experiences.
• Individual psychotherapy – CBT and DBT to minimize negative beliefs and behaviors while developing healthier thinking and ways of coping with past traumas and anxiety.
• Aftercare and maintenance – continued support with help finding a halfway house and 12-step programs.

Realizing that you have a problem with codeine can sneak up on you. It isn’t uncommon for teenagers to steal their parents’ cough syrup and mix it with alcohol. They think they are invincible; however, codeine is an opioid and one of the most addictive drugs available. Codeine addicts may find that they will have a difficult time with the symptoms of withdrawal and can take advantage of medical professionals to get them on the right track again. They can reestablish relationships and careers while maintaining their sobriety and finding happiness where they once had it.