Prescription Drug Detoxification*
Addiction to prescription drugs is on the rise. While there is no way to know for certain what to expect during detox, the circulating horror stories shouldn’t keep anyone trapped in the cycle of addiction. Ex-users often scare others with stories of painful withdrawal symptoms. However, with the help of a quality detoxification center, symptoms are usually mild to moderate for most users. The detoxification team considers the individual’s age, overall health and body chemistry. Different drugs are metabolized at different speeds in the body, and each drug accumulates differently in the body. Clinicians take into account how some drugs remain in the bloodstream much longer than others, using this information to help clients detoxify.
Just as important is adequate psychological support. At Morningside, support comes from our compassionate staff, who stays up-to-date on the latest research and understands prescription dependence. Our staff teaches clients relaxation techniques, deep breathing, and how to deal with detox symptoms. Prescription drugs are directly marketed to consumers through slick advertising campaigns and prescribed sometimes without much regard to the possibility of withdrawal. Many physicians do not have the time to properly educate their patients on the dangers of long-term use, nor the resources to properly monitor their patients. Individuals who develop a tolerance to their medication may go down a slippery slope of seeking prescriptions from more than one physician. Many people find themselves addicted to mood-altering prescription medications and they want to get clean, but are concerned about the dangers of withdrawal. Many prescription drugs are appropriate for long-term use. However, medications for pain relief, treatment of anxiety, and for sleep disorders can be abused. In some cases, dependence on these medications can occur in as little as four weeks of use. Also, many of these drugs are sold illegally for recreational use. This is particularly true recently among young people and it has become seriously problematic in academic environments. Medications are widely available and affordable, but they are vastly misunderstood and blindly trusted. Anti-anxiety drugs like Ativan and Klonopin; sleeping pills zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta) and zaleplon (Sonata) are examples of medications subject to abuse.
A brief check list can help differentiate between use and abuse:
- Taking pain medication after the injury heals
- Feeling a sense of guilt or remorse about taking the medication
- Hoarding or keeping a private stash of medications and/or taking them in secret
- Having a refill denied by a doctor
- Taking larger doses to feel the relief from the medication
The detox center's team of professionals helps clients get off prescription drugs safely in a supportive, home-like environment. One client shared, “I had self-diagnosed myself into a combination of medications. I knew that stopping prescription drugs abruptly could be dangerous. I tried at home, but it seemed like the problems I was trying to fix with the pills were exactly the symptoms I had detoxing.”
At the detofication center, clients withdrawing from potent, short-acting drugs (Ativan, Klonopin, Ambien) switch to a long-acting, slowly metabolized benzodiazepine such as diazepam, which they then titrate off of before leaving our secure detox facility. The exact rate of detoxification depends on individual clinical necessity. It depends on many factors including the dose and type of drug used, how long it was used, overall client lifestyle, and the client’s motivation. A client’s detoxification is never rushed based on arbitrary considerations.
During detoxification clients learn that they don’t need extra pills in times of stress. They learn to gain control over their symptoms. This empowerment can be life changing. Once symptoms of withdrawal begin to lift, clients frequently report how great they feel. Clients can go from taking Xanax four or five times a day to only taking one anti-depressant dose in the morning to requiring no pills at all. Clients frequently report a feeling of freedom knowing that their days no longer revolve around taking pills. If desired, any long-acting anti-depressants can be reduced in very small steps. At Morningside there is hope beyond prescription drug dependence.
*Detoxification services are not provided at Morningside Recovery facilities. We work closely with local, fully licensed detoxification centers that provide the highest level of care to our clients. If a client requires detoxification and is admitting to any of Morningside's programs, our clinical team will follow the client’s detoxification treatment at these local facilities. If the detoxification period is to exceed 72 hours, we will also begin private therapy and other treatment services at the designated location. Our consulting physician and psychiatrist will also follow each client’s case at this outside center in order to ensure a smooth transition into any of our many levels of care. Although outcome studies have shown significant increase in client success when receiving full or extended treatment services after detoxification, if you require only a detoxification without further treatment, we are happy to refer you to one of the highly regarded and trusted detoxification facilities that we utilize.
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