When Opting For Opiate Addiction Treatment Dallas Patients Can Regain Control Of Their Lives

By Elizabeth Hall

Dependency upon prescription pain killers have hogged the headlines recently. Well known celebrities have died from abusing pain killers. Many thousands of other people feel as if they simply cannot cope with life unless they take potentially lethal doses of pain killers every day. In most cases sufferers convince themselves that they actually need the pain killers and do not realize that they are addicts. Luckily, with opiate addiction treatment Dallas patients can recover and lead full lives again.

Statistics gained from rehabilitation centres and other medical professionals show that dependency upon prescription pain killers is definitely on the rise. It is not difficult to obtain these habit forming substances. Many doctors will prescribe it on demand. It can even be bought from unscrupulous dealers without a prescription and there are no laws prohibiting the possession or use of these pain killers.

There are certain common denominators that are true to all kinds of substance dependency. Addicts frequently deny that they are addicted or else they convince themselves and their loved ones that they can end their habit any time they wish. Loved ones should become alerted if the individual concerned consult with several doctors, buy their prescription drugs from different pharmacies and insist on having their medication at hand at all times.

As is the case with almost all addicts, rehabilitation will only be effective once the patient admits that he has a problem and that he needs professional help. Most rehabilitation professionals will insist on a thorough assessment of the patient before admitting him to a rehabilitation program. This assessment normally include a full psychological evaluation and a physical examination.

Reputable rehabilitation programs will first focus upon detoxing the patient. This withdrawal process can be taxing for both the patient and his care team. He will be stressed, depressed and often even suicidal. In some cases drugs are prescribed to alleviate the worst symptoms of the withdrawal process. This is a vital step in the recovery process and without professional help few addicts can manage on their own.

Once the patient has gone through the withdrawal period, he needs to learn how to cope with everyday life without using prescription pain killers. He needs to learn how to manage pain and how to cope without the artificial high that these substances used to provide him. This is achieved through counselling where the patient learns how to eat healthily, engage in exercise and use alternative methods to prevent pain.

Patients often do well during the rehabilitation program, only to resort to pain killers again shortly after completing the program. This is why it is so vital to have a caring support system in place for patients that just completed rehabilitation programs. They should be encouraged to join support groups and to remain acutely aware of circumstances that may tempt them to use habit forming pain killers again.

There is a myriad of substances that can cause dependency. Many sufferers never even realize that they are, in fact, addicts. It is never too late to admit to a problem and to seek professional help. Modern medicine recognizes addiction as a medical condition and there is help available.