Pinnacle Treatment Centers Discusses Opioid Addiction Symptoms in New Blog Post

Pinnacle Treatment Centers, based in Mt. Laurel Township, New Jersey, has announced that they have recently published a blog post that discusses opioid addiction symptoms. This is essential to know so that the proper treatment can be provided. Opioids are a class of drugs that include prescription as well as illegal drugs. Examples are heroin, fentanyl, and various pain relievers such as Vicodin, Oxycontin, morphine, and codeine. The opioid crisis actually started in 1990s when the pharmaceutical companies gave their assurance to the healthcare industry that their prescription pain killers were not addictive. This resulted in doctors heavily prescribing opioid pain killers. As it turned out, these drugs are highly addictive and many people became addicted to opioids.

Melanie Eilers, Senior Director of Communications at Pinnacle Treatment Centers, says, “Today, nearly everyone knows someone who has used opioids or has used them themselves. And for many people who begin using opioids, opioid addiction follows. Addiction does not discriminate. People from all walks of life can find themselves struggling with a substance use disorder (SUD) including one to opioids. If you or someone you love has an opioid addiction problem, remember there is help and there is hope.”

She continues, “Every day thousands of people take the first vital step and seek help for their SUD. There is support available for you or your loved one. However, it’s important to first learn a bit about opioid misuse and the signs of opioid addiction so that the problem can be identified for a particular person and proper treatment can be provided.”

There are many possible signs of opioid addiction. These include: opioids being taken for longer than prescribed or in larger amounts; a person spends a substantial amount of time trying to get the drug or in recovering from its use; unsuccessful attempts to avoid or reduce drug usage; social interactions and personal relationships are negatively impacted by the use of the drug; taking the drug causes problems with fulfilling obligations at home, school, work, and more; a person continues to use the drug despite its negative physical and psychological effects; a person no longer engages in activities that were previously considered to be important; repeated use of the drug even in dangerous situations; presence of withdrawal symptoms when the drug is not taken; development of tolerance so that the person concerned takes more of the drug to get the same effect.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if two of the above signs are noticed in a person within a 12-month period, then that person is considered to have an opioid use disorder (OUD).

As of 2016, it has been estimated that around 2.1 million Americans had an OUD. For people with OUD, taking the first step towards recovery is the hardest and the most important one. Fortunately, there are many dependable addiction treatment centers that provide a wide range of programs. These programs are designed to offer treatment to various conditions, from co-occurring mental health disorders and various addictions, including alcohol use disorders. These programs often include evidence-based therapy and art therapy to help those who want to recover from an addiction and live a healthy and happy life.

Pinnacle Treatment Centers is a recognized leader when it comes to comprehensive drug and alcohol addiction treatment and it currently serves more than 28,000 patients daily in Indiana, Kentucky, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia. They have over 110 community-based locations and they offer a full continuum of quality care for both adult men and adult women. This includes inpatient/residential treatment, partial hospitalization/care, medically-monitored detoxification/withdrawal management, intensive and general outpatient programming, medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, and sober living.

People who would like to know more about opioid addiction treatment and the services offered by Pinnacle Treatment Centers may want to visit their website or contact them on the telephone or through email. They want people to know that addiction is a disease, and not a character deficit or moral failure. Melanie Eilers says, “Asking for help is a sign of wisdom, strength, and bravery, not a sign of weakness.”