Fentanyl Addiction Treatment

Do you or a loved one suffer from fentanyl addiction? You are not alone. People use opioid drugs at alarmingly high levels worldwide, and a recent surge of the drug has caused the need for effective fentanyl addiction treatment services.

Recovery from addiction is possible. A reliable, caring, addiction treatment center like Icarus Behavioral Health can guide you down a path of healing.

Keep reading to find out more about effective ways to get clean from fentanyl for good and what Icarus offers to help on your path to recovery!

What Is Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. Specialists typically prescribe the drug to address severe pain, enhance the post-surgery recovery process, and support cancer clients.

Below are some of the most common prescription forms of fentanyl:

• Abstral: Clients treated with around-the-clock pain medication may take this quick-dissolve tablet to manage breakthrough pain.
• Actiq: This lozenge-form fentanyl can treat pain when administered under the tongue.
• Duragesic: Healthcare professionals often use fentanyl patches to relieve severe pain, the effects of which can last up to three days.
• Fentora: People who become tolerant to opioid treatment may use fentanyl buccal tablets to address breakthrough pain.
• Lazanda: Doctors may recommend this fentanyl nasal spray to complement cancer treatment.
• Sublimaze: Surgeons may administer this fentanyl type with anesthetics to manage pain before and after surgical procedures.

However, the illicit production of fentanyl in China and now Mexico has been behind the surge of this substance in the United States.

These days, many drug dealers mix illegal fentanyl with heroin or cocaine to enhance its euphoric properties. Apache, China Town, Great Bear, Jackpot, and Tango are some common street names for this potent form of opiate.

Experts point to this illicit fentanyl use as the culprit behind recent cases of opioid overdose. Forms of fentanyl are available in pill forms made to look like other prescription opioids, and are often called ‘blues,’ ‘dirty thirties,’ or ‘shady eighties’ (dependent on what the pill is designed to mimic) causing some people to even take fentanyl without their knowledge.

Why Should You Be Concerned by Fentanyl Addiction?

In 2020, CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics reported 93,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S., mostly from fentanyl abuse and other synthetic opioids. It’s now the leading cause of injury-related casualties in the country.

Once you feel trapped by the need to keep using this powerful drug and need fentanyl detox, know that there are treatment centers like Icarus Behavioral Health that can help you recover from your addiction.

What are the Signs of Fentanyl Addiction?

Fentanyl is one of the strongest opioids and still has various legitimate medical uses. In most cases, specialists only use it to address chronic pain that other opioids cannot treat. It’s not ideal for long-term use.

However, because of its potency, it can become highly addictive. It blocks pain receptors in the brain and naturally boosts the effects of dopamine, the happiness-inducing chemical.

People who experience its pain relief powers are immediately at risk of developing a dependence on it. If this happens, you may notice the following symptoms:

Behavioral Changes

These behavioral changes may include extreme happiness and constant confusion. These are some of the most noticeable signs of excessive fentanyl use.

Psychological Changes

Opioid addictions often coexist with mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia. This poses serious dangers for people with such vulnerabilities.

While Fentanyl may help address psychiatric symptoms, it can cause long-term damage and boost the chances of addiction.

Physical Changes

People taking more drugs than prescribed often undergo physical changes, as well. They may display breathing difficulties, drowsiness, and nausea.

Fentanyl Withdrawal

When a person regularly uses the drug and suddenly stops, they may experience painful withdrawal symptoms similar to those of other opioids, such as muscle and bone pain, cold flashes, and uncontrollable leg movements.

Fentanyl Overdose

Fentanyl is a potent synthetic pharmaceutical drug. For this reason, consuming more than the prescribed amount can lead to a fentanyl overdose. A person’s breathing can slow or stop during such an episode.

Do not ignore fentanyl addiction symptoms. In extreme cases, they can lead to permanent brain damage or even death. No matter how severe or mild they are, know that there are treatment programs available at Icarus Behavioral Health for those who need help.

When Is it Time to Seek Fentanyl Addiction Treatment?

There are five phases of drug addiction, namely:

• First use: The first phase leading to addiction is substance trial. You can compare the process to drinking an alcoholic beverage or smoking a cigarette for the first time.
• Regular use: People can reach this stage without developing an addiction, but fentanyl dependency dramatically increases. You might develop a substance use disorder (SUD) if you repeatedly take more fentanyl than your doctor prescribes.
• High-risk use: There is a fine line between regular and high risk-use. Experts might say the latter signifies continued usage despite legal or social consequences, like damaging your relationships.
• Dependence: By this stage, a person will have developed a fentanyl tolerance, so they will need more of it to fully experience its effects. Additionally, when they have not taken the drug, their body with begin to experience withdrawal symptoms.
• Addiction: During this phase, you fall into complete dependency on fentanyl. Without the drug, your body experiences shakes, sweats, tremors, and other frantic behavior.

People struggling with drug abuse often find it challenging to decide when to seek help or admit how their behavior affects their loved ones. They might grapple between self-treatment and seeking professional assistance.

If you feel the need to take more fentanyl than prescribed, misuse the drug, or partake in risky behavior like purchasing it from the street or online, it’s time to seek fentanyl addiction treatment options. Joining treatment programs is the ideal way to get your life back on track.

Attempting Self-Treatment

Cutting out fentanyl use cold turkey is rarely life-threatening, but it can be a miserable process. After all, opioid withdrawal symptoms can be as severe as seizures, hallucinations, and severe depression.

This is why it’s safest to undergo medically assisted treatment programs. You shouldn’t stop taking opioids abruptly without consulting with a healthcare professional.

Working with reliable treatment centers like Icarus Behavioral Health dramatically reduces rates of overdose deaths and relapses for those who complete a program of recovery.

Treatment Options for Fentanyl Addiction

Substance use disorders are complex and chronic conditions, but if you’re addicted to fentanyl, there is hope for you. Addiction is a highly treatable condition, and you are not alone in your fight.

The most difficult part of fentanyl addiction is withdrawal, so you will need professionals to help you heal holistically. At Icarus Behavioral Health, we follow the following principles to ensure sympathetic, holistic, and effective treatment:

• There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment solution that works for everyone.
• Effective treatment addresses all of a client’s needs. For instance, if a client uses fentanyl to self-medicate for chronic pain, their chronic pain issues will be addressed to fully heal from their SUD.
• After medical detox, medication-assisted treatment and psychotherapy can work wonders in preventing severe and painful symptoms for people seeking lasting sobriety from opioids.

There are four main types of fentanyl addiction treatment: medications, counseling, and inpatient and outpatient care. Let’s discuss each in more detail.

Medications

People addicted to fentanyl can use prescription drugs to bind the same opioid receptors and the brain, ultimately reducing their cravings and withdrawal symptoms. For instance, buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone can mimic the effects of fentanyl while addressing addiction.

Medication Assisted Treatments can also be used to help clients manage symptoms of co-occurring disorders, such as mental illnesses.

You can discuss your treatment options with our staff at Icarus prior to Admission, and let us know what, if any, medications you would like to be a part of your time with us.

Counseling

Behavioral therapy can work wonders in any fentanyl addiction rehab program. Our clinical team uses an extensive range of approaches to address symptoms of fentanyl use, including:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy: CBT helps people recognize negative thoughts and behavior patterns that affect their actions.
• Motivational interviewing: This counseling method guides individuals into resolving ambivalent feelings and insecurities.
• Multidimensional family therapy: MDFT is ideal for younger people with substance use disorders and problem behaviors, such as aggression and truancy.

These methods help lessen fentanyl withdrawal effects, modify drug-related behaviors, and improve healthy life skills for ongoing sobriety following treatment.

Residential Care

Residential or inpatient care is a system designed for individuals who want to live with peers struggling with substance use disorder and have both a high degree of structure and accountability. At Icarus, our treatment center provides healthy meals, exercise, and support groups to help clients achieve sobriety in a supportive and healthy environment.

Residential treatment centers are ideal for those with severe symptoms, as they will have access to 24-hour structured and intensive care that offers housing and medical attention. Clients can choose from various inpatient set-ups, such as short-term residential treatment, a developing partial hospitalization program, and a newly offered intensive outpatient program.

Outpatient Programs

If you’re looking for an affordable and flexible fentanyl addiction treatment option, an intensive outpatient program may be a good option for you. These programs let clients take care of their families and go to work while receiving treatment for their condition. They usually involve therapy sessions, medical detox, and group counseling.

Outpatient treatment often starts aggressively, where clients attend multiple sessions weekly. However, it gradually decreases in meeting frequency and hours according to client needs and duration of time committed to the program.

Benefits of Receiving Professional Fentanyl Addiction Treatment

If you want to treat fentanyl addiction, joining a clinically supervised program is the best thing you can do for you’re the lasting success of your recovery. Below are some benefits of working with a specialized treatment center like Icarus Behavioral Health.

Treating Underlying Causes of Addiction

Without fentanyl and other drugs in your system, you can think more clearly and educate yourself about addiction. This will help you gain valuable insight into how people deal with drug cravings and their triggers. Once you learn more about your particular condition, you will find it easier to avoid or manage external factors that cause a craving for fentanyl or other addictive substances.

Develop Structure & Sober Support Systems

One of the core benefits that rehab centers offer is structure. At Icarus, our treatment programs emphasize the importance of daily routines in the healing process, so they help clients fill their days with productive activities. If clients have developed destructive behaviors, our on-site specialists can help them recognize and break them. By maintaining a structured way of living, clients can overcome fentanyl addiction for good.

Improve Overall Health

Icarus Behavioral Health offers inpatient and outpatient treatment programs designed to improve overall health. They provide clients with recreational activities such as meditation, nature walks, and group games to promote better physical, emotional, and mental health. Once you start taking better care of yourself, you can gain enough confidence to continue your recovery efforts independently.

People Who Understand Your Struggle

With the right fentanyl addiction treatment programs, you never have to feel alone. Group therapy and individual counseling offer a safe space for people struggling with fentanyl use. When you’re with people treading the same healing path as you, you will feel less alone and more motivated to fight for your sobriety.

Treatment Planned Around Your Needs

When you attempt a fentanyl addiction treatment plan on your own, you have to go through the worst effects of fentanyl on the body. Just as with other opioids, this process is not an easy one.

However, if you work with specialists, they can help you develop a custom treatment plan designed for your particular case. They can use a combination of behavioral therapy, contingency management, and motivational interviewing to help you overcome fentanyl withdrawal and addiction.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fentanyl Addiction

Let’s look at some of the most common questions about excessive fentanyl use.

What Makes Fentanyl So Addictive?

Fentanyl — whether taken as a pill or powder — is prone to substance abuse because of its potency and euphoric effects. If you use it to manage pain or co-occurring mental illnesses, the instant relief it offers can easily lead to you getting hooked.

Can You Become Addicted to Fentanyl Quickly?

Yes, fentanyl is a highly addictive drug. Some people use fentanyl to relieve pain, making it easy to overuse and eventually abuse. There’s no way of knowing how quickly you can get hooked on this opioid drug, but it’s always best to avoid the drug entirely unless you are in legitimate need and prescribed it by a supervising physician.

Is Fentanyl Deadly?

Yes, the effects of fentanyl can be deadly, even in small doses. The problem with fentanyl and other opioids is that you can’t see, taste, or smell them, so it’s almost impossible to tell if drugs contain such ingredients and what concentration they contain. Today, over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to these medications.

How Do You Help Someone You Think Might Be Addicted to Fentanyl?

Symptoms of fentanyl abuse include compulsively seeking the drug despite negative effects on work and family life. While people who are addicted may believe they can stop any time, they often need professional help to quit.

If you’re in New Mexico, call 505-305-0902 to find out about availability and schedule your stay with Icarus. We’d love to have you join our recovery family!

How Long Can Fentanyl Stay in the Body?

A urine test can detect fentanyl in the system after one to three days of use. However, after the liver breaks it down into norfentanyl, tests can expose its use after four days.

Note that the more of the drug you consume, the longer it will take fentanyl to leave your system. In some instances, hair tests can detect pain-relieving medications like fentanyl up to four months after use.

Can You Use Drugs for Fentanyl Addiction?

Yes, you can use drugs to address symptoms of fentanyl use. For instance, a fentanyl addiction treatment program often includes naloxone because it eases withdrawal symptoms by blocking opioid receptors.

The drug may also help clients who have overdosed; however, if you worry that someone has overdosed on fentanyl, call emergency services immediately.

What Is the Goal of Treatment?

First, treatment should help people heal from their abuse of fentanyl or any other opioid drug. It should also empower individuals to become functional members of families, workplaces, and communities again.

Whether you use fentanyl to treat severe pain or to experience euphoria, there is hope for eliminating your dependence on it. The right forms of treatment can work wonders, something we’ve seen time and again for our clients at Icarus.

Start Your Healing Journey with Icarus

Fentanyl and other opioids might seem like wonder drugs; after all, they block receptors in the brain, offering immediate pain relief and viable treatment of conditions like life-threatening respiratory depression.

However, fentanyl is a potent drug, making it highly addictive. If you feel you’ve become dependent on fentanyl and experience withdrawal symptoms without it, seek medical help immediately.

It is possible to find fentanyl rehab and treatment programs ideal for you, like those we offer at Icarus Behavioral Health. Our experienced specialists use the latest techniques and our specifically designed facilities to help clients overcome their addictions.

Icarus offers an extensive range of services, so you’re sure to find a combination that works for your case. We also accept the most insurance policies among treatment centers in the area. Work with us now to start your healing journey.

We understand the challenges this process involves, but we will be with you every step of the way to your complete sobriety. Call now for more information!