When you have an addiction to opioids (also sometimes referred to as opiates or narcotics), there will likely come a day when you resolve to overcome that addiction and seek out substance abuse treatment. There are many different types of substance abuse treatment available. However, with opioid addiction especially, it can be an extremely challenging road. Because of the surge in opiate abuse problems in recent years, there has been a renewed focus on finding ways to help those addicted overcome it. Get to know some of the options for opioid addiction treatment that you might not yet be aware of so that you can incorporate them into your treatment program.

Anti-Opioid Injections

There have been medications and prescription drugs developed in the past that can help to curb cravings for opioid drugs while also keeping other severe withdrawal symptoms at bay. However, the catch was that these drugs were only available in pill or dissolvable strip form. This means that it is entirely up to the addicted person to make the daily choice to continue to fight against their addiction.

While in an ideal world, this responsible action would be easy to do on a daily basis, the nature of addiction makes that choice a daily struggle. Recently, an injectable version of the anti-opioid medication naltrexone was made available. Physicians can administer the injection to the recovering addict as a monthly shot.

This is not a medication that can cause an addiction like some other medications that are sometimes used for opioid addictions and it does not leave the process of fighting off cravings entirely to the addicted person on a day-to-day basis. Because of this, the injectable naltrexone can help to keep a person away from opioids while they go through their other drug addiction treatments (like counseling and group therapy) so that they can be more successful in their programs.

Implants for Opioid Addiction Treatment

One of the most recent developments in substance abuse treatments is a device that is actually implanted under the skin. This implant releases small amounts of a drug known as buprenorphine on a continuous basis for up to six months.

This is primarily used for people with an addiction to opioids that are prescription painkillers, but it can also be used to help with other opioid addictions. The device is implanted as four small rods under the skin in the upper arm. If a person needs additional treatment and help after the initial six months of medication runs out, there is the possibility of repeating the process in the opposite arm.

Unlike the injections of naltrexone, buprenorphine is a controlled substance and could potentially be addictive. It is a painkiller as well as a drug used for addiction, which makes it a good option for recovering addicts with legitimate pain conditions. The implanted version helps to reduce the risk of developing an addiction to the drug.

Now that you know a few of the options that you should be aware of for your opioid addiction, you can ensure that you get the best comprehensive treatment possible to overcome your substance abuse problem once and for all.