Opiates are a class of central nervous system depressants that reduce heart rate, minimize pain, cause relaxation and lethargy in high doses, slow breathing rates, and cause nausea and vomiting. The most well-known opiate is heroin. Prescription painkillers such as morphine and codeine are also considered opiates. Other man-made opiates are referred to as opioids and include Fentanyl, hydrocodone, oxycodone, Percocet, and methadone.
Getting sober off opiates can be achieved with help from an opiate detox in New Jersey, twelve-step meetings with supportive counseling, or we recommend a reputable NJ drug rehab center. Opiate addiction is extremely tough and causes a person to depend on the opiate physically. These people get “dope” sick when they do not keep a steady stream of an opiate, usually heroin, in their system at all times.
Among people aged 12 or older in 2021, 1.1 million people used heroin (an opiate) in the past year. (SAMHSA, 2021)
How To Identify Physical Signs of Opiate Addiction
It is common for people addicted to opiates to exhibit noticeable changes in their appearance. They will sometimes have slurred speech, and their pupils will be constricted and tiny, called pinned eyes. It is also common for someone who abuses Opiates to nod while talking on the phone, smoking, sitting up, and even driving.
They will also not shower regularly and wear the same clothes, and their home will be messy and unclean, as will their car. They will also have marks on their arms, swollen hands, and wrists. Reddish marks on legs, ankles or feet from using needles may have a cough or runny nose from smoking or snorting heroin or another opiate.
The most common Opiates people inject, snort or smoke are black tar heroin and powder heroin called China white.
What Are the Behavioral Changes for Opiate Addiction
Someone who is addicted to an opiate will begin to borrow money and steal money from their family or friends. There will be a noticeable increase in emergencies that require money to fix (flat tires, parking tickets, utility bills, lost phones, lost keys, etc.). They will also claim they are sick to get money or to cover up for why they appear unhealthy.
Their interests will change drastically, and they will not attend family gatherings like they used to or stay connected to their family and friends they once did. Job loss and unemployment or quitting school are also typical. Crimes and arrests are likely to occur.
Understanding Physical Addiction to Opiates
There are physical withdrawal symptoms associated with opiate addiction. Opiates stop the brain’s production of endorphins and dopamine since the opiate replaces the body’s need to produce them. What happens then after someone is addicted is that when they no longer keep an opiate in their system, they will get physically sick.
The first sign of physical addiction is experiencing body aches and sweating. In time though, the physical withdrawal gets much worse, and they will experience the following after they have not used an opiate, in many cases as soon as four hours after the last use of heroin or another opiate. They include:
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Chills and cold sweats
- Muscle and body aches
- Uncontrollable leg and arm movements (known as kicking)
- Restlessness and agitation
- Severe insomnia
- Heart palpitations and increased blood pressure
- Inability to eat or drink fluids
- Emotional instability
- Depression and suicidal thoughts
- Cravings for opiates
How to Treat Opiate Abuse in NJ?
If you want to know how to treat opiate abuse in NJ, then our addiction specialists at New Jersey Interventions are here to guide and support you. The physical withdrawal symptoms are the main reason an opiate addict cannot quit. Their greatest challenge is that they are in extreme physical discomfort, so they are desperate to feel better. They will commit crimes to get money for Opiates and change into full-time dope users who go to jail more than once and could end up homeless.
The only way to help them is to provide medications that reverse withdrawals and reduce cravings. Medication Assisted treatments, or MAT, is the most successful method to end an addiction to an opiate for good.
New Jersey Opiate Detox Program
The New Jersey opiate detox provides medications upon arrival and allows patients to rest and recover. They are provided safe and effective MAT, such as buprenorphine or methadone, to help them get through the physical withdrawals.
Once they are feeling better, they meet regularly with a therapist and are invited to participate in group therapy. The next step is to help them into a rehab program that will address their reasons for using heroin or another opiate.
Evidence-based Opiate Treatment
Our Opiate detox unit is directly connected to our Opiate addiction treatment programs. People who struggle with Opiate use disorder require a specialized Opiate addiction treatment program to help them remain clean long-term. Evidence-based forms of therapy include behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, one on one counseling, and holistic therapy methods.
We provide MAT throughout the treatment process, reducing relapse and allowing the patient to adjust to life without an opiate easily. Our professional staff of addiction counselors, therapists, and medical doctors provide in-depth therapy and support for each patient throughout their rehab program.