Vivitrol Treatment in Lexington
JourneyPure Staff
August 2, 2019
Opioid addiction is a public health crisis throughout the United States, with more than 47,000 people dying from opioid overdose in the past year. Not included in this number are those who died due to the internal damage opioid addiction had caused, accidents that occurred while under the influence of opioids, or opioid-related violence. That number also does not include those who committed suicide because of their battle with opioid addiction.
People who become addicted to opioids can face several challenges that test everything within their lives. Their opioid addiction can become so powerful that they begin isolating from friends, family, and loved ones in order to keep using. They may begin falling behind at work or calling out sick more frequently. Plus, funding an opioid addiction takes a lot of money, which people can quickly blow through if they are spending more on opioids than they are earning.
These are just the symptoms of opioid addiction. They do not represent the cause of one’s opioid abuse, which is usually related to biological, environmental, and genetic factors. However, the longer that these symptoms continue for, the more severe they can become.
The good news is that opioid addiction, which is also referred to as opioid use disorder, is a treatable disease. Through professional treatment, individuals can identify the underlying elements that led to the development of their opioid abuse and begin to treat those, which in turn will help to reduce the opioid-related symptoms they experience.
Recovering from an opioid addiction, while absolutely necessary in order to live a healthy, drug-free life, is not something that can be done overnight. Instead, it takes a multi-pronged approach to address the many different aspects of one’s unique experience with opioid abuse. For many who begin professional treatment for opioid use disorder, the inclusion of Vivitrol into their overall treatment plan helps make a dramatic, yet welcomed difference in their success in recovery.
What is Vivitrol?
In opioid addiction treatment centers, there are a handful of different medications available that have been clinically proven to help treat the symptoms of opioid addiction. Methadone and Suboxone, both very common in treatment centers that care for recovering opioid users, can begin helping clients from day one by lessening the severity of withdrawal symptoms and controlling overpowering cravings for continued opioid use. Vivitrol, while also a popular medication for opioid use disorder, works a little bit differently.
See, both methadone and Suboxone are known as opioid agonists. What this means is that when clients take either one of these medications, the active ingredients in them bind directly opioid receptors located in their brains and begin to partially block their function. What the client then experiences is a decrease in withdrawal symptoms and cravings because this opioid-based medication is telling the body that opioids are present and that withdrawal symptoms do not need to be as strong, nor do cravings. With Vivitrol, however, there is no opioid component to it, meaning that consuming it does nothing to control withdrawal symptoms. What Vivitrol does do (and very well at that) is reduce the strength of cravings. This is because the active ingredient in Vivitrol (naltrexone) is a pure opioid antagonist, meaning that when consumed, the opioid receptors in the brain are completely blocked.
Research has shown the Vivitrol is the top medication available to treat opioid addiction cravings. It comes in an injectable form, which is administered once a month due to it being an extended-release medication. Clients who take Vivitrol can benefit most from taking it for one full year at the least.
Vivitrol Treatment in Lexington
In Lexington, we know just how badly the opioid crisis is, as we see and experience it on a daily basis. What we also know is that the most effective way to address this growing problem is through providing clinically sound, evidence-based treatment to those who are suffering in the community and beyond.
For each and every client who is admitted into Vivitrol treatment in Lexington, we work to develop a treatment plan that will meet his or her needs. As we build out this plan, we will include several different therapies such as, but not limited to, individual therapy, group counseling, behavioral therapy, and trauma treatment. We combine our therapeutic services with the provision of Vivitrol to those clients who fit the bill for this type of approach. Prior to beginning clients on Vivitrol, however, we ensure they have detoxed and have maintained sobriety for 7-10 days. This is because taking Vivitrol too soon after ending opioid abuse can trigger the development of withdrawal symptoms, which can make one’s period of recovery more difficult. It is our goal to make the process of a client’s addiction treatment as flawless as possible, which is why we follow these guidelines.
We believe in the inclusion of Vivitrol into the plans of those clients who need it most. This is not only because of how effective it is in reducing cravings but also because of how it can aid in the continued sobriety of those in recovery. It also works to reduce the risk for relapse, usually because of how well it dulls cravings. While relapse is certainly a normal part of recovery, never having to experience one can be a blessing. And lastly, Vivitrol is a non-addictive substance, meaning that even if someone attempts to abuse it, he or she will be unable to get high.
Get Involved in Our Vivitrol Treatment in Lexington Today
Our Vivitrol treatment in Lexington is dedicated to helping you put your opioid addiction to bed for good. With your determination and effort, you can begin achieving goals that you might have once thought impossible. Learning how to manage your disease is empowering and allows you to regain control of your life.
So, do not waste one more second abusing drugs that could easily kill you at any moment. Reach out to our Vivitrol treatment in Lexington and get the help that can save your life. We are here to help you.