Dr. Myra Mathis is a board-certified addiction psychiatrist with the University of Rochester’s Vigorous Rehabilitation Clinic. She shares common questions she receives from patients and their families about recovering from an opioid use disorder and finding appropriate treatment.
A: In a nutshell, opioid use disorder involves an unhealthy relationship with opioids in terms of craving, control, and consequences – the three Cs. When you get cravings intense opiate, you may have to use more and more to get the desired effect, and you may not be able to control your use. You may have tried to cut back but failed. As a result, you face consequences: you may not be able to fulfill your role obligations in your life, work, or personal relationships. You can use it in dangerous situations and risk affecting your health and well-being. The difficult withdrawal symptoms of opioid withdrawal can make it difficult to quit completely, and you may struggle to let go of the “escape” opioids you give. But I want everyone to know: treatment for opioid use disorder works. Connecting with a detox specialist can give you the tools to achieve your goals and live a healthy life. You don’t have to go through this alone.
A: Highly effective opiate use disorder medication; they can stop opioid cravings, reduce or prevent withdrawal symptoms, and block the effects of opioids on the body – combined with counseling and other support. When you start taking your medicine, we will first evaluate your health to make sure we understand your specific condition and choose the most effective treatment. You can expect regular urine toxicity tests to see what substances are in your system and if you have any other health concerns that need to be addressed. We do this not to evaluate you, but to make sure that the treatment we are prescribing is safe for you to take. Mixing alcohol or drugs like benzodiazepines with some of these treatments can lead to overdose and our main goal is to keep you safe and healthy.
Additionally, we will discuss your dosing schedule. Some medications must be taken daily in the clinic or at home, and some may be given once a month by a doctor. The type of medication we choose depends on your individual needs and situation, and this may change over time.
Of course, we’ll guide you step-by-step as you work through your opioid use disorder. It may take a long time, but if you stick with it, you can achieve your goal. I see it as an investment. You’ve spent a certain amount of time on unhealthy substances, so at least invest that time in moving in the other direction – rebuilding your life and getting back to normal. determined.
A: I work in an outpatient addiction clinic; In our clinic we have psychiatrists, psychotherapists and substance use counselors. We’ve found this combination of medication and emotional support is crucial to helping people achieve recovery. Opioids are sometimes prescribed to treat physical symptoms of pain, but there is always an emotional and cognitive dimension to the pain. We need to determine exactly what drug someone is trying to take. Often, the common denominator is that people develop an opioid use disorder because they are trying to relieve some kind of discomfort. At first, my focus was on solving someone’s safety problem, meaning supporting them when they stopped taking, started taking medication and counseling. But over time, this common sense tends to arise, and at that point we can start to focus on the basics and go deeper.
There is a lot of overlap between substance use disorders and mental health disorders. If you are only taking medication to treat your addiction, you may be addressing only one aspect of the concern. And often, it is mental health challenges that can lead to relapse. That’s why counseling is so important. Not only can a mental health professional give you the tools to change your environment and rebuild your relationships, but they can also address mental disorders that may be contributing to your mental health problems. your stimulant use. Often, self-help groups like Narcotics Anonymous (NA) create a space to support change; you’re creating yourself a new social group and sponsor to join, learn from, and rely on. There is also a program called Intelligent Recovery that uses some of the same principles as NA without the spiritual aspects that may not be suitable for everyone.
I want to confirm that changing lives like this is hard to do. Building trust in others takes time, especially when it comes to the really hard things to say in your life. But this job is an investment in yourself. You can make things better. The relationships may not be the same, but they can be repaired. Treatment is effective.
