Alternative Recovery: the Naltrexone Implant and Outpatient Treatment

woman yellow bgDo you know someone struggling with an opiate addiction? In need of alcoholism help? Achieving sobriety and living a positive productive future is possible with igotsober’s medical detox and Outpatient Alcohol and Opiate Recovery Program in Omaha, Nebraska. Our approach can help you or a loved one, who is addicted to alcohol or opiates such as oxycontin, heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone (Vicodin) and other painkillers, eliminate cravings and other harsh side effects in order to help with the detox and begin the road to recovery.

Dangers of Cold Turkey Detox for Opiate Addiction

Perhaps you’ve heard someone, a friend, family member or coworker, issue the decree that you or the individual you love should just stop drinking or using hydrocodone and other painkillers. The assumption is that the individual with the addiction just lacks the willpower to quit. Unfortunately, not having enough willpower is not the reason most individuals with a substance abuse problem relapse.

Without medical detox, stopping both opiates such as oxycontin and heroin, and alcohol, cold turkey can result in mild to life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. The severity of these symptoms can make the individual return to their drug of choice in order to feel better.

Common side effects of alcohol withdrawal include anxiety, trouble sleeping or insomnia, shaking and headaches. In some cases, the individual may experience delirium tremens (DTs), which is a medical emergency. DT’s symptoms include extreme confusion, rapid heartbeat, fever and shaking or seizures. Anyone with signs or symptoms of DTs should be immediately taken to an emergency room or 911 should be called.

The withdrawal symptoms for opiate addiction are far worse than for alcohol addiction and should be treated seriously. Initial side effects include insomnia, anxiety, aching muscles, sinus issues and sweating. As the individual continues to detox, the symptoms get worse and include nausea, vomiting and stomach cramping.

Medication Assisted Treatment

Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) involves the use of medication to help stop cravings and other undesirable withdrawal symptoms so that the recovering addict can focus on physical and mental healing or paying attention to their outpatient addiction treatment program. When a recovering addict is inundated with physical and mental withdrawal symptoms, they cannot focus on healing. All they can focus on is their pain and discomfort, which means other aspects of the treatment program, like counseling and individual therapy, may not be effective. When the withdrawal symptoms are managed, the recovering addict can focus on healing and moving forward to lead a productive life.

Naltrexone Implant

Here at igotsober in Omaha, Nebraska, we offer the Naltrexone implant, which is a tiny pellet that is easily and simply inserted into the abdomen via a ½” incision in a quick outpatient procedure and performed by a medical doctor. The medicine immediately works to eliminate cravings. The Naltrexone also blocks the pleasurable feelings (dopamine rush)  that occur when an individual drinks an alcoholic beverage or takes a painkiller or narcotic, which means the recovering addict doesn’t get the “high” from drinking or doing drugs.

Benefits of the Naltrexone Implant

The Naltrexone implant medically removes the desire to drink or drug and eliminates cravings. It also reduces the withdrawal symptoms so that the individual can concentrate on the real recovery of  one-on-one therapy and counseling instead of being totally obsessed on the next drink or drug, or fixated how they feel physically and mentally. This is absolutely critical during early recovery, when they are at their most vulnerable, because the recovering addict must be able to think as clearly as possible in order to absorb and integrate the understanding of their condition,  to identify and mange triggers, apply new life skills and coping tools learned in our outpatient treatment program, counseling and therapy. The information learned, especially during the first few weeks, helps build the bridge of understanding when it comes to addiction and eventual recovery. The individual will also learn new ways of taking action when unwanted thoughts and feelings pop up, which they most certainly will, as well as how to keep themselves occupied with new, healthy habits so that they do not slip into conditions ripe for relapse.

Addiction Therapy and Counseling

After the Naltrexone implementation, the patient needs to actively and sincerely participate not only in our outpatient addiction therapy and counseling program but the fitness and nutrition components as well. This is because addiction affects (devastates) both the body and the mind. Physically, once addicted, the individual needs their drug in order to feel normal. Mentally, the brain is rewired so that it thinks it needs the drug to survive and function. The brain also tells the individual that they need more of the drug, and they need to maintain a constant supply of the drug. These mental symptoms of addiction can be extremely difficult to overcome without proper, personalized alcohol treatment or opiate treatment. Our outpatient alcohol and opiate program, in effect, helps to rewire the brain and establish new, healthy and constructive neural pathways.

Comprehensive outpatient addiction treatment that includes counseling and 24-hour personalized support can help the individual overcome the severe cravings for their drug of choice and avoid their personal triggers by teaching them how to refuse to attend events that will contain their drug of choice and how to decline invitations to hang out with former drinking and drug buddies.

Our program includes 12 months of personalized support and counseling services, and our services can be combined with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) to provide you with the right amount of individualized support. This is because along with our 24-hour support system, counseling and therapy, the AA or NA programs will provide you with step-based treatment where you can definitively mark your progress. These programs also provide their members with a mentor, which is someone who has been through the wars of addiction, and gotten treatment and ultimately recovered. These individuals also know how you feel, walked in your shoes, because they’ve been there, and they can offer you heartfelt support, bonding, advice and recommendations on how to get past the seemingly impossible barriers to sobriety so that you are clear on the work you need to do to move ahead into long-term sobriety and hopefully, real recovery.

Outpatient Alcohol Treatment and Opiate Treatment with igotsober

Are you or one of your family members dreaming of the day when you can say, igotsober and stayed sober for real? Find true happiness, peace and serenity in life again? Here at igotsober, we can help you beat your alcohol or opiate addiction, including all the different painkillers such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, codeine, fentanyl, etc  as well as heroin, with our revolutionary Naltrexone implant and comprehensive outpatient rehab program.

In fact, we have more than 65 former substance abusers that have beat their addictions and gone forward to lead wonderfully fulfilling, sober lives, and they’ve all provided feedback on their recovery. When these individuals are asked about the implant and their recovery, they state in many cases it was miraculous…that they never thought recovery was possible due to the madness of cravings and withdrawal… that once they had the implant procedure relief was almost immediate.  They could then think clearer and had more energy after the implant than they’d had in years (decades in many cases), and the implant allowed them to focus on, understand and integrate the therapy and information that shared in counseling sessions. This double-whammy treatment protocol helped them get sober, stay sober, and it can help you too recapture a healthy, productive life with your family.

To start the process of healing from your addiction and to learn more about our opiate and alcohol counseling and outpatient rehab, call us at 402-552-8890.