Treatment
Because narcotic overdoses can cause trouble breathing and other life-threatening medical conditions, severe narcotic abuse often requires emergency treatment. Most non-emergency treatments also require some hospitalization to manage and monitor narcotic withdrawal symptoms.
Talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for you. Treatment options include:
Hospitalization to Overcome Initial Dependency
There are many ways of withdrawing from narcotics. Doctors may prescribe medications to reduce withdrawal symptoms. In some cases, a substitute narcotic, such as methadone, may be used.
Withdrawal Medications
Depending on the severity and length of your narcotic abuse, after the initial hospital treatment, your doctor might prescribe medicines to lessen the body’s feeling that it “needs” narcotics. In some cases, maintenance treatment with long-acting narcotics, such as methadone, may be used.
Support Groups
Many support groups exist for people who abuse narcotics. These groups operate much like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and similar organizations. Support groups typically hold small, informal meetings of people who have narcotic abuse problems and people who have successfully overcome narcotic abuse. Support groups provide behavioral counseling and recommend lifestyle changes to help you overcome narcotic abuse and avoid becoming dependent on narcotics again.
Behavioral Therapy
Behavioral therapy for individuals, couples, and families has been used to treat narcotic abuse for more than 30 years. In individual behavioral therapy, a therapist, usually a psychologist, talks directly with the narcotic abuser to help the person change the habits and thought processes that led to the use of narcotics. In family and couples therapy, a counselor or therapist speaks with the narcotic abuser and those close to him or her to overcome the problem of narcotic abuse as it affects all of their relationships.
If you are diagnosed as abusing narcotics, follow your doctor's instructions.
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