Signs and Symptoms of Opioid Overdose

Opiates and opioids are drugs and medications used, primarily, in the treatment of pain. There are many types of opiates and opioids, from pharmaceuticals to recreational drugs. They include oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl, heroin, and others

All individuals taking opiates or opioids, both prescription and nonprescription, are at risk for overdose and for becoming addicted. This is why rehab for opioid and opiate use is so often a life-saving resource for individuals caught up in the disease of addiction.

 

What Causes Overdose?

Causes of opioid overdose include substance use disorder (i.e. drug addiction), unintentional overdose, intentional overdose, and therapeutic drug error. If you or a loved one are engaged in using opiates, either recreationally or as-prescribed, it is important for you to know and recognize the signs and symptoms of opioid overdose as well as what to do should such a situation occur.

Individuals suffering from opioid overdose may exhibit a variety of symptoms. If you believe a loved one or acquaintance has overdosed, it is incredibly important that they receive medical attention as soon as possible. Overdose from opiates and opioids like oxycodone, heroin and fentanyl can be deadly for addicts and non-addicts alike. 

 

Signs and Symptoms

People overdosing on opiates and opioids often appear tired, and their breathing and nervous system response may be depressed. Other symptoms of overdose to look out for include anxiety, nausea and vomiting, dilated pupils, and itchy and flushed skin due to a histamine response to the drugs. 

If you observe these symptoms in someone you believe is at risk for opioid overdose, it is important that you seek medical help immediately. This is especially true if the individual has a history of addiction or opiate overuse.

 

What to Do If You Witness an Opioid Overdose

Opioid overdose is incredibly dangerous and can be deadly. In the event that you witness someone overdosing, it is important that you are knowledgeable and prepared and act quickly. 

Naloxone is a drug that reverses opioid overdose, oftentimes saving the life of the overdosed individual when administered in time. It is sold as a nasal spray under the brand name Narcan. Narcan easy to administer, in most cases, obtainable from a pharmacy with or without a doctor’s prescription. 

 

Outside Help is Available

If you are struggling with heroin use or believe you may be addicted to prescription opioids like oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl, or codeine, there is outside help available. Quitting opioids can be incredibly difficult, and rehab is an often necessary resource for individuals seeking to overcome their opiate addiction. Contact us today to discuss your options for inpatient rehab, outpatient rehab, and other recovery resources.

Dangers of Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

What are benzodiazepines, and how widespread is the problem?

Benzodiazepines (aka “benzos”) are among the most widely prescribed and the most widely misused medications in the United States. Routinely prescribed to treat conditions such as anxiety and insomnia, pharmaceutical drugs like Xanax, Niravam, Valium, Klonopin, Ativan and other drugs and their generic forms are increasingly popular.

 

Addiction to and rehabilitation from benzos are on the rise. Research indicates that 1 in every 8 Americans used a benzodiazepine in 2018, and benzos alone accounted for nearly ⅕ of all prescription drug intake last year. 

 

A large number of people today suffer from addiction to benzos and are pursuing rehab and recovery from their addiction. Without meaning to, individuals taking benzodiazepines as prescribed often slip into patterns of misuse that quickly become addictive and dangerous. Those engaged in recreational use and misuse of these drugs report taking more of the drug in order to decrease levels of physical and mental stress as well as to sleep. Over time, this leads to addiction: chemical dependency on benzodiazepines, which can require medical intervention in order to safely stop or reduce usage. 

 

What are the symptoms of benzos withdrawal?

If you are over-using or addicted to drugs like Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, Ativan or other benzos, there is little certainty as to what your withdrawal symptoms will be. Each case is different. Complications from withdrawal are unpredictable and can be deadly. That is why rehab can be a lifesaving resource for addicts in recovery.

Several (although certainly not all) of the possible symptoms of withdrawal from benzos are listed as follows:

  • Headaches
  • Sweating
  • Muscle tremors
  • Dizziness and light-headedness
  • Shooting paint in the neck, spine, and other nerves
  • Impaired vision
  • Fainting
  • Delirium and hallucinations
  • Grand mal seizures
  • Diarrhoea
  • Irritability, anxiety, panic and depression
  • Death

 

Can I quit benzos on my own?

If you are addicted to benzos or taking these drugs in amounts greater than prescribed or without a prescription, it is very important that you consult with a medical professional before stopping. Withdrawal from benzos is dangerous and can be deadly for addicts trying to quit on their own or without medical rehab.

There is no specific timeline for when withdrawal symptoms begin and end for benzos. You may start experiencing symptoms within 24 hours of discontinuing the drug, and symptoms may last for months

Your timeframe for withdrawal, rehabilitation and recovery from benzos depends on several factors: 

  • How long have you been taking benzos?
  • How much do you take at one time?
  • When type(s) of benzos are you taking?
  • How are you administering your benzos (i.e. swallowing, snorting, etc.)?
  • Do you have pre-existing medical or mental health issues?
  • Are you using other drugs or alcohol concurrently with benzos?

If you suffer from benzos addiction, it is incredibly important that you seek help from a recovery facility, rehab, or medical professional today. During rehabilitation, withdrawal symptoms and their associated risks vary greatly depending on the case. 

To discuss life-saving treatment options or to ask questions about your situation, please contact us today and begin your journey toward rehabilitation. We will be happy to hear from you.

Staying Sober Is Hard, Find Your Sober Motivation

Addiction has changed you, but recovery will change you. Find out who you truly are. You are capable of reaching your full potential in recovery. Recovery is a lifelong process and living a sober life is the ultimate commitment. There is more to recovery than simply being abstinent from drugs. You must have the resources, tools, support, coping skills, professional treatment, and the proper mindset. After all, initially getting sober is the easy part, staying sober is hard. Much harder than you may think. The most important factor in achieving complete sobriety is the motivation behind it all. Why do you want to be sober? The answer might seem obvious but, you really need to want it. Every part of your being has to be committed to changing your lifestyle. You need to have the motivation to get sober and to stay sober. If someone is to ask what motivated you to make this change, what would you say? Do you know what your answer would be? What is your sober motivation?

Find Your Sober Motivation

What is sober motivation? Motivation is the driving force that turns your thoughts into action. Think about what inspires you to live a sober life. What factors in your life have driven you to make this decision?

Think about that moment of clarity when you know that you are ready to stop using. Now is the time for you to make the change from addiction to recovery. Whether your life is just beginning to fall apart or you have hit rock bottom, it has become clear that you are now ready.

You have made the official decision to say goodbye to the drugs, to your addiction, and you want help. No more chaos, no more pain, and no more unhappiness. Furthermore, you want to live a sober lifestyle, to be clean and to start over. You are now ready to start fresh in a new life of sobriety.

But why? What is the motivation behind this life altering decision?

Sobriety is Selfish

While in treatment, you will hear time and time again that you have to want it. You have to get clean because you want to. You can not get clean for somebody else. Do it because you want it. Let me tell you, staying sober is hard for anyone and if you are not all in, then it’s not going to work. Plain and simple. Every part of you has to want it and be ready and willing to change – mentally, spiritually, and physically.

Although, you are not your motivation. Your motivation for wanting to get sober and stay sober can come from a number of things. You need something that motivates you to change your entire life. After all, being a recovering addict instead of in active addiction is a complete lifestyle change.

Sobriety is selfish in the sense that it’s all about you, but the motivation behind wanting to be in sobriety doesn’t have to be all about you. There are many different circumstances that motivate people to begin their recovery journey. One of those reasons may also be your sober motivation.

Motivating Factors To be Sober

Marriage

It is no secret that addiction can put a strain on your marriage. Trust is broken, infidelity may have taken place, lies, heartache, and so on. Addiction can affect a person’s marriage greatly. If addiction is the underlying problem in your marriage. Try getting clean instead of getting a divorce. It very well could be the solution to your marital strife.

Children

Not only can your addiction put a strain on your marriage but, it can hurt your children as well. Depending on your child’s age, the potential harm a child faces can traumatize a child for life. If old enough, they could become addicts themselves. In many cases, addict parents even lose custody of their children, sometimes permanently.

Work/Career

Addiction greatly affects your behavior and appearance in the workplace. It could jeopardize your job or chances for an amazing career. Once addiction deepens, many addicts can not even hold a steady job. If you are lucky enough to still be employed, try to fix the situation while it is still possible.

Legal

Unfortunately, legal issues go hand in hand with drug addiction. Addicts will commit crimes to get money for the drugs that they need. Addicts may face probation, parole, house arrest, loss of license, and even prison time. Legal issues can follow you and affect other areas of your life as well.

Health

Clearly, addiction affects your health, so needing to improve your health could easily be your motivation for getting clean. Drinking alcohol or using any illegal drugs not only diminishes your well being, but can cause you to contract diseases and destroy your body’s ability to properly function.

Better Life

All of these reasons are motivation to living a better life, but maybe the thought of a better life is the original motivation for your sobriety. While it may seem selfish to some, it’s a fabulous and justified reason. Being in recovery can and will improve every aspect of your life.

The number of reasons that motivate one to be in active recovery instead of active addiction are endless. Your motivation can be one reason or all of these reasons combined. Overall, every inspirational factor leads to the ultimate motivation. The yearning to live a more desirable and fulfilling life.

Staying Sober is Hard, Especially in the Beginning

You take on sobriety with a driving force, an unstoppable willpower, and personal incentive. While the very beginning of your sobriety, detox, and treatment will seem difficult, you must remember that the fight of your life has just begun. Your sobriety is a never ending battle.

Staying sober is hard, very hard. Especially, during the first year. There are millions of obstacles and issues that you must face.

  • Wreckage of The Past :Your problems won’t simply disappear, you must face them accordingly.

  • Sober Lifestyle : Creating a new life. A life without the use of drugs, you need coping skills and structured support. Your dreams are now achievable in recovery. Although, to accomplish your goals, you must become productive in life and in sobriety. It requires hard work and dedication.

  • People, Places, and Things : Changing people, places, and things are crucial to your recovery. If you do the same things with the same people, in the same places. What did you change? Nothing. You can’t do the same thing and expect different results.

  • Self Discovery : Addiction has changed you for the worse, but recovery will change you for the better. Finally, you can work on finding out who you truly are. You are capable of reaching your full potential as an amazing person in recovery.

It is true, staying sober is hard. Yet, the longer you stay clean and work on your recovery. Then, the more benefits you will reap. With each step and each day, your life will improve and your motivation to stay clean will grow stronger and stronger.

Eventually, sobriety will come naturally. Fighting for your recovery with strength and courage will come from deep within you. You will not think that staying sober is hard anymore. You will be living a sober lifestyle. Living as a productive individual who is inspired, empowered, and motivated in your recovery. Even though you may think that staying sober is hard, remember, you are worth it.

We want to know what motivates you. Why did you choose recovery?. What is your sober motivation?