Opioid Treatment Program for Oakland, CA

When you don’t feel ‘normal’ without your drug of choice – OxyContin, Oxycodone, bupes, subs, codeine, heroin, or other opiates – you may start to consider an opioid treatment program to get your life back. If you live in or near Oakland, California, you have options for treatment. Making the first call is the hardest part. Admitting that you need the help of an opioid treatment program is a big step. The first thing to know is that you’re not alone. A lot of people have gone down this road before you. And successful recovery is possible.
 

Your first step in an opioid treatment program

Before any treatment begins, you’ll have an assessment. This isn’t like a test that you have to pass at school. It’s nothing to worry about. An assessment is a connection with a professional who understands where you are. This is a person who can talk with you about where you’ve been and where you want to go. The person that you meet with for an assessment can answer your questions and help you understand reasonable expectations for an opioid treatment program.
 

Working through opiate withdrawal symptoms

Everyone fears withdrawal. Frankly, it’s what keeps many people in addiction. But withdrawal can be managed to transition you off of the opiates. (If you’re taking other drugs in addition, it’s very important to tell this to your treatment counselor. You could put yourself in danger. You’ll also be tested before opioid treatment begins.)
 
The beginning of withdrawal is called the induction phase of an opioid treatment program. You won’t be alone. You’ll talk about the withdrawal symptoms that you feel – sweaty, racing heart, nausea, or physical pain. The doctor will treat the symptoms with methadone to ease the discomfort, yet without a high. Methadone treatment has been around for over 50 years. It’s quite safe, and it’s also very effective. You aren’t trading one addiction for another. You are transitioning to a legal, safe, drug that can stabilize your body. Going cold turkey doesn’t work. The discomfort is just too much. But with methadone treatment, you’ll feel better withing 3 to 5 hours. Treatment professionals will monitor your body to adjust dosage amounts as needed. Methadone is a once-a-day treatment. It may take a few days to get the amount just right. You’ll rest, drink a lot of water, perhaps take some walks, and do things that you enjoy doing. You’re starting a new life, and you know it will be better.
 

After withdrawal, now what?

An opioid treatment program is about more than just getting your body back to normal. If you just go back to where you were, you’ll probably start using again. No. Don’t go there. You want the opioid treatment program to work, to change your life for the better. You may think that you’re not a person who likes to talk about your stuff. Your life is nobody’s business. Well, yes and no. Yes, you want respect for your privacy. But when you seek treatment and you want to get better, then having someone help you figure out where things went wrong and how you can prevent getting back into drugs is essential for success. This may take time, and that’s ok. Everyone is different. You have a lot to gain. Forming and keeping healthy relationships and doing work that you enjoy are just two things to look forward to. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by looking into an opioid treatment program in Oakland.