Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment in Rhode Island: What to Expect

Prescription drug addiction often begins with a valid medical need for relief. For example, a doctor might prescribe a pill for severe pain, which then fills receptors in your brain to block discomfort. 

However, your body builds a tolerance to that particular dosage and needs more of the drug to feel the same effect. Oftentimes, people start taking prescription pills in higher doses and more frequently without even consulting their doctor, and the result is an addiction. Once that dependency sets in, your brain stops producing its natural calming chemicals and relies on the medicine. 

So what once started as a treatment is now an addiction, and if you stop taking that medicine, you feel a painful withdrawal similar to other illegal synthetic drugs. Notably, prescription drug dependence is common and easier to fall into. Therefore, prescription drug addiction treatment in Rhode Island caters to it with thorough care and planning. 

Keep reading to know the important things about prescription drug addiction treatment in Rhode Island to emerge from it.

A Medically Supervised Taper is Necessary During Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment in Rhode Island 

Quitting prescription drugs without expert help can be dangerous because their long-term consumption stops your brain and body from working normally. You become dependent on these chemicals to stay balanced, and abruptly stopping them shocks your nervous system. 

Note that this doesn’t mean you only feel sick; it can even be fatal. For example, people who quit anxiety pills (such as Xanax) abruptly can suffer from grand mal seizures, and quitting painkillers can result in dangerous spikes in heart rate. 

Therefore, a medically supervised taper is used during prescription drug addiction treatment in Rhode Island. During a professionally-monitored addiction treatment, doctors lower the amount of the drug in your system very slowly to prevent a shock. Such a gradual change gives your heart, lungs, and brain time to adjust. Also, during treatment, medics monitor your vital signs to keep you stable and stop your body from panicking. 

How Does Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment in Rhode Island Address the Return of Chronic Pain?

Sure, your prescription drug addiction started to heal your body, but if you develop a dependence and then stop, your original problem will feel much worse. This is called the rebound effect because your body relied on drugs to mask pain signals for a long time, making your nervous system hypersensitive. 

So when that medicine leaves your system, your nerves overreact to every sensation, making your old back injury or joint pain feel unbearable. 

Therefore, substance abuse treatment centers teach your body new ways to handle pain. For example, doctors use multi-disciplinary care during prescription drug addiction treatment in Rhode Island to treat the source of the injury rather than hiding the symptoms. During treatment, you might also work with physical therapists to strengthen your weak muscles and receive non-addictive medications to reduce inflammation. 

Natural Neurotransmitter Restoration During Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment in Rhode Island 

Drugs take over the roles of your brain’s natural chemicals, like dopamine and serotonin. These chemicals control your joy, focus, and calm, so getting addicted to a drug means your brain stops making these chemicals. Your brain becomes lazy because the pills are doing all the work, and quitting drugs leaves it empty. As a result, you feel depressed, tired, or anxious during the early days of prescription drug addiction treatment because your brain needs time to relearn how to fix its internal wiring.