Letting go of your addiction to painkillers is the first step to a sober life, but that first step is unlikely to be an easy one. While you are likely aware you’ll experience some degree of withdrawal, you might not know exactly what the process entails. To help prepare you for what’s to come, give yourself an idea of common withdrawal symptoms and what you can do to ease the transition out of painkiller addiction.
Initial Signs of Withdrawal
When you first go through painkiller withdrawal, your body begins adjusting to the absence of the drug in your system, which can be quite uncomfortable. Some of the more common first signs of painkiller withdrawal include:
● Anxiety
● Irritability
● Sweating
● Muscle aches
● Insomnia
● Yawning
Later Signs of Withdrawal
As time goes on and you get further along into withdrawal, your symptoms can increase. Examples of the late-onset indications of withdrawal include:
● Vomiting
● Abdominal cramping
● Dilated pupils
● Diarrhea
● Nausea
● Shaking and tremors
● Increased respirations
You’re also likely to crave painkillers and may be tempted to seek them out, as your body feels it needs them to feel normal and stop the discomfort of withdrawal.
Get Help
While you’re going through withdrawal, it can help to have friends and family support you as you experience the above symptoms. It is very important to note that although you may feel sick and extremely uncomfortable, the signs of withdrawal will not put you in medical danger. Friends and family can stay with you and and provide comfort, and they can help you keep up your strength with proper food and drink, but it’s best to take it easy since you might not be able to keep much down. While there is a lot your friends and family can do, you, your body and the future of your sobriety are much better off seeking substance abuse treatment.
Getting Professional Help
No matter how strong you think you are, there is nothing wrong with seeking professional help. Doing so is sure to bring about better results and make it easier for you to stay off painkillers. To better deal with withdrawal, we recommend you consider painkiller detox. Detox is designed to help manage withdrawal symptoms to make it less painful and uncomfortable to recover. Many treatment providers use Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) to help ease the transition off of opioids. These use of these medications can go a long way in keeping a person from relapsing by helping with cravings and lessening the severity of symptoms. There are a number of other alternatives and medications that can make withdrawal easier.
Once you’ve completed detox, continued access to professional help will make the next step in your journey to recovery much easier. Although opioids may now be out of your system, it is still crucial to seek out an experienced and licensed professional who can address the addiction and help you re-learn to live your life while in recovery. Attending the right treatment program will help you to better understand your addiction, learn skills for overcoming addictive behaviors, and give you strategies on how you can continue to help your body recover and repair.
Don’t go through recovery alone. The experienced professionals of High Focus Centers are here to provide you with a helping hand.
