Opiate Addiction

About 5% of the U.S. population misuse opiates, including prescribed pain medications such as OxyContin.

Opiates include heroin, morphine, codeine, OxyContin, Dilaudid and methadone, among others. These drugs can cause physical dependence, which is characterized by a person’s compulsive quest for the drug and its use. With physical dependence the body adapts to the presence of the drug and suffers withdrawal symptoms when its use is reduced. These symptoms range from shaking, sweating, headaches, drug craving and nausea, to vomiting, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, insomnia, agitation and depression.

Therapeutic Health Services uses a variety of state-of-the art treatments to help clients suffering from opiate addiction. Clinically supervised methadone maintenance has proven to be one of the most effective treatments. Recent studies on buprenorphine show its effectiveness with both physical and mental withdrawal symptoms. And in 2001, an acupuncture study conducted by THS in conjunction with Bastyr University concluded that patients using this treatment were more likely to achieve favorable outcomes, including retention in treatment and more positive progress toward treatment goals.