Opioid Addiction Treatment

Opioid Addiction Treatment Near You in NJ, PA, & NY

The opioid epidemic is an ongoing public health crisis in the United States that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths in the last 3 decades. It is caused by the addiction to opioids, which include natural and synthetic drugs such as prescription painkillers, heroin, and fentanyl. Although opioid addiction is a continuing issue for millions of Americans, treatment is available.

At Rubicon Recovery Center, we provide whole-person, evidence-based addiction treatment for individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs), including opioid use disorder (OUD). We serve individuals from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania with 3 levels of outpatient rehab programs. Learn more about opioid addiction and how our opioid addiction treatment can help you start working toward recovery.

Key Takeaways

• Opioids include both natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic drugs that act on opioid receptors in the body, causing relaxation and feelings of euphoria.
• Opioid addiction can lead to physical, behavioral, and psychological symptoms, including secrecy, social isolation, drowsiness, mood swings, neglect of responsibilities, and more.
• Opioid addiction treatment generally includes a combination of medications, such as methadone and naltrexone, to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, and behavioral therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), to address deeper psychological issues. Holistic therapies like mindfulness and meditation are also often used.
• At Rubicon Recovery Center, we provide 3 levels of outpatient rehab programs for opioid addiction, all of which utilize evidence-based treatments.

Understanding Opioid Addiction

An opioid is any natural, semi-synthetic, or synthetic drug that acts on opioid receptors in the brain and body and is derived from the opium poppy or manmade. Opioids are central nervous system depressants, which means they slow down brain activity and other bodily functions. They also provide a short-term euphoric and relaxed feeling. This makes them effective for pain relief, which is what many opioids were first designed for. The types of opioids include:

• Natural opiates: These are naturally occurring compounds that come right from the seed pods of the opium poppy plant. They include morphine and codeine.
• Semi-synthetic opioids: These are made in a lab by modifying natural opium compounds. They include oxycodone, hydrocodone, heroin, and hydromorphone.
• Synthetic opioids: These are man-made in laboratories, and they include fentanyl, methadone, buprenorphine, and tramadol.

A person can develop an addiction to any type of opioid, as they are highly addictive. When people use opioids for long periods, they develop a tolerance and need to take more of the drug to get the desired effect. This can continue until they develop an opioid addiction, also called opioid use disorder, which involves a physical and psychological dependence on the drug. This addiction can significantly affect a person’s health, emotional state, daily functioning, and overall quality of life.

Prevalence of Opioid Addiction

Just the term “the opioid crisis” demonstrates the seriousness and prevalence of opioid addiction. The statistics are also alarming. According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS), nearly 9 million people misuse opioids in a year, and almost 80,000 people die every year from opioid overdoses in the U.S.

In New Jersey, the center reports opioids are a factor in 87.4% of all overdose deaths, and synthetic opioids like fentanyl are involved in 93.4% of all opioid overdose deaths. Additionally, 25 out of every 100,000 residents die from an opioid overdose, which is 4.2% more than the national death rate. These statistics demonstrate a vital need for both nationwide and local opioid addiction treatment.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Opioid Addiction?

Opioid addiction can affect every area of a person’s life, resulting in a wide array of signs and symptoms. They include:

• Behavioral signs: These can include mood swings, secrecy, neglect of responsibilities, withdrawal from social activities or family, financial trouble, and more.
• Physical symptoms: These often include drowsiness, constipation, pinpoint pupils, pale skin and other skin changes, nodding off, and slow or irregular breathing.
• Psychological symptoms: These may include intense cravings, depression, anxiety, instability, preoccupation with getting the drug, impulsivity, and cognitive impairment.

Long-term use of opioids can also fundamentally change a person’s brain structure, chemistry, and function. This can lead to lasting effects, such as cognitive deficits, emotional dysregulation, and issues with reward processing in the brain. Professional treatment is typically required to help a person wean off opioids, get sober, and enter lasting recovery.

How Is Opioid Addiction Diagnosed?

Like most substance use disorders, opioid use disorder isn’t diagnosed through a single test. Instead, it requires a comprehensive clinical evaluation from a healthcare professional. This evaluation typically starts with an in-depth clinical interview. The healthcare provider will ask the patient about their medical and family history, behaviors relating to substance use, symptoms, and other relevant information.

The provider will use standardized criteria to assess the patient’s symptoms and determine the severity of the addiction. Typically, the 11-point checklist from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) is used. A formal diagnosis requires that at least 2 of the 11 criteria are met within a single year.

Occasionally, providers may also use other tools to get a full picture of the patient’s health. This can include running toxicology screenings and checking Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) reports, which can help them identify multiple opioid prescribers. With all this information, a diagnosis of OUD can be confirmed or ruled out.

How Do You Know When Opioid Rehab Is Necessary?

Even with a confirmed diagnosis of opioid use disorder, some people will not want to seek treatment. Recovery is a personal journey, and people accept that they need help at different times. However, there are some signs that can signal a need for professional help. They include:

• Prioritizing opioid use over other areas of life
• Exhibiting withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, fever, anxiety, and more, when stopping opioid use
• Withdrawing from social activities, friends, or family
• Neglecting personal responsibilities, such as family life, relationships, or work, due to drug use
• Experiencing noticeable changes in physical health and appearance, such as weight fluctuations or poor hygiene

Essentially, when opioid addiction is affecting every facet of a person’s life, from family to social life to work, it’s time to get professional treatment.

How Does Opioid Addiction Treatment Work at Rubicon Recovery Center?

When you’re seeking outpatient opioid addiction treatment, Rubicon Recovery Center is here for you. We provide 3 levels of outpatient rehab programs, allowing our patients to apply the skills they learn during treatment to their daily lives. What program each patient attends will depend on the severity of their addiction, how much support they need, their schedule, and other factors.

Our most intensive program is the Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), which runs for 6 hours a day, 6 days a week. It typically lasts 30–45 days and is best for people who need consistent, structured support without a need for inpatient treatment. Our mid-level program is the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), which runs for 3 to 5 days a week, 3 hours a day. It generally lasts for 10 to 12 weeks and is ideal for people looking for a middle ground between PHP and outpatient therapy. The Outpatient Program (OP) is our lowest-level program that runs for an hour a day, 2 to 3 days per week. It is typically only for current patients who need a step down in care from IOP or PHP.

At Rubicon Recovery Center, new patients undergo a comprehensive clinical assessment to determine which program will best fit their needs. Every program is based on a holistic, threefold disease model that considers physical, mental, and spiritual health, not just a diagnosis or symptoms. This helps us provide whole-person care in a compassionate setting.

What Are the Treatment Options for Opioid Addiction?

Treatment for opioid addiction typically involves a combination of detoxification, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), behavioral therapies, and holistic therapies. At Rubicon Recovery Center, we personalize each patient’s treatment plan to their clinical needs and personal circumstances. Therapies and modalities we may use include:

Medical Detoxification Placement

Medically supervised detoxification (detox) is often the first part of opioid addiction treatment. It involves slowly clearing the patient’s body of opioids while managing withdrawal symptoms under the supervision of medical professionals.

Although we don’t provide medical detox services ourselves at Rubicon Recovery Center, we have connections to reputable medical detox facilities. We offer detox placement services for our patients to ensure they can get detoxed from substances before starting their programs.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

Medication-assisted treatment may be used as part of an OUD treatment plan. MAT involves using certain approved medications, alongside counseling and behavioral therapies, to decrease withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings, and eliminate the rewarding effects of opioids. Medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat opioid use disorder include methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. At Rubicon Recovery Center, we offer medication-assisted treatment for certain individuals with OUD to help them manage sobriety and work toward long-term recovery.

Therapy and Counseling

Behavioral therapies delivered on their own tend to have limited effectiveness for addressing OUD. However, when combined with MAT or after the patient is stabilized post-detox, they are a helpful part of treating opioid addiction. At Rubicon Recovery Center, we use a combination of individual and group therapies to help patients with OUD address the root causes of their addictions, identify triggers, and prevent relapses. They include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps patients detect and modify negative addiction-related behaviors and thought patterns
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), which helps patients improve emotional regulation through techniques like mindfulness and distress tolerance
• Motivational interviewing (MI), which helps to enhance a patient’s internal motivation for and commitment to change
• Group therapy, which is provided by a licensed therapist with other members of the Rubicon Recovery Center community to promote peer support
• Family counseling, which invites a patient’s family to participate in therapy to foster understanding of addiction and improve familial relationships

Our licensed addiction counselors and therapists often use a mixture of these modalities to help complement MAT, improve stability, and promote long-term sobriety.

Holistic Therapies

At Rubicon Recovery Center, we take a whole-person approach to treating addiction. Instead of just treating the symptoms, we go deeper to address the root causes. We also help patients develop tools and strategies they can use in overwhelming moments to resist triggers and prevent relapses. Our holistic therapies include:

• Yoga
• Qigong
• Breathwork
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Art therapy
• Nutritional therapy
• Nature therapy

We also provide aftercare support for our patients after they complete their programs, including ongoing therapy, relapse prevention strategies, and connections to sober living homes. We can also assist patients with finding semi-private supportive housing options with 24/7 staffing.

What Are the Recovery Expectations for Opioid Addiction?

With opioid addiction, there is no one-size-fits-all timeline for recovery. The time it takes to get sober, and stay sober, depends on many factors, such as:

• The severity of the addiction
• Co-occurring substance use or mental health disorders
• Support network
• Adherence to treatment rules and policies

Recovery expectations also depend on whether someone takes advantage of aftercare resources, such as continuing therapy or attending group meetings. These resources are crucial to avoiding relapse and maintaining recovery.

Why Choose Rubicon Recovery Center?

If you or a loved one is looking for high-quality addiction treatment, Rubicon Recovery Center is the place to go. We provide specialized care for opioid addiction treatment using evidence-based therapies and a holistic approach to recovery. Each patient gets a tailored treatment plan that goes beyond their diagnosis and symptoms to address the root causes of their addiction.

Rubicon Recovery Center is run by a knowledgeable and compassionate team of licensed addiction counselors, therapists, and rehab professionals. Each member is passionate about helping patients restore stability and balance in their lives while ceasing their reliance on substances. Our comfortable and judgment-free facility features 3 large group rooms, 12 clinical offices, a conference room, and a lounge area, providing plenty of space to recharge.

Another reason to choose Rubicon Recovery Center is our focus on making addiction treatment as affordable and accessible as possible. We offer financing plans to help patients pay for treatment over time, and we also accept most major insurance plans, including Anthem, Aetna, Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare. With our simple insurance verification process, we can let you know your coverage and potential out-of-pocket costs in a few minutes.

Find Opioid Addiction Treatment Near You in NJ, PA, & NY

If you have opioid use disorder and need help moving forward, turn to the team at Rubicon Recovery Center. We meet patients where they are, helping them get sober, prevent relapses, and enter long-term recovery through holistic, evidence-based treatment programs. We serve individuals from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, and our location in Watchung, NJ, is easily accessible from several major highways. To get started with opioid addiction treatment near you in NJ, contact us today or call (908)-274-0015 to speak confidentially with an admissions specialist.

Frequently Asked Questions About Opioid Addiction

What are opioids, and why are they addictive?

Opioids are drugs that are made from the opium poppy, although synthetic versions are made, too. They act on opioid receptors in the brain and body, flooding the brain’s reward system with dopamine and changing how the brain perceives pain. This combination results in a sense of well-being that the brain craves, making people use more of the drug to get the desired effect.

Can someone fully recover from opioid addiction?

Yes, full recovery from opioid addiction is possible, especially when the person seeks professional treatment.

What are the withdrawal symptoms from opioids?

Withdrawal from opioids often leads to flu-like symptoms such as hot and cold flashes, a runny nose, nausea, and vomiting, as well as sweating, anxiety, irritability, intense cravings, tremors, and disturbed sleep.

How long does opioid addiction treatment last?

The length of opioid addiction treatment varies depending on several factors, including the severity of the addiction, co-occurring drug use or mental health disorders, and more. However, it can range from a few weeks to a few months or longer.

What is the role of methadone in opioid addiction treatment?

Methadone can be used as part of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in opioid addiction treatment. It is a synthetic opioid that can be used to relieve withdrawal symptoms and prevent cravings without causing the high associated with opioids.

Can I stay in an outpatient program if I’m addicted to opioids?

Yes, our outpatient programs are designed for treating opioid addiction.

What treatments help with opioid addiction recovery?

Treatments that help with opioid addiction recovery include:

• Medically supervised detox
• Medication-assisted treatment, such as methadone or naltrexone
• Behavioral therapy, including individual, group, and family sessions
• Holistic therapies, such as mindfulness and meditation

How can family members support someone in opioid addiction recovery?

To support someone in opioid addiction recovery, one of the best things you can do is educate yourself about addiction and the recovery process. Understand that addiction is not a choice, and there are often relapses after initial treatment. It’s important to be as understanding as possible and encourage your loved one to keep working toward recovery, even if they relapse.