Opiates are a powerful and addicting drug that is derived from the poppy plant. They are mainly used as a pain reliever and have been used for hundreds and hundreds of years. Our brains actually have opiate receptors that are triggered once the drug enters our body, and when these receptors open up they let out endorphins which makes us feel good. It is this feeling that the brain becomes addicted to, and the more we take the less endorphins our body will produce naturally.
Opiates are used naturally from the poppy plant in the form of morphine and codeine and semi-synthetic produced like in heroin. Heroin is extremely addictive and dangerous. Those that have been using heroin or any opiate for a long time must go through a detoxification process to slowly get their body sober once again. It is not safe to quit cold turkey and there are a few processes that treatment centers use to help the patient with their withdrawal symptoms. Rapid opiate detox is one such process.
Rapid Opiate Detox:
When you enter a rapid detox center, the professionals there will determine just how fast and how much time you will need to go through the detoxification process. Some patients will undergo an ultra rapid detox process and need to undergo general anesthesia while they come off of the drug. This can be done over night while other people may need to go through a 10 day or more recovery withdrawal process.
Wanting to go through a rapid opiate detox process just means that you will get over your withdrawal symptoms much faster but will need to be done under close medical supervision. The only problem with the rapid process and dealing with your withdrawal symptoms while under anesthesia is that even though the patient may not experience the painful symptoms associated with coming off of the drug, that patient may have problems with their physical cravings of the drug and will be more likely to relapse and use the drug again.
There are other drug treatment facilities who can help you come off the opiate addiction without having to go through rapid opiate detox. These types of facilities generally have better success rates because they work on teaching the patient how to deal with their addiction from a psychological point as well. Understanding the addiction and learning how to live with it is an important part of rehab and one that is an essential part of recovering.
That being said, rapid detox is effective and a painless way to get someone over their bodily addiction to the opiate. But since the therapy generally doesn’t continue after 10 days, it may then be wise to continue the therapy at some sort of professional rehab facility.