Life with PTSD can feel like a never-ending battle. You may experience frequent flashbacks of the triggering event. Or, you might spend a lot of your time trying to cope with other symptoms that make it hard to function in your every day life. While it might feel like you are alone, you aren’t. Many people struggle with this mental health disorder. Veterans and active duty service members are often known to have PTSD. You’ll also meet people from all walks of life who struggle with addiction and PTSD. After experiencing a traumatic event, your mind might attempt to do whatever it takes to feel safe again.
For some people, this means using drugs or alcohol to drown out the painful memories and symptoms. When you are looking for an opiate detox center near me that specializes in PTSD, then you can feel confident that you can find the treatment that you need to feel better. Opiate use is prevalent among trauma survivors. For this reason, addiction treatment centers that specialize in opiate detox typically plan to provide services that help people with PTSD. As you go through detox, your body and mind go through changes that are easier to deal with when you are surrounded by compassionate support. Since your detox period is your first steps into sobriety, incorporating PTSD treatment into your recovery plan gives you a strong foundation for learning to manage your symptoms without drugs.
Learn About the Connection Between Opiate Use and PTSD
Your opiate addiction might have started when a doctor prescribed you pain medication to deal with your physical injuries that occurred during the traumatic event. At the time, these medications were meant to help you feel better while you healed, but they also come with devastating side effects. Prescription painkillers can also influence your mental state. You might have learned that they helped you to relax and stop reliving the event. You might have found that being able to sleep again felt good. Opiates might temporarily make you feel better, but they have strong addictive qualities that include tricking your body into thinking that it needs them to survive.
The cravings and withdrawal symptoms for opiates is so strong that many people make the leap to taking street drugs if they are unable to get prescription painkillers. Trying to withdraw from opiates on your own can lead to a sudden rise of your PTSD symptoms. Some of the overlapping symptoms that you may experience include the following: •insomnia •nausea •increased sweating •shaking •mood swings •intrusive thoughts •muscle tension and pain Since the symptoms of PTSD and opiate withdrawal overlap, they can often be intense. This is why working through your recovery with a team of professionals is critical for your health and success in recovery.
Get Treatment for Addiction and PTSD at the Same Time
When you enter a detox center that specializes in PTSD, several things happen. You’ll start with an initial assessment that lets the detox team get a better understanding of your overall physical health. This ensures that they provide you with the right types of support to help you feel your best while the drugs leave your system. They’ll also ask you questions about your past experiences.
Some people are able to nail down exactly when their PTSD symptoms began. For example, you might be able to link it to a bad car accident or being the victim of a crime. For others, it might be harder. Survivors of childhood abuse or a series of mild traumas might need time and intensive counseling to understand how their mental health condition began. In either case, you’ll start to work with a professional counselor on managing your PTSD soon after starting your detox therapy.
Regain Your Ability to Enjoy a Sober Lifestyle
When you’ve been struggling with PTSD, life can seem overwhelmingly hard. If you add an addiction onto that, then it might have been a long time since you found enjoyment in your normal daily activities. Working through therapy for both conditions makes it possible to start building positive relationships with your friends and family.
Since you won’t be constantly searching for your next high, you’ll be able to soak up every moment that you spend doing positive and healthy things. Making sure to continue your treatment with outpatient therapy helps to keep you on the right track for staying sober. Are you looking for a detox center that can help with PTSD? We’ve got the right place to help you treat your opiate addiction. Give us a call today at 833-497-3808.