Opioid Treatment in Oklahoma City

Substance abuse and in particular opioid addiction is a complex issue that can affect people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. Treatment for opioid addiction and withdrawal is possible with the right services and support. Landmark Recovery of Oklahoma City has inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs with personalized addiction and withdrawal treatment plans that will equip you with the information and resources to achieve sobriety and overcome your opioid addiction.

What Are Opioids?

Opioids are a powerful class of painkillers that interact with receptors in the brain to help reduce pain and provide feelings of euphoria. ¹ These highly addictive drugs have a high potential for substance abuse, and their use can lead to severe psychological or physical dependence. ² Anyone can find themselves trapped in opioid addiction. Even regular use as prescribed by a doctor can lead to addiction.

Opioids depress critical health functions like breathing and heart rate, and an overdose can cause shallow breathing, confusion, lessened alertness, and loss of consciousness. An opioid overdose is a medical emergency that can lead to serious health complications, even coma and death.

The Opioid Epidemic in Oklahoma

The current opioid epidemic is devastating our country, with more than 10 million Americans misusing opioid painkillers in the last year. ³ Opioid abuse contributed to over 50,000 overdose deaths in 2019, and recent reports indicate that more than 1.6 million Americans currently suffer from opioid addiction. ^3-4

The state of Oklahoma has been especially hard-hit during this opioid crisis. It is estimated that 43% of all drug overdose deaths in Oklahoma involve opioids. ⁵ In 2017, there were 277 unintentional overdose deaths in Oklahoma related to prescription opioids. ⁶ Opioid abuse also contributes to the spread of infectious diseases in Oklahoma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified Jefferson and Cimarron Counties as high-risk areas for HIV and/or hepatitis C outbreaks due to the increased needle-sharing among opioid drug users. ⁷

According to a recent report, Oklahoma leads the nation in misuse (nonmedical use) of prescription painkillers. ⁸ More than 130,000 Oklahomans aged 12 and older misused prescription opioids in the past year. ⁹ Around 1 in 6 Oklahoma high schoolers misused prescription painkillers at least once, ¹⁰ and 1 in 40 students report abusing prescription painkillers within the past month. ¹¹ Results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicate that 22,000 Oklahoma residents currently meet the criteria for an opioid use disorder, the medical term given for a diagnosis of opioid addiction. ⁹

Opioids are some of the most frequently abused substances among Oklahoma rehab patients currently receiving treatment. According to the Treatment Episode Data Set, opioids were reported as the primary substance of abuse during more than 2,500 admissions (around 18% of all admissions) to Oklahoma addiction treatment centers in 2019. ¹²

Opioid treatment in Oklahoma City

If you are suffering from an addiction to opioid painkillers, please know that help and support are available. Landmark Recovery of Oklahoma City has a team of experienced clinical specialists and dedicated counselors that can help you overcome opioid addiction. Your health and success are our primary concerns. Conveniently located minutes from I-44 and State Highway 66, our locally based opioid addiction and withdrawal treatment center provides evidence-based treatment that is personalized to meet your specific needs.
Prior to starting rehabilitation therapy at one of our treatment centers, you must first undergo opioid detoxification to remove all traces of opioids from your system. If you developed an opioid dependence, quitting the use of opioids will trigger withdrawal in as little as 8-12 hours after the last dose. Some of the uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms associated with opioids include: ¹³

• Pain
• Muscle aches
• Abdominal cramping
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Sweating
• Intense cravings
• Anxiety
• Agitation
• Sleep problems
• Depression

Landmark Recovery offers a medically supervised detox program to help you deal with the pain and discomfort associated with opioid withdrawal treatment. Our trained clinicians provide 24/7 care and support to keep you safe and comfortable throughout the entire detox process. If needed, you will be administered certain medications that can help reduce cravings and minimize the negative symptoms of withdrawal.

After completing detox, you will be ready to enter an opioid addiction treatment program. Depending on the severity of your addiction and any co-occurring mental health disorders, your individual treatment may consist of outpatient services, partial hospitalization care, or residential inpatient programs. Our science-backed rehab services use proven therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy, a form of treatment that helps identify the underlying causes of your addiction and teaches you the habits and behaviors needed to deal with cravings and prevent relapse. Opioid treatment services may also involve participation in meditation and mindfulness therapies, fitness activities, health and wellness education, family therapy, enrichment activities, lectures, and other recreational activities.

Medication-Assisted Addiction Treatment

A proven strategy for treating opioid addiction and withdrawal is medication-assisted treatment (MAT), a “whole patient” approach that is a combination of behavioral counseling with medications approved for the treatment of opioid use disorders (such as methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone). ¹⁴ Opioid agonist drugs, such as methadone and buprenorphine, eliminate withdrawal symptoms and relieve drug cravings by acting on the same opioid receptors in the brain that pain medications activate. These drugs work more slowly than other opioids, and treatment doses do not produce euphoria. ¹⁵ Opioid antagonist drugs, such as naltrexone, are also effective and work by blocking the activation of opioid receptors and preventing the use of any opioid drug from producing rewarding effects such as euphoria.

Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of MAT. This form of opioid addiction treatment decreases the risk for relapse, opioid-related overdose deaths, criminal activity, and infectious disease transmission. ^16-17 MAT increases social functioning and retention in opioid treatment, and patients treated with medication are more likely to remain in therapy compared to patients receiving treatment that does not include medication. ¹⁶ MAT also improves the outcomes for opioid-dependent pregnant women and their babies, and it has been shown to reduce symptoms of neonatal abstinence syndrome as well as length of hospital stay. ¹⁸

How Can I Get More Information?

If you are looking for an opioid treatment program in the Oklahoma City area, please consider Landmark Recovery. Call us at  405-896-8426 to learn how our inpatient and outpatient programs provide you with a personalized opioid treatment plan that can help you overcome addiction and get you on the road to wellness and recovery.