Hydrocodone Withdrawal Treatment Options

Hydrocodone is an opiate, often considered the most difficult drug group to withdraw from. When a drug like hydrocodone is abused or taken in large amounts and then abruptly stopped it can make you very sick. Withdrawal symptoms can be excruciating and mentally distressing all at the same time. It can be scary and overwhelming. You may not be sure what to expect during your treatment or what your options are. The good news is that there are many treatment facilities that offer both inpatient and outpatient treatment to help you through the difficult detoxification process during which withdrawal symptoms occur.

Hydrocodone Withdrawal Treatment Options

The first step is finding a treatment center that offers both medical and behavioral therapy treatment to support you and ease you through these symptoms during your recovery. Medications can be administered to help with the physical opiate withdrawal symptoms like Suboxone, Methadone and Buprenorphine.

Studies show that prescribing medications to control withdrawal symptoms increases the chances of long term recovery because the person is able to get through the detoxification process with minimal distress which allows them to focus on other aspects of their treatment and to be actively involved with the ongoing plan for sustained recovery and a reduced chance of relapse. According to NIDA, “Treatment enables people to counteract addiction’s powerful disruptive effects on their brain and behavior and regain control of their lives”.

Behavioral Therapy

Medications like methadone or Suboxone may be provided to help you through withdrawal.

Opiate detoxification by itself is not enough to get you to a full recovery. Behavioral therapy and counseling sessions should be combined with medical treatment and should include individual and group counseling sessions that is continued well beyond the detoxification process.

Opiate withdrawal can also include disturbing mental withdrawal symptoms that must also be addressed as well as uncovering any underlying mental disorders that often go hand in hand with drug and alcohol addiction. In addition, the extreme cravings and intense desire to use hydrocodone or other opiate drugs again will be more effectively controlled as continued, long term counseling helps to prevent the chances of relapse even after the person has completed the drug treatment program.

Physical withdrawal symptoms are painful but generally only last for about a week and a half to two weeks. Psychological symptoms last much longer and sometimes never fully go away.

Long Term Treatment

Once the detox phase is completed, continued treatment in a long term program is highly recommended. An inpatient or outpatient drug treatment program that lasts from six months to a year is thought to be the most effective, however, there is no set amount of time someone is required to stay in treatment because therapy is usually voluntary unless it is court ordered in order to suspend a jail sentence. Regardless of how you end up in a drug treatment program it can be beneficial.

Studies have even indicated that people who are forced into treatment often benefit just as much as someone who chooses treatment voluntary which can bring hope to many families who have incorrectly believed that their loved one must want help in order for it work. Though addiction is not curable, it is manageable just like diabetes or other chronic lifelong diseases. The key is to understand that even when you think you have completely recovered from your addiction to hydrocodone or other opiates, that you are still vulnerable to relapse so it’s best to commit to a long term treatment plan.