How Do I Heal From Opioid Use Disorder at the Cellular Level?
The Buddha famously said, “Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.” This is the type of “guidance” that one often receives from recovery, especially those in recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD). OUD can be devastating both for the individual and the family, but the good news is that there are many effective means, methods, and modalities for recovering from OUD.
The Prevalence of Addiction in the U.S.
Many people don’t realize just how prevalent addiction is both in the U.S. and abroad. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “In 2022, 48.7 million people aged 12 or older (or 17.3%) had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year, including 29.5 million who had an alcohol use disorder (AUD), 27.2 million who had a drug use disorder (DUD), and 8.0 million people who had both an AUD and a DUD.”
Many people are also under the misconception that addiction is some type of moral failing or “choice.” This is a fallacy. Addiction is a chronic disease. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences. It is considered a brain disorder because it involves functional changes to brain circuits involved in reward, stress, and self-control. Those changes may last a long time after a person has stopped taking drugs.”
Also, addiction is not just a disease, but it is also a “family disease.” This is because it affects the entire family and not just the individual who is struggling. It is often said that addiction is like a tornado that destroys everyone and everything in its path, especially the family. Opioid use disorder is a prime example of an addiction that can be devastating to the family.
Better Understanding Opioid Use Disorder
OUD is one of the most prevalent addictions in the U.S., and the problem continues to rise. According to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, “Opioid use and addiction in adolescents and young adults, including heroin and non-medical use of prescription opioids, is a serious and growing health problem of epidemic proportions. Opioid use has devastating consequences for youth and their families, including progression to full addiction, severe psychosocial impairment, HCV and HIV transmission with injection use, exacerbation of co-occurring psychiatric disorders, overdose, and death.”
So, what exactly is OUD? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), a substance use disorder, sometimes referred to as ‘opioid abuse or dependence’ or ‘opioid addiction’ is a problematic pattern of opioid use that causes significant impairment or distress. OUD is a treatable, chronic disease that can affect anyone – regardless of race, gender, income level, or social class.” It is also important to be able to spot the signs and symptoms of OUD if one is going to start their journey toward recovery.
The Signs and Symptoms of Opioid Use Disorder
Of course, the signs and symptoms of opioid use disorder are always going to vary based on the individual. However, one can look out for many universal signs and symptoms of OUD. The following are just a few of those signs and symptoms:
- Isolating away from family and close friends
- Experiencing trouble at work or school
- Not being able to stop once using opioids
- Losing interest in activities once enjoyed
- Having trouble with sleep cycles, including sleeping too much and not sleeping enough (hypersomnia and insomnia)
- Experiencing physical ailments such as headaches, body aches, and gastrointestinal problems (like constipation)
- Feeling anxious, nervous, or overly “stressed out”
- Having feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness
- Loss of appetite and a lack of care regarding physical appearance and wellbeing
- Exhibiting excessive mood swings
- Causing harm to oneself or others
- Having suicidal ideations
Often, people can minimize OUD or even falsely categorize it as that previously mentioned “choice.” However, as one can see, these signs and symptoms are significant and can be deadly. This is why reaching out for professional help as soon as possible is critical. Doing so could mean the difference between short-term side effects and long-term consequences.
What Does It Mean to Heal at the Cellular Level?
Healing at the cellular level is all about healing every aspect of the capital “S” Self. This includes the physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental components of the Self. It also means that one should heal holistically (holistic meaning “whole”).
There are many ways for this healing to occur. This can happen via “traditional” psychotherapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Also, this healing can happen via experiential therapies and holistic healing methods like yoga therapy and mindfulness meditation. However, it is important to understand which of these methods (or combination of methods) are going to work best, and the best way to do that is to connect with individualized addiction care.
The Importance of Individualized Addiction Care for Opioid Use Disorder
Now, the reality is that the addiction care industry is now worth billions of dollars. This is positive in that there are more options for people to get the help they need. However, there are also now many predatory recovery centers that are more focused on their financial bottom line than they are on their client’s well-being. These tend to be the same recovery centers that only offer overarching “one-note” treatment plans.
Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we find that this type of “one-size-fits-all” recovery rarely works. This is why we focus on each and every client individually. Now, this happens right from the beginning with a comprehensive intake process that focuses on one’s background information, family and occupational dynamics, and goals for the future. This is also when we determine which modalities may work best for recovery. We use these modalities under the multi-angled approach.
The Multi-Angled Approach: The Importance of Comprehensive Addiction Care for Opioid Use Disorder
When it comes to recovery, it is important to have as many modality options as possible. This ensures that a treatment plan is going to have all of the resources needed when it comes to composing one’s recovery trajectory.
Having many options for recovery is also helpful because if one modality is not working (or ceases working) there will always be another that can fill its place. For example, if one is utilizing CBT for recovery and it stops its efficacy, then one may shift to an experiential therapy like art therapy. However, usually, the best option for a recovery plan is to utilize multiple modalities in tandem. This includes recovery plans for opioid use disorder.
How to Best Heal From Opioid Use Disorder
OUD is often treated in two ways. One way is via psychology, and the other way is with medication. According to the peer-reviewed journal BMC Health Services Research, “Opioid use disorder is a chronic disorder that often requires both medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and psychosocial treatment and support. Rigorous research has found that MOUDs with an opioid receptor agonist (methadone), partial agonist (buprenorphine), or opioid antagonist (extended-release naltrexone) can facilitate recovery from opioid use disorders. Methadone has been widely used since the 1960s,” and “Buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist with a better safety profile, was introduced in France in the 1990s and approved in the US in 2002.”
There are also many other ways to heal from opioid use disorder. However, they often must start with a safe and secure detox.
A Focus on Detox
Detox can be critical for recovery from opioid use disorder. This is because withdrawal from opioids can be very painful, both physically and emotionally.
According to the American Journal on Addictions, “Chronic use of opioids whether as a part of OUD or for legitimate medical use as analgesia leads to tolerance to their effects and distressing OWS [opioid withdrawal symptoms] when opioids are discontinued or dosage is reduced. These OWS begin soon after opioid discontinuation, are often severe, and may motivate patients to restart opioids in the early days after opioid discontinuation or prevent them from attempting to stop opioids at all.” This relapse factor is a big reason why an effective detox is so important.
Many people don’t realize just how common relapse can be. According to the peer-reviewed journal Current Psychiatry Reports, “It has long been known that addictive disorders are chronic and relapsing in nature. Recent estimates from clinical treatment studies suggest that more than two-thirds of individuals relapse within weeks to months of initiating treatment. For 1-year outcomes across alcohol, nicotine, weight, and illicit drug abuse, studies show that more than 85% of individuals relapse and return to drug use within 1 year of treatment.” These relapse rates can be greatly reduced with the right types of treatment. This includes treatments like “traditional” psychotherapies.
Utilizing ‘Traditional’ Psychotherapies for Recovery From Opioid Use Disorder
The reason psychotherapies work so well for opioid use disorder is that they get to the critical underlying issues that lead to the addictive behaviors associated with OUD. Many people don’t realize that OUD is about a lot more than simply picking up the opioid. It is about the cognitions and emotions that lead to picking up that opioid. Ultimately, it all starts with one’s thinking. This is why it is often said that a relapse happens long before one ever uses an opioid.
DBT and CBT can be particularly helpful because they get to the underlying negative feelings one has about oneself and the world around them. These feelings must be addressed if one is to heal at the cellular level. DBT and CBT address these feelings and thus can lead to a positive change and shift away from the addictive behaviors associated with OUD.
CBT can also be particularly helpful because it makes the individual an “active participant” in their own recovery. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, “Consistent with the medical model of psychiatry, the overall goal of treatment is symptom reduction, improvement in functioning, and remission of the disorder. In order to achieve this goal, the patient becomes an active participant in a collaborative problem-solving process to test and challenge the validity of maladaptive cognitions and to modify maladaptive behavioral patterns…. Although these strategies greatly emphasize cognitive factors, physiological, emotional, and behavioral components are also recognized for the role that they play in the maintenance of the disorder.” Experiential therapy can also be effective.
Utilizing Experiential Therapies for Recovery From Opioid Use Disorder
Experiential therapy can be particularly beneficial for individuals who prefer a more active style of therapy. This is because experiential therapy is more about “experiences” than it is about discussion (though that can be a big part of it).
One effective type of experiential therapy is nature immersion therapy. This is because nature has been shown to be very effective in helping people recover from addiction. According to the U.S. National Park Service, “5 minutes walking in nature improves mood, self-esteem, and relaxation. Frequent exposure to nature reduces anxiety and depression while promoting a sense of wellbeing and fulfillment.” Also, “physical activity in a green space can reduce stress and lower cortisol levels by 15%.”
Nature immersion therapy also has a myriad of other benefits. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Besides improvements to physical and psychological well-being, exposure to natural environments has been shown to bring about positive impacts on cognitive functioning…. While cognitive restoration and physiological well-being are the prominent and renowned benefits of nature exposure, there is one important construct that is often overlooked in environmental psychology research studies – that is, the human-nature relationship; also known as connectedness to nature (CN).” This “CN” can also be gained via various forms of holistic healing methods, such as yoga and meditation outdoors.
Utilizing Holistic Healing Methods for Recovery From Opioid Use Disorder
The iconic yogi and spiritual leader B.K.S. Iyengar famously said, “Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind, and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open.” Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years. Originally it was solely practiced for religious or spiritual purposes, but it has since moved into other areas, including the realm of recovery.
The benefits of yoga therapy are vast and varied. According to the International Journal of Yoga (IJOY), “Therapeutic yoga is defined as the application of yoga postures and practice to the treatment of health conditions. Yoga therapy involves instruction in yogic practices and teachings to prevent reduce or alleviate structural, physiological, emotional, and spiritual pain, suffering, or limitations. Yogic practices enhance muscular strength and body flexibility, promote and improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, promote recovery from and treatment of addiction, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall well-being and quality of life.”
There are also many other types of effective holistic healing methods. This includes massage therapy, reiki, acupuncture, aromatherapy, and mindfulness meditation. All of these may be effective at treating opioid use disorder.
Recovering at the Cellular Level With Exclusive Hawaii Rehab
Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” This is why all of our treatment plans are individualized and comprehensive with a focus on the future.
The Buddha also famously said, “You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.” This is especially true in recovery.
Everyone deserves to recover. The good news is that everyone can recover with the right help. That help can be found right here with us on the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island.
There remains an opioid epidemic in the U.S. and around the world. However, this does not mean that there are no solutions. There are many effective means, methods, and modalities that can help one recover from opioid use disorder (OUD) at the cellular level. This includes “traditional,” experiential, and holistic healing methods. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the right road to recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about how best to recover from OUD, please reach out to Exclusive Hawaii Rehab today at (808) 775-0200.