Finding Quality Prescription Drug Abuse Help in Texas
Prescription drug addiction is perhaps the most insidious of all substance abuse disorders. What is meant to help us heal turns, unexpectedly, into a source of great harm and suffering. For Olivia, her addiction to prescription anxiety pills began when she was left shaken after a car accident during her commute from San Marcos to San Antonio. For Noah, a broken leg from playing soccer with some friends at Exall Park led to a years-long battle with addiction to pain medication. In Emma’s case, she had always struggled with chronic pain, but her prescription drug abuse began as a teenager and reached a crescendo when she became pregnant with her first child while living on her own in McAllen.
What do all three have in common? They all became addicted to prescription drugs—and none of them saw it coming. Thankfully, they were all able to find prescription drug abuse help in Texas that finally aided them in their journey to sobriety.
You can, too.
Addiction Recovery Begins with Acceptance
Simply by looking for prescription drug abuse help in Texas, you’ve already begun to take a few positive steps forward, even if you haven’t realized it yet. Firstly, you’ve recognized and accepted that you may be addicted. This is one of the most difficult steps in the recovery journey.
It can be scary, shameful, and even painful to realize that you have become addicted to any substance. This is often especially true of prescription drugs, as you may also feel betrayed by your doctor for prescribing the medicine to you in the first place, or disappointed in yourself for becoming addicted when others—perhaps even people you know—have taken the same medications without issue.
Know, however, that you are not alone. According to recent research, providers in Texas write around 47 opioid prescriptions for every 100 patients. Not every person with a prescription becomes addicted, but many do, and there is no shame in acknowledging that you may be one of them. Remember, too, that addiction can affect anyone, regardless of background or circumstances—including a mature and successful businesswoman like Olivia; an active, middle-aged man like Noah; or even a young, single mother like Emma.
The second step you’ve taken towards recovery is this: you’ve at least considered that you may need help in overcoming this addiction. This, too, is difficult for many people, and that you have come this far already is a good sign. Finding the right help in recovering from prescription drug abuse is not easy, but in most cases, it’s a necessity.
Help is Vital for Recovering from Prescription Drug Abuse
No one should have to struggle with addiction or muddle through recovery alone. Support networks play a key role in the healing process, but more than that, professional medical support can mitigate many of the risks and downsides of working towards sobriety alone. Prescription drug abuse, in particular, presents many hurdles to healing that are best navigated with the help of addiction specialists.
| Detox can be dangerous. | Opioid withdrawal symptoms can include nausea or vomiting, which might result in dehydration or aspiration. Detoxing from stimulants can result in severe mood swings, depression, and even suicidal ideation. Central nervous system (CNS) depressants can cause seizures, coma, or death if you attempt to suddenly quit them cold-turkey. As such, it is incredibly risky to detox at home, rather than with the help of specialists who have the training and experience necessary to prevent or mitigate these symptoms and ensure a safe detox. |
| Recovery can be complicated. | Detox is only the beginning. Once the drugs are out of your system, achieving sustainable sobriety almost always requires some form of specialized addiction treatment that can address both the underlying causes, as well as unintended consequences of drug abuse. Trained clinicians can help you not only recognize, but holistically heal from, both the physical and psychological effects your addiction has wrought on your overall wellness. |
| Rebuilding your life is easier with support. | Addiction affects more than just your own health. It also touches the lives of your loved ones, and can wreak havoc on your social and financial wellbeing, too. Family therapy can help mend broken bonds, while aftercare services can help you sort out employment, housing, and even legal issues. All of these things will help you to build a more stable life after addiction, which in turn will help maximize your ability to enjoy long-lasting recovery. |
Once you’ve confirmed that you are ready to recover—and to do so safely and effectively, with the help of trained addiction specialists—the next obvious step is to decide where you are going to begin your recovery journey.
Prescription Drug Abuse Help in Texas: Know Your Options
If you’ve sought out prescription drug abuse help in Texas before and found the results disappointing, it can be difficult to convince yourself it’s worth the trouble of trying again. And if you’ve never looked for addiction treatment before, the number of options you have available to you may be overwhelming—or underwhelming, depending on how close you live to a major metropolis.
If you live in a rural area with few or no treatment facilities, you may have to widen your search beyond your immediate area to find quality prescription drug abuse help. In particular, try checking the major cities closest to you. More populous places like San Antonio or Austin tend to have more (and higher-quality) options, and some of these programs even offer transportation to and from their facility for clients living within a certain radius.
If you’re not sure what to look for when evaluating facilities or treatment programs, a good rule of thumb is to focus your attention on comprehensive programs that offer support every step of the way, from detox to discharge. If you’re not sure whether you want (or need) inpatient or outpatient services, check the Texas criteria for residential treatment—but know that ultimately, a clinical consultation will be best for determining your ideal path forward.
They say that good help is hard to find. But, with a bit of research—and perhaps the help of a loved one, if possible—you can find the help you need to put your prescription drug abuse in the past and begin making new choices that will lead to a better, brighter future.