If you or a loved one wants to overcome an addiction, you can expect a lifetime of recovery. Thankfully, it gets easier with time. At Restore Health, the team provides treatment with Suboxone® and close weekly monitoring. To learn more about addiction medicine, call the office in Spokane or Richland, Washington, or book an appointment online today.
Addiction Medicine FAQ’s
Addiction is a chronic medical condition characterized by a compulsive behavior or use of a substance despite how it negatively affects your life. Addiction isn’t always easy to treat, but the Recovery Center for Addiction at Restore Health specializes in giving you or a loved one the care you need to heal from addiction.
Addiction is very complex and involves many factors: It isn’t a choice or a weakness. Addiction involves factors that are:
- Genetic
- Physiological
- Psychological
- Environmental
- Related to one’s life experiences
The Restore Health team approaches addiction as a disease and provides evidence-based care that takes these factors into account.
When you first arrive for addiction treatment, the team assesses you with an in-depth health history and physical exam. During this exam, they also evaluate you for co-occurring psychiatric conditions. They might utilize lab testing with quick results.
The team at Restore Health can treat your addiction to opioids, including heroin, oxycodone, or hydrocodone, with an individualized program. They encourage you to stop using for at least 12 hours before starting treatment with Suboxone®, a medication that blocks the effects of opioids within your system.
Within 45 minutes of taking Suboxone, your symptoms of withdrawal diminish. From there, you can place more focus on your treatment and other important parts of your life.
Treatment programs for other addictions like methamphetamines, alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco do not involve Suboxone but are equally individualized. They also address health concerns commonly associated with addiction.
Every week during your program, the Restore Health team:
- Evaluates your medication dose
- Performs urinalysis for drug screening
- Evaluates any side effects you get from the medication
- Provides counseling
After the first week, your cravings for the substance should dwindle significantly. For the best chance at success during your program, you should try your best to avoid other substances that aren’t the target of your addiction program too.
You shouldn’t try to rush your recovery from addiction, so you should be prepared to continue your program until the team determines that your addictive behaviors have changed. For most patients, this takes 6-12 months. The Restore Health team also encourages you to sign on for other programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) for a year or two.
The team at Restore Health tells you when you can begin to safely taper your Suboxone dosage. Even when you finish taking the medication, they encourage you to stay in AA, NA, or personal addiction counseling to ensure you don’t lose the progress you made while in treatment at Restore Health.
To find out more about what to expect during an addiction medicine program through Restore Health, call the location nearest you or book an appointment online today.