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Morphine addiction treatment that actually works

For over a decade, we’ve helped people with substance abuse and addiction through our comprehensive treatment program and a continuum of care that’s designed to treat the whole person for a lifetime.

Enterhealth’s approach to inpatient, outpatient, and virtual addiction treatment is based on science- and evidence-based therapies created and administered by board-certified addiction psychiatrists and physicians. That’s why unlike 12-step programs that work for, at most, 50% of people, our program works for up to 84% of those we treat.

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Three column stats: 8% Recovery Rate, 5000 patients treated, and 1:5 Clinical staff to patient ratio.

Call today and get help. Our morphine addiction treatment experts are here for you.

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Treatment options for hydrocodone addiction

Morphine addiction is difficult to overcome, and few users can get clean without the help of a comprehensive inpatient rehab program.

Treatment needs to start with supervised medical detox (or withdrawal stabilization) overseen by board-certified medical professionals who can monitor the patient’s health and prescribe anti-addiction medications such as Suboxone, which reduce morphine withdrawal symptoms and intense cravings for the drug.

It is important to note, however, that medical detox alone is not a cure for opioid addiction. Rather, it’s a first step that allows patients to fully participate in a long-term program of behavioral therapy and psychological treatment.

Research shows that integrating these kinds of treatment to is the most effective approach, as it helps restore a degree of normal function to the brain and allows patients to address underlying issues that created the desire to use so they can regain a stable and productive life.

Effective therapies and treatments for opioid addiction can be administered in a residential or outpatient setting after withdrawal stabilization.

A treatment plan may include:

  • Medication Management using anti-addiction medications
  • Individual counseling
  • Group therapy
  • Family therapy sessions
  • Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP)
  • Supportive Outpatient Programs (SOP)
  • Maintenance Outpatient Programs (MOP)
  • Holistic treatment services

A range of treatment options based on you

Each person’s path to addiction is unique with different neurological, emotional, social and environmental contributing factors. That’s why the Enterhealth journey to recovery is personalized to meet individuals and families where they are. Whether you need immersive inpatient care or outpatient treatment, we offer a range of evidence-based treatment options and innovative therapies.

Enterhealth is the only facility with highly trained on-site addiction specialists, including PhDs, MDs and Master’s Level Therapists, who coordinate care at every stage. Because we understand the science behind addiction, we are best equipped to assess and treat individuals and families. Contact us to see why we’re the only facility with an 84% success rate.

RESIDENTIAL

PROVIDING A HEALING PLACE FOR NEW BEGINNINGS

Enterhealth Ranch offers inpatient care that’s on your side, not on the clock. It’s a nurturing environment where treatment is highly personalized and intensified. Every patient has a private room and 24/7 access to addiction trained specialists who use evidence-based treatments and comprehensive care, including medical detox, in-depth medical and psychological assessments, individual and group therapies, life skills and more.

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OUTPATIENT

PROVIDING EXCELLENCE IN YOUR CONTINUUM OF CARE

Enterhealth’s Outpatient Center of Excellence, conveniently located in the Park Cities, is expertly staffed with board-certified addiction specialists. Our comprehensive program is designed for continued recovery care and provides individuals and families the support they need to reconnect with each other and thrive in recovery.

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ALUMNI

FINDING CONNECTIONS TO STRENGTHEN RECOVERY

The Enterhealth Alumni Association offers a unique opportunity for our patients to continue and thrive in their recovery by building relationships through shared experiences. This one-of-a-kind support environment provides a nurturing space where participants can gain understanding, learn from others and continue to rebuild their lives.

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CORPORATE SERVICES

SUPPORTING EMPLOYEES IN THEIR RECOVERY

Recovery is one of the most important benefits you can give your employees. Enterhealth provides comprehensive, evidence-based residential and outpatient programs and continued 24/7 technological support with Enterhealth Connect. It’s a tool employees can use to access expert care that fits their schedule for online consultations with highly trained addiction specialists, dynamic content including blogs, podcasts, videos, and continuously updated tools and resources that will aid in their recovery journey.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Morphine Addiction

What is morphine?

Morphine is a painkiller typically prescribed for moderate to severe, long-lasting pain. Formulations are sold under a variety of brand names such as MS Contin, Astramorph, Morphabond and others.

Morphine is an opioid compound derived from the opium poppy flower. These kinds of compounds relieve pain by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, changing the user’s perception of pain and triggering a release of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter that results in euphoria.

Due to its strong potential for addiction, morphine is more tightly regulated now than it was in the past. However, is still widely prescribed and still manages to find its way onto the street where it’s bought and sold illegally.

What are the side effects of morphine?

Even when taken as directed, morphine can lead to a number of side effects, including:

  • Lightheadedness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Constipation
  • Skin rash
  • Itching
  • Sweating
  • Loss of appetite
  • Constipation
  • Dry mouth
  • Headache
  • Mood changes such as anxiety and fear

Note that this list does not necessarily reflect the true reality of addiction. People with an opioid use disorder often use such high amounts of these drugs that the side effects become extreme.

For example, fatigue is a common side effect, but someone addicted to morphine may take so much that they drift in and out of consciousness for hours at a time.

How do you know if you or someone you love is addicted to morphine?

Morphine use crosses the line into abuse and addiction (referred to clinically as opioid use disorder) whenever it is misused for the high produced by the drug instead of pain relief. As users consume more of the drug over time, their bodies become physically dependent on it.

This means they need to take more of the drug to get the same effect, as well as to prevent intensely unpleasant withdrawal symptoms that arise when the drug is not present in their system.

Morphine addiction often leads to psychological addiction as well, and anxiety, intense cravings, and other effects are common.

Morphine addiction behaviors include:

  • Taking more than the prescribed dosage
  • “Doctor shopping” for multiple prescriptions
  • Tampering with morphine before taking it
  • Taking morphine in any way other than orally

When cravings for morphine get bad enough users often take to a cheaper, easier-to-get alternative – heroin.

What are the symptoms of morphine withdrawal?

Even when taken properly under the care of a physician, it is possible to develop a physical dependence on morphine. Morphine prescriptions may come with dosing instructions that instruct a patient how to properly taper off of the medication to reduce and eliminate this physical dependency.

This kind of medication management is important – those who are physically dependent will experience opioid withdrawal symptoms if they stop their prescription too suddenly.

Opioid withdrawal symptoms can include:

  • Restlessness
  • Yawning
  • Sweating
  • Tearing eyes
  • Runny nose
  • Chills
  • Muscle and back aches
  • Nausea
  • Loss of appetite
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Irritability, anxiety
  • Dilated pupils
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Increased heartbeat or breathing

These problems vary in severity and duration depending on the specific morphine dose taken and duration of use.

How do you treat morphine withdrawal?

Morphine detox, also known as withdrawal stabilization, involves substituting long-acting opioids such as Suboxone in place of short-acting drugs of abuse, and patients are slowly tapered off the long-acting substitute once they’re symptoms are stabilized.

Patients are most uncomfortable during the first one to three days of the opioid withdrawal phase, so during this time doctors may prescribe a combination of a mild sedative and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as Motrin (generic name ibuprofen) to make them more comfortable.

How do anti-addiction drugs help with opioid withdrawal?

Medications to treat opioid addiction such as Suboxone (buprenorphine with naloxone) work through the same opioid receptors in the brain as morphine without causing a euphoric high, making them safer and less likely to result in addiction.

As a result, these medications help reduce cravings and relieve unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, which can allow patients to actively participate in treatment while their dose of Suboxone is slowly tapered down.

How long does it take to detox from morphine?

Usually after day three without the medication, morphine is out of a person’s system. By this time, patients’ withdrawal symptoms and opioid cravings should have almost completely subsided using the correct dose of Suboxone.

Can you overdose on morphine?

Yes, morphine overdoses are very common. That’s why prescriptions are written for specific doses tailored each person. Taking an excessive morphine dose can result in a life-threatening overdose.

Morphine overdose symptoms include:

  • Slowed or shallow breathing
  • Extreme drowsiness leading to coma
  • Cold and clammy skin
  • Pinpoint pupils
  • Slowed heart rate
  • Low blood pressure
  • Death

These symptoms can be deadly if not treated immediately.

How do people abuse morphine?

Users typically abuse morphine by cutting, crushing, chewing, or dissolving morphine tablets to bypass the time-release coating, allowing them to put a massive dose into the body at one time.

People seeking a morphine high may also snort or inject the tablet’s contents for more immediate effects. All of these methods greatly increase the chances of a morphine overdose.

Is morphine a controlled substance?

Yes. Morphine is classified by the DEA as a Schedule II controlled substance for its highly addictive properties, so possessing and taking morphine without a prescription is against the law, as is sharing, giving away or selling it.

What are the other dangers of morphine addiction?

Besides the risk of overdose, using oxycodone is ways it’s not designed can also have negative effects. Injecting hydrocodone is particularly harmful and can lead to infections and cardiovascular disease.

Hydrocodone formulations usually contain both hydrocodone and acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol, and taking high doses of acetaminophen can cause serious problems including permanent liver damage.

The problem is that as patients develop a tolerance to hydrocodone, they need to take more and more to get the safe high. This leads to them ingesting much more acetaminophen than their bodies can process, leading to overdose.

Signs of acetaminophen overdose include:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Excessive sweating

Besides the risk of overdose, using morphine in ways it’s not designed also has negative effects. Injecting morphine is particularly dangerous and can cause serious complications such as infections, sexually transmitted diseases, and cardiovascular disease.

*State standard is 1:10 clinical staff to patient ratio