Help for morphine addiction

Learn how to get help for morphine addiction, and how you can help someone with morphine addiction. Plus, what to expect during addiction treatment. More here.

3
minute read

Morphine is an opiate derived from the poppy plant, a very strong painkiller that relieves pain by directly affecting the central nervous system. In fact, morphine is one of the most addictive prescription medications available because of its high potency and depressant effects on the brain. Signs of morphine addiction can manifest in the first weeks of use.

So what can you do to treat morphine addiction and how can you help someone you love find help for morphine addiction? Here, we review the basics of morphine addiction treatment programs and how to help a morphine addict. Then, we invite your questions about morphine addiction and its treatment at the end. We try to answer all legitimate questions in a timely manner.

Getting help for morphine addiction

Morphine addiction affects your physical and mental health. When you stop taking morphine, your body manifests withdrawal within hours of cessation. So, where do you go first?

You can seek help for morphine addiction by consulting with

  • A physician (family doctor or psychiatrist)
  • A psychologist
  • Addiction treatment centers
  • Detox clinics
  • Drug addiction support groups
  • Helplines
  • Licensed clinical social workers
  • Religious or community leaders
  • Your friends and family

How to help morphine addiction

How do you get help for morphine addiction and what can you expect? There are multiple ways to help treat morphine addiction. Possible therapies correspond to the two first phases of addiction treatment: withdrawal and psychological treatment.

1. Morphine withdrawal treatment

The first step in getting help for morphine addiction is to get morphine out of the system. Morphine dependence can be treated in both outpatient and inpatient facilities. However, most people going through morphine withdrawal should be admitted to a hospital or medical facility for the first few days for treatment. Why?

When regular or long time users try to quit morphine they will often encounter abdominal cramps, vomiting, chills, increased heart rate and nausea until they get they get proper treatment. Additionally, morphine withdrawal can cause memory problems, seizures, faintness, breathing difficulties, constipation, menstrual cycle interference, dizziness, reduced sex drive and confusion. Medications such as buprenorphine (to reduces the severity of withdrawal symptoms) and naltrexone (to block opioids from acting on the brain) can be prescribed during this time. And medical staff can treat symptomatic effects of morphine withdrawal as they appear.

2. Psychological morphine addiction treatment

Morphine use leads to psychological dependence in addicts. Psychological treatments address the mental and emotional thought processes which lead to compulsive use of morphine and are crucial to long term recovery. Professional intervention usually includes cognitive behavioral therapies, psychotherapy, group and/or family therapy. Additionally, group meetings and peer support groups are often recommended when getting psychological help for morphine addiction treatment.

How to help a morphine addict

If you know someone whose addiction to morphine is negatively impacting their life, you can get them help by intervening. It is important for a morphine addict to acknowledge addiction and the harm they may be causing. If you are uncomfortable planning an informal intervention, professional interventionists can help.

Morphine addiction help and helplines

Still need help with morphine addiction? Call the national drug abuse hotline at 1-800-662-HELP. Trained responders can help you choose from among addiction treatment options in your area, including detox clinics or treatment centers that offer sliding scale or low cost fees.

Help with morphine addiction questions

If you still have questions concerning morphine addiction, we welcome your comments below and we will get back to you promptly. We try to respond to all questions personally.

Reference sources: NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse: Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction
MedlinePlus: Opiate withdrawal
Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction in Opioid Treatment Programs. Chapter 3. Pharmacology of Medications Used To Treat Opioid Addiction
About the author
Lee Weber is a published author, medical writer, and woman in long-term recovery from addiction. Her latest book, The Definitive Guide to Addiction Interventions is set to reach university bookstores in early 2019.
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