Knoxville, Tennessee’s Selected Opioid Addiction Treatment Center

When someone has an opioid addiction, you may notice certain changes in their health or behavior. Opioid addiction affects everyone differently, but there are certain symptoms of opioid addiction that can be common to this illness. These are common signs of opioid addiction: 

• Mouth and nose are often dry 
• Often suffers from constipation 
• Takes opioids even when they’re not in pain 
• Takes opioids in ways not intended by their doctor 
• Borrows or steals prescription opioids from others  
• Loses prescription opioids so that more prescriptions need to be written 
• Seeks prescription opioids from multiple doctors 
• Unable to stop using opioids after multiple attempts 
• Stops doing things they love to spend more time getting opioids 
• Needs to take more opioids than before to get the desired effect 
• Spends increasing amount of time recovering from opioid use 
• Uses opioids even in situations in which it could be dangerous 
• Feels sick or shaky if they don’t use opioids 

Because opioid addiction symptoms vary from person to person, it’s important to reach out for professional support if you are displaying any opioid addiction signs. A medical professional can conduct an assessment to determine whether you need treatment for an opioid addiction. 

The Department of Health and Human Services reported the following statistics about opioid addiction in the United States based on a 2019 national survey: 

• About 1.6 million people had an opioid addiction in the past year, and the same number of people misused prescription opioids for the first time during the same period. 
• During the same time frame, 50,000 people used heroin for the first time, 745,000 people used heroin at some point, and 14,480 people died from a heroin overdose. 
• Also in the past year, 48,006 people died from an overdose attributed to synthetic opioids. 

The effects of opioid addiction can impact someone’s health, relationships, and career. And while the severity of these effects depends on a variety of factors, the short-term opioid addiction effects someone experiences may only worsen over time if they don’t receive professional intervention. Common effects of opioid addiction include: 

• Infections such as tetanus, HIV, and hepatitis C 
• Tuberculosis or other lung problems 
• Nasal irritation or perforated nasal septum 
• Decreased performance at work or job loss 
• Financial difficulties or homelessness 
• Frequent run-ins with the law or incarceration 
• Strained relationships with friends and family 
• Lost trust with healthcare providers 
• Accidents or injuries while under the influence 
• Death by overdose 
• Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts 

If you’re struggling with an opioid addiction, it’s important to find a place to get opioid addiction treatment as soon as possible. Early intervention is the key to minimizing any long-term opioid addiction effects. 

There’s a stigma attached to opioid addiction, but the truth is that opioid addiction is a disease that requires medical intervention. People who suffer from opioid addiction do not make a choice to develop an addiction to opioids, and they typically need the help of professionals to find recovery. 

When you get opioid addiction treatment, you can work with highly experienced professionals who can help you stop abusing opioids and start working toward a life in recovery. This typically involves making the behavioral and lifestyle changes that may lead to a life free of opioid use. 

During your time at an opioid addiction treatment center, you may also discover that you are not alone in your struggles with opioid addiction. Oftentimes, people who seek opioid addiction treatment develop a support network through their peers, and this can become a powerful resource throughout their recovery journey. 

At East Tennessee Behavioral Health, we provide inpatient and outpatient opioid addiction treatment options for adolescents, adults, and senior adults. Every person who comes to our opioid addiction treatment center follows an opioid addiction treatment plan that we personalize to their specific strengths, needs, and goals. 

To create your treatment plan, we will complete a detailed evaluation of your past and present opioid use, medical history, and presenting symptoms. Depending on where you are in your recovery process, your opioid addiction treatment may begin with our on-site, nonmedical detoxification services.  

We primarily use group therapy in our opioid addiction treatment programming, but you may also take part in individual counseling and family therapy. Other services your care team may recommend during your time at our opioid addiction treatment center include medication management and basic medical care. 

Throughout your time at our opioid addiction treatment center, you may also benefit from different types of therapies and approaches. These might include dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and motivational enhancement therapy (MET). 

When you find a place to get opioid addiction treatment, the last thing you want to do is delay treatment because of a long admissions process. At East Tennessee Behavioral Health, we’ve designed our admissions process to be as simple as possible. 

Our admissions staff is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so you can contact us whenever you’re ready to get started. When you reach out to us, a member of our admissions team will conduct an initial assessment to determine whether our opioid addiction treatment center is the right place for you. We’ll also gather some preliminary information, such as your demographic information, clinical history, and payment and insurance information. 

If we believe that our opioid addiction treatment center is the best fit for you, we’ll set an admission date and assist you with completing the admissions process. However, our goal is to find the best place for you to get opioid addiction treatment. If we believe that another facility would be a better fit, we’ll make the appropriate referral. 

Living with an opioid addiction can cause damage to nearly every aspect of your life. But with the support of the experts at East Tennessee Behavioral Health, you can rediscover a life free of opioid use.