Tramadol is an opioid drug. As such, it has addictive potential just like other opioid drugs.
You won’t likely get addicted to this drug if you take it following your doctor’s prescription. However, if you take more of it than you need, you may soon develop an addiction.
If you happen to be addicted to this drug, Tramadol rehab is in order. Read on to find out how successful rehab is in treating substance use disorder.
What is Tramadol?
Tramadol belongs to a class of drugs known as opioids. Similar drugs include morphine, oxycodone, codeine, and fentanyl.
It works by binding to opioid receptors in your central nervous system. In effect, the drug molecules block the transmission of pain signals.
This drug functions as a painkiller, and it’s often prescribed for moderate to severe pain. Doctors will prescribe this to you when milder pain relievers do not work.
Despite being a common pain reliever, Tramadol carries the risk of abuse and addiction. In 2014, it was classified as a controlled substance by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) puts this drug under Schedule IV, meaning it has a low potential for abuse.
Why does Tramadol become addictive?
Compared to other opiates and opioids, this drug is on the milder end of the spectrum. Because of this, some people think that they cannot become addicted to the drug.
But this could not be further from the truth.
One cause of addiction can be taking higher doses than what’s on your prescription. Sometimes, you may feel that the effects of Tramadol are not as strong as when you first took it. When this happens, you need to tell your doctor.
Do not increase your dose by yourself. This is one good way to develop an addiction.
If you take higher doses than you need to, your body will be used to the effects of the drug. This is called tolerance. In effect, you will no longer feel the same strength of pain relief as before.
If you keep taking higher doses to get the desired effect, you will soon become dependent on the drug. This means you will find it harder to function normally without the drug.
Eventually, this will spiral into a full-on addiction. When you abuse Tramadol, you will feel these side effects:
- Small pupils
- Appetite changes
- Headaches
- Drowsiness
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Slurred speech
- Uncoordinated movements
- Sweating
- Dizziness
Signs of addiction
If you have already become addicted to it, your behavior will take on new patterns. These behaviors are predictable and common for everyone living with a substance addiction.
Here are some of those patterns:
- Being unable to stop using the drug even if you want to quit
- Isolating yourself from friends and family when taking the drug
- Constantly running out of money because of your drug habits
- Feeling that you must use the drug to function properly
- Damaged relationships with friends and family
- Spending more time with a new group of friends who are also drug users
- Getting in trouble with the law because of drug use
If you have gotten to this point, it’s time to seek professional help. Quitting Tramadol is hard work, but it becomes easier to manage if you go through a formal rehab program.
What happens during Tramadol rehab?
Drug rehab is composed of various treatments designed to restore you to a drug-free lifestyle. It combines both medical interventions and psychological therapies. Effective drug rehab programs use evidence-based therapies to ensure the best outcomes for you.
Medically-assisted detox
Detox is often the first step of any formal rehab program. The goal of detox is to rid your body of all traces of Tramadol. Also, medical personnel will take care of you through the whole process. They will help you manage any withdrawal symptoms that might make detox uncomfortable.
Inpatient or outpatient rehab?
Mainly, two types of drug rehab exist. Outpatient rehab works best for milder cases of addiction, while more severe cases warrant inpatient rehab.
If you qualify for outpatient rehab, you will need to go to the rehab facility a few times a week. After you finish your therapy sessions for the day, you are free to go back home.
If your case is more severe, you will have to enroll in an inpatient rehab program. For 30 to 90 days, you will live inside a rehab center. Here, you can fully focus on your recovery. You will have a stringent daily routine, and most of your activities will involve therapy sessions.
Behavioral therapies
There are many kinds of behavioral therapies that are used to curb substance addictions. One example is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In CBT, your therapist will help you uncover the root cause of your addiction. Also, you will gain the skills you need to create healthy ways of coping with negative emotions. By the end of CBT, you can actively avoid drugs on your own.
How successful is drug rehab?
Success in drug rehab is hard to define. There are no widely accepted standards of success in rehab, so it mainly depends on your rehab provider.
For example, if a rehab center has lots of patients who did not come back to them after completing their rehab programs, the center might report a high success rate.
But if you look at the status of the previous patients, the success rate may be lower. For one, not all of them may still be living sober after a year.
With that in mind, success rate is not the best metric to use when deciding between different rehab providers. Instead, it’s better to know:
- What treatments they use (and if these treatments are evidence-based)
- The credentials of their staff
- Accreditations they have
Overall, though, rehab is still the best way to recover from a substance addiction. It may take time, effort, and a significant investment of money, but all that is worth it in the long run.