Today, the United States is living through an opioid crisis. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid used in hospitals and sold on the street, is a leading cause of opioid overdose and death across the country. This potent drug is hard to stop taking without addiction treatment.

If you or someone you love is struggling with fentanyl use and other opioids, you aren’t alone. The Santé Center for Healing team is here to help you recover and thrive. At Santé Center for Healing, we provide clients with a comprehensive dual diagnosis for mental health and addiction recovery. Call us now at 866.238.3154 to learn more about the benefits of fentanyl addiction treatment.

What Is Fentanyl?

Like other opioids and opiates, fentanyl was developed from the opium poppy. While opium has been used medicinally and recreationally for centuries, synthetic opioids are stronger and more dangerous. Like other opioids, fentanyl blocks pain receptors in the brain and creates a feeling of euphoria. Used for chronic pain, surgery, and self-medicating for emotional and psychological pain, fentanyl is 100 times stronger than morphine. This makes the drug easy to abuse and overdose on. Unfortunately, other drugs are frequently laced with fentanyl, making them dangerous.

Effects of fentanyl include:

Drowsiness
Changes in vision
Depression
Night terrors
Dry mouth
Shaking
Chest pain
Swelling of the extremities
Anxiety
Changes in heartbeat
Nausea
Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Weakness
Dizziness
Seizures
Itching
Hallucinations
Confusion

When fentanyl enters the bloodstream, it slows down the body’s processing speed, releases the pleasure chemical dopamine, and numbs pain. This can lead to cardiac arrest, slow breathing, coma, and death.

Benefits of Fentanyl Detox and Addiction Recovery

Like other opioids, it’s easy to abuse fentanyl because opioids change the brain. While opioids are powerful pain relievers, they are prone to tolerance. The more often someone takes opioids, the more opioids they will need for the same level of pain relief and euphoria. For some, this can lead to combining substances, crushing tablets, and often overdosing. For those with chronic pain, opioid tolerance builds quickly. So does opioid addiction.

Fentanyl addiction treatment is the safest, most effective way to overcome fentanyl abuse and addiction. Benefits of treatment include:

Dual diagnosis to treat mental health disorders alongside addiction
Group support and solidarity with a built-in sober community
Relapse prevention therapy and other programs to reduce reuse
Individual, group, and family therapy to help reconnect with loved ones

Many opioid programs will use medically assisted detox to treat fentanyl addiction. This can be a way to ease symptoms and create the time and space people need to begin recovery through various therapies.

Begin Fentanyl Addiction Treatment in Texas Today

People across the US and here in Texas are affected by fentanyl use every day. If you or someone you love is struggling with fentanyl and opioid addiction, the Santé Center for Healing can help. With both inpatient and outpatient programs for men and women, we help clients navigate addiction recovery for a safe future. Clients enjoy a range of therapies, including traditional and alternative therapies for holistic recovery. Our programs include:

Clinical assessment
Detox
Residential treatment
IOP
Transitional living
Men’s rehab
Women’s rehab
Relapse prevention planning
Alumni support

With individual, group, and family therapy, 12-step programs, and a robust alumni program, Santé Center for Healing can help you at every stage of recovery. With more than 25 years of experience in mental health and addiction recovery, we can put you on the road to recovery.