Detox is a critical time, a step forward in an addiction-free life. But for some, after detox the hunger for opioids or alcohol is a major roadblock on the road to recovery. The battle to overcome the craving might feel too powerful to combat alone.
Vivitrol, a medically assisted treatment that was approved by the FDA in 2010 to assist people who are ending their addiction to opioids and alcohol, can help. Vivitrol is a once-monthly injection that when combined with counseling is proven to help prevent opioid and alcohol relapse by fighting the physical cravings. Vivitrol works by blocking the opioid receptors in the brain, preventing cravings and relapse. Patients who have used Vivitrol in combination with counseling have gone 90% opioid free weeks compared to 35% of patients that took placebo.
Some people, especially those in the early stages of recovery who fight an uncontrollable urge to seek and use opioids or alcohol. Most need ongoing care. At Comprehensive Wellness Centers in West Palm Beach, FL (CWC), our 30-day Vivitrol Program is aimed at helping those people by administering the medication for the physical addiction as well as counseling and social support for the psychological and emotional aspects.
Vivitrol, the brand name for Naltrexone, can take away the desire to drink or use drugs by blocking the enjoyable effects of opioids and alcohol. It:
The injection is given by a nurse or doctor and is used as part of a comprehensive, medically supervised addiction treatment program.
Different types of medically assisted treatment have been instrumental in helping drug addicts reestablish their lives when recovering from addiction. The problem is, some of those drugs are addictive themselves. While they don’t produce the same effect that heroin and alcohol do, they have a risk of abuse without continual medical monitoring. On the other hand, Vivitrol has no potential for abuse because it doesn’t produce a high when taken on its own. And, because it completely blocks opiate receptors, an addict or alcoholic can’t get high or drunk when they use their substance of choice. Other medications inhibit opioid receptors; Vivitrol blocks them.
We know the path to recovery is not an easy one. At Comprehensive Wellness Centers in South Florida, we focus on offering patients a personalized care plan that meets their individual needs. If believe you or your loved one can benefit from Vivitrol as an opioid or alcohol addiction treatment and would like more information, contact our team at (855) 844-0592 or fill out the contact form we will contact you.
