Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

Opioids are a group of drugs that includes heroin, fentanyl and prescription pain medicines like oxycodone. Opioid use disorder means a person keeps using opioids even when it's causing harm, and finds it very hard to stop. It is a chronic, treatable medical condition, not a moral failing.

Opioids attach to receptors in the brain and set off a strong sense of relief or pleasure. With repeated use, the brain adapts. A person needs more to feel the same effect (tolerance) and starts to feel sick without the drug. Over time, using becomes less about feeling good and more about not feeling unwell.

The DSM-5 describes OUD using signs such as failed attempts to cut back, cravings, using in risky situations, and continuing despite harm to relationships. A person doesn't need every sign to have a problem worth treating.

Fentanyl has made opioid use far more dangerous. It is very strong, and it is often mixed into other drugs or pressed into fake pills without people knowing. Even a small amount can cause a fatal overdose.

Withdrawal from fentanyl, heroin and other opioids often brings body aches, chills and sweating, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, a runny nose, yawning, restlessness, anxiety, trouble sleeping and strong cravings. It is rarely life-threatening on its own for otherwise healthy adults, but vomiting and diarrhea can cause dangerous dehydration, and it's miserable enough that many people return to use just to make it stop.

Fentanyl has changed what withdrawal looks like. Because it is so strong and can linger in the body, symptoms may start at different times and last longer than people expect. That timing also matters for medications such as buprenorphine, which must be started at the right point.

The most serious risk comes after withdrawal. Detox lowers your tolerance quickly. Using the same amount as before can cause a fatal overdose. That's why detox alone isn't enough, and why leaving with naloxone and a plan for continued care matters so much.

Medically supervised opioid detox at Serenity Moon Recovery focuses on comfort, safety and dignity. Licensed nurses monitor you around the clock, our medical director oversees care, and the team times medications carefully to ease symptoms. If you're nervous about the first days, our article on what to expect in the first 72 hours of detox may help.

Medication is an option, never a requirement. FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder, including buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone, can reduce cravings and lower overdose risk. Your physician will explain each option, including how and when it can be started safely, and you'll decide together. Read more about medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. Medications currently offered on site: naltrexone and buprenorphine (Subutex and Suboxone). For Sublocade, the monthly buprenorphine injection, we take you to your injection appointments. When a medication isn't available here, we can help coordinate care with a provider who offers it.

After detox, residential treatment gives you time and support to work on what's underneath. Individual and group therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and trauma-informed care help you manage cravings, triggers and painful feelings. Depression, anxiety and trauma often go along with opioid use, so psychiatric care for co-occurring conditions is part of the plan.

Before you leave, we build a plan for continued care, which may include intensive outpatient treatment, ongoing medication and aftercare support. Family therapy helps the people closest to you understand the overdose risk and how to support you.