Question by nic: If I go to rehab will they stop my Xanax and Adderall prescriptions?
If I go to rehab for a opiate addiction will they try take me off of my other meds? What else could it hurt if I checked into the addiction side of rehab?

Best answer:

Answer by John
Opiate addiction can be very difficult to overcome. There are a number of different schools of thought about how to effectively treat heroin dependence, and each has its merits. There are a many addiction treatment centers available providing treatment for opiate dependence. If possible, you should speak with your primary physician or psychiatrist to discuss the most appropriate treatment for your addiction. He or she can help you to develop and implement a sobriety plan that fits your specific needs.

Since you are currently taking Xanax and Adderall, seeing a doctor is definitely important. If these medications have been prescribed to you, there is most likely a reason and you don’t want to stop taking them without discussing it with the prescribing doctor first. If you have been taking them for a long time and have become physically and psychologically dependent upon them, then you are addicted to them as well as opiates.

Most treatment programs will require that you stop using all addictive substances in order to really address the underlying issues leading to addiction in the first place. This is particularly true in your case. Xanax belongs to a family of drugs called Benzodiazepines. These medications are highly addictive – both physically and emotionally, and withdrawal can be dangerous if not monitored closely by trained medical personnel. Adderall, although not as physically addictive, is highly emotionally addictive. Withdrawal from stimulants such as Adderall can result in severe depression.

Regardless, remember this: when someone enters substance abuse treatment, the goal should be to address one’s addiction – including abuse of prescription medications. The most important step is deciding that there is a problem, choosing to seek help, and doing so in a safe manner. Your ultimate goal should be to live a fulfilled life in recovery, free of substances.

It is important to note that ultimately it is you who is responsible for staying sober. Whatever recovery skills, new habits and coping mechanisms you learn during treatment must be carried on and practiced in order for long term sobriety to be achieved. To that end, attending 12-step meetings, working with a sponsor, avoiding known triggers, and using e other tools of recovery – meditation, prayer, exercise, eating healthy, being honest with yourself and others – will all help you to achieve the life in recovery you are searching for.

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