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Most people don’t realize that opioid addicts are everywhere in Los Angeles. They can be standing at the freeway exit asking for money, or they can be your next-door neighbor. No matter who they are, the risk of an overdose is always there. The overdose mortality rates prove that the problem is getting bigger, and there are simple answers.

Since 2010, deaths from opioid overdoses have gone from the 300s to the high 500s per year. That doesn’t seem like a huge number until you realize that each one is a life lost to a disease. Opioids are the hardest type of drug to kick, mainly due to the cravings during abstinence. Treatment works when the motivation is there, but most suffer the consequences of addiction and risk hospitalization and death.

Reducing cravings helps addicts to focus on a treatment regimen and build motivation. There are Medication Assisted Treatments (MAT) available like Methadone and Suboxone Maintenance that do just that. Vivitrol can also be used for individuals that have detoxed and are off opioids. With these programs, the medication keeps addicts in treatment long enough that they have a chance at full recovery.

In addition, it’s important that opioid addicts have a Naloxone dose with them at all times. In case of an overdose, this drug will stop the effects of opioids on the person and keep them alive.

We can’t get everyone into treatment, but we can do what is needed when they want to recover. That desire can be turned to a decent motivation over time with Maintenance, and the risk of overdose decreases dramatically. We can keep the rest alive by distributing Naloxone to addicts and giving them detailed instructions on its use.

Tarzana Treatment Centers provides all of these services, and we’ve seen great outcomes. If you or a loved one is addicted to opioids and want to get clean, please call us at 888-777-8565. Or fill out our secure Contact Us form.