Last Updated:
September 26th, 2024
Dihydrocodeine rehab
When you or someone you love is struggling with dihydrocodeine dependence, it can feel like you’re lost in a deep forest, trying to navigate through the undergrowth with no path in sight. Dihydrocodeine rehab can be a path out of the darkness, providing crucial hope, understanding and guidance. Oasis Runcorn’s dihydrocodeine rehab programmes are designed to systematically address the causes of addiction, providing you with practical coping strategies that will help you achieve sobriety and repair the damage done to your health, relationships and future prospects.
What is dihydrocodeine rehab?
Dihydrocodeine rehab is a specialised type of treatment designed to help you defeat a prescription drug addiction to dihydrocodeine. In dihydrocodeine rehab, you will have the support of a team of professionals who understand what you’re going through and who have the knowledge and skills to help you start healing.
The goal of dihydrocodeine is to help you stop using the drug safely, manage dihydrocodeine withdrawal symptoms, heal the damage done to your health and equip you with the strategies you need to build a healthy, drug-free life.
The benefits of dihydrocodeine rehab
The journey to recovery is complex and can feel like an uphill climb. But the view from the top? That’s worth every step you take.
Here’s what you stand to gain from dihydrocodeine rehab:
- Safety: Dihydrocodeine withdrawal can be challenging and, in some cases, potentially even dangerous. In rehab, you will be under the care of medical professionals who can manage and alleviate your dihydrocodeine withdrawal symptoms.
- Support: In dihydrocodeine rehab, you will be surrounded by people who understand your struggle. You will meet peers who are on the same journey and compassionate professionals who are there to guide you.
- Tools for recovery: Dihydrocodeine rehab is not just about stopping drug use. It’s about equipping you with the skills to stay clean and build a healthier life.
- Improved physical and mental health: The process of dihydrocodeine detox plays a crucial role in improving your health. Your body gets a chance to cleanse itself of harmful substances, allowing your physical health to improve and reducing mental health symptoms.
Challenges in dihydrocodeine rehab
While dihydrocodeine rehab is a positive and necessary step towards recovery, it’s not without its challenges. It’s important to acknowledge and prepare for these to give yourself the best chance of success:
- Battling dihydrocodeine withdrawal symptoms: Dihydrocodeine withdrawal can be physically and emotionally tough, but these symptoms are temporary and show that your body is beginning to heal.
- Facing emotions and memories: Substance use can often be a way of coping with painful emotions or traumatic experiences. During dihydrocodeine rehab, as you are not using the substance to numb your feelings, you may start to experience these emotions and memories more intensely.
- Adjusting to a new routine: Like all forms of opioid rehab, dihydrocodeine rehab brings a lot of changes, and it can be overwhelming to adjust to a new routine and new ways of living.
- Changes in relationships: Recovery can sometimes mean letting go of relationships that don’t support your sobriety, which can be a challenging and painful process.
Do you need dihydrocodeine rehab?
Knowing when it’s time to seek help and begin dihydrocodeine rehab can be hard. Here’s a simple self-check quiz to guide you:
- Do you find it hard to stop using dihydrocodeine, even if you want to?
- Have you experienced any negative health consequences because of your dihydrocodeine use?
- Do you need to use more dihydrocodeine to get the same effects?
- Have you experienced any dihydrocodeine withdrawal symptoms when you’ve tried to stop or cut down?
- Is your dihydrocodeine use affecting your relationships, job or other important aspects of your life?
- Do you take more dihydrocodeine than prescribed or without a prescription?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be time to consider dihydrocodeine rehab.
The dihydrocodeine detox process
Detoxification, or detox, is the first step in all forms of opioid rehab, including treatment for dihydrocodeine. The aim is to safely remove dihydrocodeine from your body to break physical dependence and allow your body to heal. Dihydrocodeine withdrawal can be a challenging and uncomfortable process, but it’s a necessary step on your journey to recovery.
Dihydrocodeine withdrawal symptoms include:
- Sweating: An early sign of dihydrocodeine withdrawal is sweating. You may sweat excessively as your body tries to remove the drug from your system.
- Restlessness: You might find it hard to sit still and constantly need to move.
- Muscle aches and pains: Your muscles may ache, making it difficult to get comfortable.
- Gastrointestinal problems: This can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal cramping.
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure: Your body is in a state of stress during dihydrocodeine withdrawal which can increase your heart rate and blood pressure.
- Anxiety: You may feel intensely anxious, finding it hard to calm your thoughts or relax.
- Depression: dihydrocodeine withdrawal can cause feelings of sadness, despair or hopelessness.
- Insomnia: It can be hard to sleep during dihydrocodeine withdrawal, further adding to the discomfort.
- Cravings: You will also experience intense cravings for dihydrocodeine.
Dihydrocodeine withdrawal timeline
Though the specific experience of withdrawal will be unique to each individual, it can be helpful to understand the typical dihydrocodeine timeline that many people follow:
- First 24 hours: Dihydrocodeine withdrawal symptoms usually begin within the first 12-24 hours after you take your last dose. The earliest signs of dihydrocodeine withdrawal can include anxiety, restlessness and excessive sweating. You may also feel agitated or nervous, have trouble sleeping and start experiencing aches and pains throughout your body.
- Days 2-3: As dihydrocodeine withdrawal continues, your symptoms will likely intensify. You may continue to experience anxiety and restlessness, and muscle cramps and spasms might join these. Nausea can also begin around this time, and some people might experience bouts of vomiting.
- Days 4-7: This period often sees the peak of dihydrocodeine withdrawal symptoms. Your nausea and vomiting might intensify, and abdominal cramping could also start. Your heart might beat faster than usual, leading to an increased heart rate and higher blood pressure. Some people may experience a fever, chills, and continued muscle aches. It’s common for emotional symptoms, such as irritability or instability, to heighten during this period.
- Days 8-14: In the second week of dihydrocodeine withdrawal, your physical symptoms will often begin to lessen in severity. However, psychological symptoms can persist and even become more intense. You may still feel quite anxious and may begin to experience strong cravings for dihydrocodeine. Feelings of depression might also emerge during this period which will need careful monitoring by your dihydrocodeine detox team.
- After 2 Weeks: By this point, the majority of the physical withdrawal symptoms should have largely subsided. However, the psychological aspect of withdrawal can continue, with ongoing cravings, mood swings and possible bouts of depression or anxiety.
It’s important to remember that psychological symptoms, including cravings, can last for weeks, months or even longer. Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) can also occur, which includes longer-term withdrawal symptoms that come and go, so support from your and dihydrocodeine rehab can be especially crucial.
Dihydrocodeine rehab therapies
During dihydrocodeine rehab, various therapies are used to help you address any underlying issues that may have contributed to your dihydrocodeine addiction. These include:
- Dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT): This therapy helps you understand the thoughts and behaviours that lead to dihydrocodeine use. You will learn new ways of thinking and coping strategies to manage stress and avoid dihydrocodeine relapse.
- Group therapy: Sharing your experiences with others who are going through the same struggle can be very therapeutic. It can help you feel less alone and build a supportive network for dihydrocodeine recovery.
- Holistic therapies: These therapies aim to heal the whole person – body, mind and spirit. They include practices like yoga, mindfulness, art and music therapy.
- Family therapy: Dihydrocodeine addiction doesn’t just affect the person using substances but loved ones too. Family therapy helps repair relationships and build a supportive home environment.
How to avoid dihydrocodeine relapse
It’s essential to know that relapse doesn’t mean failure. It’s a common part of the recovery journey and a sign that you may need to revisit or adjust your treatment plan. Here are some tips to help prevent relapse:
Develop healthy coping strategies…
Through therapy, you’ll learn healthy ways to cope with stress, dihydrocodeine cravings and triggers. Practise these regularly, and they will become your new habits.
Build a strong support network…
Surround yourself with people who support your dihydrocodeine recovery, including family, friends, support groups and rehab peers.
Take care of your physical health…
Regular exercise, a healthy diet and getting enough quality sleep can all boost your mood and energy levels and reduce dihydrocodeine cravings.
Avoid high-risk situations…
These can be places, people, or activities that trigger your dihydrocodeine cravings or make it harder for you to stay sober.
Begin dihydrocodeine rehab today
Don’t allow dihydrocodeine to control your life any longer. Embrace the opportunity for change, growth and a brighter, healthier future today. Contact Oasis Runcorn and start your journey to recovery with our dihydrocodeine rehab programme.