• Opening a fentanyl patch to eat the gel beads inside.
• Warming up a fentanyl patch to release the drug more quickly.
• Spending a great deal of time obtaining, using, and recovering from fentanyl.
• Showing fear at the prospect of being without fentanyl.
• Experiencing cravings for fentanyl.
• Taking fentanyl for longer than initially intended.
• Taking more fentanyl than before.
• Trying but being unable to stop taking fentanyl.
• Being unable to meet obligations at work, school, or home due to fentanyl abuse.
• Continuing to use fentanyl, even when it causes problems and is dangerous.
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when fentanyl use stops.
Someone with an addiction may also …show more content…
The age and overall health of the patient do play an important role in determining the best approach to detox; however, the nature of the patient’s fentanyl abuse is arguably even more important. Some people only abuse the drug occasionally, but others use fentanyl heavily and continuously from the time that they first start taking it. People who engage in heavy fentanyl use will need to be slowly weaned off the drug. If patients in this group try to stop taking fentanyl all at once, they will experience brutal withdrawal …show more content…
This type of addiction has a very high relapse rate, so it’s important to find a facility that knows to help patients recover from an addiction to fentanyl.
After selecting the treatment program, it’s time to begin the process of recovery. A large part of this process involves psychological counseling. In counseling, patients will begin by examining the underlying reasons for their fentanyl abuse. Once these reasons are determined, the therapist will start helping the patient develop life skills and coping strategies to help them manage life and its problems without the use of the fentanyl.
Counseling can occur in a number of settings. Some patients take advantage of one-on-one counseling with a therapist, while others utilize group counseling. Group therapy can occur with other patients who are recovering from an addiction to fentanyl or other drugs. It can also occur with family members. When group therapy occurs with other patients, it is an excellent opportunity for patients to learn from and support each other. When it occurs with family members, it can help family members to learn about their role in the patient’s addiction and how they can support their recovery going forward. Some patients find that is helpful to utilize all of these types of