Clonidine Addiction Treatment

A comprehensive GUIDE to help you understand clonidine addiction, rehabilitation, and treatment options for yourself and a loved one.

11
minute read

Medical treatment works!

Have you been using clonidine in ways and doses other than prescribed, or mixing it with opiates and/or alcohol?

Do you find it hard to quit?

Don’t despair…help is available TODAY.

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Call to quit clonidine for good.
We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Why medical treatment?

Experts recommend that you seek medical assistance for quitting clonidine, especially if you’ve been taking it with other psychoactive substances. The bottom line? Attempting to stop on your own can be dangerous and risky.

Here, we present the basics on what happens during addiction treatment. Read this article to learn more about signs of clonidine addiction, the process of rehab treatment, available recovery resources and interventions that can help you. At the end, please feel free to send us your questions or call our hotline. In fact, we respond to each person who reaches out for help both personally and promptly.

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Get the free and confidential guidance you need.
Call NOW!

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Is Clonidine Addictive?

Yes, clonidine can be addictive.

Clonidine is not as addictive as other psychoactive drugs, but it can certainly lead to tolerance and dependence in users. Reports suggest that clonidine increases the intensity and duration of the effect of other drugs, particularly opiates and alcohol.

Using the drug in a manner or amount outside of what is prescribed by your doctor is a signal of substance abuse. As a result, when you mix clonidine with alcohol or drugs you experience a significant risk of addiction.

How can you know when your or a loved one’s “harmless” recreational use has turned into a dangerous and progressive habit? If you experience at least 2 (two) of the following symptoms over the course of a year, you may meet the criteria for addiction:

  1. Using more clonidine than you initially planned.
  2. Being unable to control the amounts and frequency of clonidine use.
  3. Spending a great portion of your time obtaining, using or recovering from the effects of clonidine.
  4. Failing to meet home, work or school duties due to clonidine use.
  5. Having cravings or strong urges to use clonidine.
  6. Continuing to use clonidine despite feeling physical and mental health problems.
  7. Continuing to use clonidine despite interpersonal problems with family, partners, and friends.
  8. Neglecting important activities and hobbies due to clonidine use.
  9. Needing larger and larger amounts of clonidine to feel the desired effects (tolerance).
  10. Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you cut back doses or stop using clonidine (dependence).
  11. Taking clonidine to avoid the effects of drug withdrawal.

Do you recognize some of these signs of addiction in yourself? If you feel like clonidine addiction has thrown your life off course…no need to panic! Recovery treatment programs are available to help you get your life back on track. Call and we can help put addiction behind you.

Safely Breaking Free from Addiction

If you’re ready for help, what can you expect? And what should you look for in a reputable treatment center. Here are the principles that EVERY REHAB should have in place before you go:

#1. Safe treatment is individualized and set up JUST FOR YOU.

#2. Safe treatment requires medical detox.

#3. Safe treatment follows evidence-based protocol.

#1 Safe treatment is individualized

First, you need to know that traditional “one size fits all” addiction treatment approach does not work to effectively help each person in pursuit of clonidine addiction recovery. The reason behind this is simple: Your response to stimuli and stress is different from someone else’s. Additionally, you have a different past, a different set of experiences. The selection addiction treatment types is influenced significantly by your current situation, including:

  • Amenities you want included
  • Co-occuring mental health issues
  • Employment status
  • Finances for rehab
  • Health insurance coverage
  • Home environment.
  • Mental and medical health history
  • Severity of addiction
  • Support system
  • Your personal preferences.

In sum, in order to safely break free from clonidine addiction you will need to find a treatment program that can be tailor-made and customized to fit your unique needs. Finding a treatment program like this is, in fact, easy and FREE. Call us today to explore your rehab options and learn more about the mix of therapies that suit you best.

#2 Safe treatment requires medical detox

One of the biggest risks of stopping clonidine abruptly and on your own is the tendency to experience rapid heartbeats and high blood pressure. If you have attempted to quit clonidine without medical help and felt these abrupt symptoms, it is not uncommon to continue using the drug due to the fear of withdrawal pain and hurt.

Other withdrawal symptoms from clonidine can also be quite unpleasant and include:

  • anxiety
  • depression
  • dizziness
  • headaches
  • insomnia
  • nausea or vomiting
  • nervousness
  • tremors
  • uncontrollable shaking

If you have been using opiates or alcohol along with clonidine (as many users commonly do), these withdrawal symptoms may also be accompanied by those of opiate or alcohol withdrawal. Attempting at-home detox in such cases can be extremely dangerous and even deadly.

But, no need to be afraid!

Clonidine withdrawal can be managed successfully and made far more pleasant if you follow a tapering schedule and comply with expert medical direction before ceasing use. Call to beat your fear of withdrawal and get the confidential guidance you need. Don’t let another day pass without treatment.

#3. Safe treatment follows evidence-based protocol

To learn more about what addiction treatment can include, here are the basic choices all reputable rehab programs should offer:

INPATIENT and/or OUTPATIENT TREATMENT

Inpatient treatment includes a residential stay at the facility for the duration of your clonidine addiction treatment. Inpatient rehab is often recommended if:

  • Your environment at home, at work, or in your community is full of stressors and triggers.
  • You have low or no recovery support at all from your family and close friends.
  • You have a history of chronic substance abuse and/or mental health issues.
  • You have attempted to fight addiction before, but didn’t succeed to maintain sobriety.

Outpatient treatment usually takes place from several hours weekly to several hours per day, every day…but it’s really not for everyone. Outpatient rehab can help your clonidine problem if:

  • You have a relatively less severe case of clonidine addiction.
  • You have a good support system at home.
  • You need clonidine addiction treatment but can’t take time off working or school.
  • You have a high motivation to get and stay sober.

PROGRAM DURATION

Standard residential programs can last for 28 to 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days or more if needed.

The programs that last about 30 days are viewed as the required minimum time a person should spend in addiction treatment in order to get started on life in recovery. The longer lasting programs of 60 to 90 days have significantly higher success rates as they allow more time for physical and psychological stabilization, therapy, and education.

REHAB THERAPIES

The goal of clonidine treatment is to produce lasting change and free you from addiction. In order to do this, treatment needs to addresses the psychological and emotional issues that often are corelated with and may have lead to the addiction problem. This is usually achieved through a combination of

  • Program philosophies such as SMART Recovery and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
  • Evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Group Counseling, the Matrix Model, and more.
  • Alternative holistic options such as art therapy, music therapy, yoga, exercise, and nutritional counseling.

When applied together, these therapies can maximize your chances of successful recovery and long-lasting sobriety.

What happens when you call our hotline?

Calling a helpline is easier and may even be less intimidating than going to your doctor and discussing the problem. If you fear being judged, labeled, or shamed…calling a helpline can help you avoid these inconveniences.

When you CALL US, we’ll listen. We know that it can be hard to pick up the phone. So, our staff have been trained to understand addiction as a medical condition. It’s our job to relate to you with compassion and then get you the help you need. Drug abuse hotlines are:

FREE – You can dial toll-free 24/7
Confidential – No personal information must be disclosed during the call
Anonymous – You only share as much information as needed

So, you can view a helpline as a ‘safe’ place where you can ask all your questions regarding signs and side effects of clonidine addiction. We invite you to finally talk openly and honestly about:

Your clonidine use poblem.
How long you’ve been using.
How much and how often you use.
Whether or not you’re drinking or using other drugs.
Other mental health issues you’re battling.

Most importantly, you can understand which treatment options might help you –  after just one phonecall. If you are ready to get better Call Now!

What Are the Stages of Treatment?

If you have accepted that you have a problem with clonidine use and want to get help – you are already on the path towards recovery. To make sure that you have the right professionals at your side to support you call us to talk to a trained addiction recovery specialist, and determine your next step of finding rehab help.

1st STEP: EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT – Clonidine treatment begins with an initial medical exam to determine your physical and psychological condition upon entry into the treatment program. This period can last up to 24 hours, as medical staff set up a diagnosis, chart your drug use history, and outline the course of your personalized treatment program.

2nd STEP: MEDICAL DETOX – Stopping clonidine on your own is not advised, especially if you’ve been abusing multiple substances. This is where medical detox at an inpatient clinic can help stabilize acute withdrawal and attend to any medical and/or psychiatric conditions as they arise. Detoxing from clonidine under the medical supervision of doctors and nurses can lessen your discomfort, minimize any risks, and improve future prognosis.

3rd STEP: THERAPY – After a period of physical stabilization, you will work to identify and resolve underlying reasons for addiction, acquire new behaviors that don’t involve clonidine use, learn how to respond to triggers in healthier ways to avoid relapse, and see what it means to live a better, more positive life in recovery. Therapies generally included in addiction treatment plans include:

Access to pharmacological services
Educational sessions
Family therapy
Individual and group therapy
Nutritional counseling and wellness activities
Detailed planning for aftercare programs

…and other supportive services.

4th STEP: AFTERCARE – Aftercare or continued care ensures that you continue to receive guidance and support after you leave the program. Aftercare often includes relapse prevention training and can significantly increase your chances of rehab success. (We talk more about Aftercare at the end of the article).

Luxury and Executive Treatment Centers

Some people simply need more privacy.

Luxury and executive treatment facilities are designed to help treat addiction while providing sophisticated amenities. These type of programs are tailor made for executives, professionals, and other high functioning adults with busy schedules and demanding careers.

This type of facility does come with a higher price, but if you are concerned how you can handle anonymity, running a business, keeping an image, and getting treatment while maintaining the same quality of life…these treatment centers handle all of this for you.

Most recovery programs include the following features:

Business amenities – These include private workspaces, meeting rooms, wi-fi internet access and telephones to enable you a continued work flow for obligations that cannot wait.

Confidentiality – Providing a rehab environment where anonymity and confidentiality are guaranteed is a top priority for all treatment programs. In fact, nobody will ever even know that you are in addiction treatment unless you choose to open up about your experience.

Fewer patients – Luxury and executive treatment centers generally try to keep a lower staff-to-patient ratio. Having fewer people in the treatment center is more intimate and confidential, and offers the most personalized care.

High-end services – You can expect to recieve services such as spa treatments, yoga and meditation classes, private trainers, professional chefs, and larger, more private rooms during your stay. If you have any additional enjoyable hobbies that you’d like to include in your treatment program (such as tennis, golfing, or boating) these facilities can arrange that too.

Does this sound like the type of treatment you are looking for? If you are ready to enter rehab and reclaim your life, call us. We can answer any questions you have about luxury and executive residential rehab centers and connect you with professionals that can address your addiction issue.

How to Help a Loved one with Addiction

Do you know/have a feeling that a loved one is having problems with drugs?

Don’t wait…act NOW! The earlier the intervention into an addiction problem, the better the outcomes. But what can you do to convince someone to enter rehab willingly?

Unfortunately, you are powerless over their decisiont o get help

We understand that these are difficult times for you and everyone who loves that person. You’d like to see them free from addiction, healthy, and happy right now. But, trying to persuade, argue, or force someone to get help won’t work…it almost never does. A person will only accept treatment and get better when they THEMSELVES decide to make a change. So, how can you motivate a loved one to get the help that they desperately need?

As an alternative to arguing and pressuring, look into the CRAFT Model of family training and find a professional counselor or a therapist for your loved one to talk to. This is a much more suitable and beneficial use of your energy. Additionally, you can look into 12 Step groups like Al-Anon, A.A. or N.A. to encourage peer support for an addicted loved one.

In the meantime, you can emphasize personal choice and control. Here are some examples of what you can say to your addicted loved one:

“It really is up to you to decide to quit and make this change.”
“No one else can do it for you.”
“No one can make you go to a rehab treatment program.”
“Let me know when you’re ready for help.”

For more help CALL US NOW to assess and evaluate a loved one’s problem. You can expect to be asked the following:

  1. How do they abuse clonidine?
  2. What other drugs or alcohol do you think they’re using?
  3. How long do you suspect they have been using?
  4. How long they’ve been showing signs of addiction?
  5. How much can they afford to pay for treatment?
  6. Is insurance an option?
  7. Could you (and/or other close family members) help them out financially?
  8. Does the addicted individual suffer from any mental, behavioral, or co-occurring disorders?

Ongoing Treatment and Relapse Prevention

Aftercare is an important step in any treatment program. Once you leave rehab, you need a plan to stay drug-free. So, reputable rehabs should create an aftercare and relapse prevention plan based on your unique challenges. If the rehab center is further from your living area, then they should refer you to aftercare options closer to you. Frequently used aftercare options include:

12-Step meetings
Sober living homes
Individual counseling

Relapse prevention coaching can also be part of your discharge process. The bottom line? Preparation can stop a relapse before it happens. Before you leave rehab, you should receive training and education on techniques such as:

  • How to reframe pleasant memories of drug use.
  • Coaching on how to address slips.
  • Developing a lifestyle that’s protective of your sobriety.
  • Developing coping skills and stress-management skills.
  • Identifying warning signs and high-risk situations.

These elements, along with your motivation to stay drug-free will help you stay involved with the sobriety community, and prompt you to continue to work on your recovery, so you don’t slip back into destructive habits.

Ready to turn your life for the better? Call us! Our treatment admissions specialists are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you choose the best course of aftercare treatment.

Reference Sources: NCBI: Clonidine use and abuse among methadone program applicants and patients
SAMHSA: Treatments for Substance Use Disorders
NIH: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction
NIH: Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition)
About the author
Lee Weber is a published author, medical writer, and woman in long-term recovery from addiction. Her latest book, The Definitive Guide to Addiction Interventions is set to reach university bookstores in early 2019.
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