The Coleman Institute Blog

Looking at my schedule a few weeks ago, I saw that a new patient was coming in for a consultation to learn more about our Accelerated Opioid Detox (AOD).

Detox means different things to different people.

This was the call I received from a woman who was desperate to get off her opioid pain medication. To protect her privacy, her name has been changed for the purpose of this post.

Janine is a 52-year-old woman who had her first surgery in her late twenties for a gastric by-pass. She did fairly well and lost about eighty pounds, which she was able to keep off for several years. In her mid-thirties, she had complications with the surgery and for the next eleven years, she had a series of operations to repair, revisit, or revise the original surgery. These were difficult years and Janine experienced almost constant pain, even when she was months beyond the actual procedures.

At the Coleman Institute for Addiction Medicine, we work with people of all ages to safely get off addictive substances like alcohol, Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Roxicodone®, Dilaudid®, fentanyl, heroin, or methadone. Our patients tend to be highly motivated and ready to do the inner work required when the grip on a substance is loosened.

The answer to this question depends on whom you ask.

There are those who define recovery as the complete abstinence from any mind-altering drugs. And Suboxone®, a medication that combines the opioid buprenorphine with the blocker naloxone, does activate opioid receptors but it produces a smaller response.

It relieves drug cravings without the high or dangerous side effects caused by other opioids. Regular use can lead to physical dependence. So, can it really be considered recovery if I'm taking it?

Perhaps this is not the right question to be breaching. The more relevant question may be: What beliefs and behaviors can best support your recovery, to live a life in the service of what you value According to Richard Rohr, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, "Bill Willson saw 'emotional sobriety" as the final culmination of the Twelve Steps.

Here’s the scenario: Your coworker is exhibiting uncharacteristic behavior at work and you are concerned it may possibly be an addiction problem. It could be to alcohol, prescription or nonprescription drugs or even a behavioral addiction to gaming, gambling or sex. What should you do?