Opioid Patients Deterred From Painkiller Addiction By Doctors, Drug Rehab Centers in Montana
Montana residents who suffer from chronic pain are visiting California to obtain opioid prescriptions since many local pain doctors have closed their practices. Montana doctors are saying the federal crackdown on opioid prescription monitoring is influencing them to take on fewer patients, or close their practices for fear of facing license suspension. At present, preventing opioid addiction remains a top concern among state officials and drug rehab centers in Montana.
If you are taking painkillers that aren’t prescribed to you, get help right away to overcome opioid dependency and addiction. Call our 24/7 helpline at 888-414-2380 to learn all about available rehab options in Montana.
Going Out Of State For Painkillers
Chronic pain patients in Montana are going to California to get opioid prescriptions.
Missoula resident Gary Snook takes opioids to relieve chronic pain for a ruptured disk that was treated with surgery 14 years ago. Snook says that over the years, he’s tried every therapy possible in an effort to overcome chronic pain, including acupuncture, epidural steroid injections, and pool exercises. But the only pain relief method that works for Snook is opioids.
Snook says it’s difficult for him to get opioids in Montana because many doctors dislike writing prescriptions for this drug class. He says many physicians treat him like a criminal, and not like a real, human patient experiencing ongoing chronic pain. Snook says he wants humanitarian health care, which is available to him in California, but not in Montana.
Snook visits a strip mall clinic in Los Angeles operated by a doctor who has been treating chronic pain since 1975. The doctor, named Forest Tennant, treats about 150 patients for chronic pain, half of which are out-of-state residents. He says opioids should be used responsibly, and shouldn’t be stigmatized on behalf of the nationwide opioid epidemic.
Treating Painkiller Addiction at Montana Drug Rehab Centers
Overdose deaths caused by opioids has quadrupled in the last 15 years in the U.S., according to Montana news sources. State officials say opioid abuse begins at home in the medicine cabinet with unused painkillers, and can be prevented if physicians prescribe fewer painkillers at a time. Patients left with remaining pills either leave them in medicine cabinets accessible to friends and family, or continue taking them to experience ongoing pain relief and euphoria.
When taken long-term, opioids can lead to physical dependence and addiction. Users who try to quit opioids on their own experience strong cravings and withdrawal symptoms, and return to using just to avoid these side effects. In many cases, opioid addiction is highly difficult to overcome by oneself due to how these drugs alter brain chemistry and affect the central nervous system.
Drug rehab centers that treat opioid addiction can safely guide addicts along the path to sobriety with access to 24/7 medical support, and medications that minimize withdrawal side effects. In addition to offering counseling and therapy, drug rehab centers teach addicts how to rebuild their lives so they can re-enter society as healthy, sober individuals following treatment.
If you’re addicted to painkillers and live in Montana, understand there are several nearby rehab centers that can help. Call our confidential helpline at 888-414-2380 to learn more about drug rehab centers in Montana that will help you overcome opioid dependence and take back your life from addiction.
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