In today’s society, we understand that drug and alcohol addiction are severe conditions to overcome. We are also a community of people who understand the healing delays that we can confront when our mental and physical health is not at its best. Unfortunately, depression and various other mental health issues typically accompany the presence of substance abuse disorders. Mental health issues and substance abuse are so commonly linked. A person suffering from these two or more separate issues is diagnosed with co-occuring disorders or a dual diagnosis. A dual diagnosis is when a person is suffering from mental health and drug or alcohol condition. Typically these conditions occur together frequently, affecting about half of all individuals who suffer from either a mental health or substance abuse disorder.

Mental health and substance use conditions can develop and occur separately before meshing together. They may also occur separately at different times in an individual’s life and never intertwine. Still, it is most common that these conditions can also develop or worsen due to others’ influence. When your mental health suffers from external or internal forces, so does your ability to focus and heal. But what do focus and external surroundings have to do with fentanyl addiction treatment in Florida? A lot. But to understand the importance of the right environment and focus in healing, you must first come to acknowledge fentanyl and a fentanyl addiction for what it truly is.

What You Should Know About the Drug Fentanyl

The drug known as fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid, human-manufactured to be anywhere from 50 to 100 times more potent than other pharmaceuticals like morphine. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid created for use in professional medical settings to treat chronic or severe pain. The medication works to help patients recovering in post significant surgery circumstances or to aid clients battling more chronically painful diseases like varying types of cancers feel some kind of relief. As a synthetic pharmaceutical opioid form, medical fentanyl cultivation takes place for use and distribution in professional laboratory settings. Like naturally occurring opioids, fentanyl’s effects are derived from the opium poppy plant and magnified in laboratory settings.

Unfortunately, fentanyl is very easy to make, even in illegal laboratory settings, and it is cheap to put together and distribute while remaining highly potent. As a result, recreational fentanyl grows for use and distribution in underground laboratory settings across the world. Still, fentanyl is a medication that helps many people. But because of its high abuse potential, even in medical settings, the drug is classified as a Schedule II substance, and medication professionals monitor its use in their patients highly. Even though some medically made fentanyl diverts for illegal or illicit misuse around the country in circles of abuse, the most common way that dealers acquire the substance for sale and distribution is through making the drug themselves. Fentanyl is cheap to make, easy to keep, highly addictive, potent, and can be cut into other drugs to expand a dealer’s earnings even further, causing further complications for individuals who use and in the community.

How is Fentanyl Abused?

There are many methods of use that are associated with fentanyl. There are several prescription medication methods and various means of misuse available to individuals looking to use fentanyl for medicinal or recreational purposes. Typically, the method of use influences how much time it will take for the drug’s effects to settle in. For synthetic opioids, the time it takes for the drugs to begin working is usually short. For fentanyl particularly, since the drug is a fat-soluble compound, its effects are even faster acting, rapidly overtaking the brain’s opioid receptors and taking effect. There are many reasons why an individual may use fentanyl as their drug of choice. Likewise, there are many ways an individual can use fentanyl to get their desired effect more rapidly. The most common methods of fentanyl use include:

  • Fentanyl Medicinal Methods of Use:
    • Injection
    • Ingestion (cough drops and lozenges)
    • Skin patches
  • Fentanyl Recreational and Illicit Methods of Use:
    • Injection
    • Dropped into the eye (eye drops)
    • Inhaled (through inhalers and nasal sprays)
    • Ingested (pills, lollipops, lozenges, dissolving skin patches under the tongue)
    • Sniffed (from blotter paper)
    • Smoked

As you can see, fentanyl covers the map when it comes to methods of use. In its medical and illicit forms, fentanyl varies greatly on appearance. When made into a pill, the drug is normally small and circular. When smoked or injected, it is usually spread as an odorless, bitter-tasting powder. The skin patches closely resemble normal smoking patches, and the lozenges can come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. In the end, there is no one method, in particular, that is most commonly utilized. How individuals misuse fentanyl will largely depend on themselves as a singular person, the region they live in, and what types of drugs are widespread distribution “goods” in nearby drug circles.

Why do People Abuse Fentanyl?

There are many reasons why someone would begin to abuse fentanyl. The specific reason always varies from one person to the next. Naturally occurring opioids, derived from the opium poppy plant, are highly potent, addictive substances. Synthetic opioids designed to replicate the effects of naturally occurring opioids are even more powerful and fast-acting. Since fentanyl is one of the fastest-acting drugs known on the drug market today, it gets many people in trouble quickly, realizing its effects and influencing the development of addiction in humans worldwide. Some of the most well-known causes of fentanyl addiction or abuse include:

  • Repeated, chronic use and abuse
  • Family history of fentanyl use or addiction
  • Personal stress levels
  • Childhood trauma
  • Current environment
  • Overall health
  • Strength of the fentanyl doses taken
  • State of personal mental health
  • Mixing of fentanyl use with other drugs or alcohol

Life is difficult to navigate at times. We live through traumatizing events, endure heartbreak, try to grabble with stress, and juggling the demands our personal lives throw at us. No one is ever perfectly equipped to withstand what the world may throw at them, although some are more prepared than others. Some of us known how to better communicate with others and cope with stressful situations, while others struggle a great deal more. Oftentimes, drug and alcohol use disorders, including fentanyl addictions, occur when individuals are trying to cope with their lives’ stress and circumstances. When the stress piles on, the work responsibilities mount, and the home obligations grow, many people are left feeling torn in different directions.

They can’t handle the strain of life, so they look for an outlet to vent their frustrations into. They look for a way to relax and forget about what life is demanding of them. Unfortunately, since many people today do not know many healthy coping skills, they are left to their own devices to find comfort. Many individuals will attempt to self-medicate, using people, objects, or even substances to escape their minds and lives. In some cases, where the stress becomes too great, and the use of such substances only continues, addiction and substance abuse can begin to settle in and take over someone’s life. Everyone uses drugs or alcohol for different reasons. And no one ever decides they want to try to become an addict. But fentanyl addiction is a genuine problem that affects millions of Americans every year. Luckily, the State of Florida can help remedy the effects of drug and alcohol addiction.

When is it Time to Get Help?

So now you know what fentanyl is, how it forms, and what part your mental health plays in your addiction prognosis. That is all great information to have to begin to understand yourself, your needs, and your fentanyl addiction more. But what if you can’t tell whether you have a problem with fentanyl use or not? Is there a way to know when you for sure need to get you or a loved one some help? Addiction is a complex disease that manifests in everyone differently. And each client is subject to respond to any type of drug differently than someone else would. What this means is that everyone has a different gage of time and what they can handle. Some people will seek help with a fentanyl use issue almost immediately. For others, they may take years before trying to straighten themselves out.

In the end, it is important to remember that addiction behaves differently for everyone. Just because you had one uncle who could live with addiction for several years before getting help, quitting, or ending in a life-threatening situation, does not mean the experience will be the same for you. It is entirely possible to overdose on fentanyl with only one use and be met with a life-threatening disaster to pick up. The best way to ensure you never become addicted to drugs or alcohol is to abstain from them. Otherwise, if you are not sure if you should be seeking out help for addiction or not, here some signs that you may need to contact your doctor:

  • You are experiencing involuntary weight loss.
  • You have difficulty going to the bathroom.
  • You are experiencing drug cravings.
  • Friends, family, or yourself have noticed displays of drug-seeking habits.
  • Your moods have become extremely irregular and volatile.
  • Your thoughts, mood, and actions have shifted from your common responses.
  • You are experiencing difficulty sleeping.
  • You have tried to cut back or stop all of your fentanyl use without success.
  • Family and friends have begun to notice you are self-isolating.
  • You’ve changed your friend group drastically, to people you may not even like.
  • You are having trouble concentrating or performing in school or at work.
  • You’ve noticed yourself taking a lot more unnecessary risks.
  • You experience withdrawal symptoms when not using (sweating, shaking, vomiting, etc.).

It also suffers from chronic, achy muscle or bones, loss of appetite, and decreased interest in personal hobbies. There are many more symptoms that can occur due to a developing or worsening fentanyl abuse disorder. In the end, if you are starting to worry about yourself or a loved one, it may be time to talk to a doctor about the symptoms you are experiencing to determine whether you will be needing to receive addiction treatment or not.

If you are trying to encourage your friend to see a doctor about their symptoms, take your time, remind them you love them, support them, remind them of what life can be without addiction, and continue to be their cheerleader for healing. Coming to terms with the fact that you may be suffering from a drug or alcohol use disorder is never easy. But once you have come to terms with this fact and are ready to seek out treatment, so many wonderful doors can open to you on your path to healing.

How Sunshine and Warmth in Florida Can Help Restore Balance, Encourages Healing

So, where do Florida and its warm weather come into all of this? Remember when we spoke about the effects of an individual’s mental health on their physical health? And how can addiction worsen as a result of poor mental health? Well, that is where Florida can help. Many people may not even realize it, but their favorite months out of the year, or rather the time they feel the best, where they have the most energy, is during the spring and summer. Why is that? Because of sunshine.

Sunshine is a critical, crucial component for influencing our mental state, emotional regulation balance, and overall health. Research has proven that individuals who live in the north and experience many months of cold, sunless weather are more susceptible to suffering from long bouts of depression, SAD (seasonal affective disorder), get sick more often, have lower levels of essential supplements like vitamin D, and may even suffer from more serious conditions and side effects as a result. But it is not just northerners who suffer from these types of disorders. Any state that does not experience an abundance of sunlight or warmth is prone to turning out more individuals who suffer from these conditions.

And as mental health, physical comfort, and emotional well-being suffer. At the same time, stress levels and obligations mounts, there is serious potential for a person to turn to substances to help regulate their emotions and inspire happier thoughts and feelings. The sun’s presence and continuous warm weather help combat these symptoms, working to replenish vitamin levels, get people moving outdoors more often, and brighten their minds and moods with a refreshing balance in temperature. Florida is known as the Sunshine State for a reason. Sporting four full seasons of bright light and warmth, Florida allows drug and alcohol rehab clients to work through the processes of healing in as much physical comfort as possible, allowing them to build on a brighter foundation from the very start to the end of treatment.

Final Thoughts and How SJRP Can Help

Addiction is hard. Fentanyl addiction treatment in Florida can also have its difficulties. But, if you choose to undergo treatment with us here at St. John’s Recovery Place (SJRP), you are guaranteed to meet a support staff that cares about you on a personal level, that will do whatever they can to help you succeed. Our treatment facility here in Crescent City, Florida, near Jacksonville, FL, is an innovative holistic healing center dedicated to providing you and your loved ones with the traditional and alternative treatment services you need.

Our mission is to help you succeed in your recovery journey at your own pace. And our quiet facility, located on nearly 9 acres of beautiful Florida scenery, can be just the right place for you to pursue healing in. Whether you need silence, the opportunity to engage in adventure therapy, learn how to relax through a yoga session, express yourself through art, or learn to control your responses to trigger events more mindfully, we can help you learn how to do these things. We want to be there for you every step of the way, and we promise to love you even when you don’t feel capable of being loved.

So try our fentanyl addiction treatment center today, and see what the beauty of Florida’s natural surroundings can add to your treatment journey. There may be thousands of drug and alcohol rehab centers available for you to try, but not every facility will be able to offer you the exact same treatment services. When it comes to picking a drug and alcohol rehab, you need to make the best decision for you and your needs. But picking a Florida drug and alcohol rehab to help you recover from a fentanyl addiction can make all the difference.

References

  • Medline Plus: Trusted Health Information for You. Dual Diagnosis. (2020, November 2). (2021, March 3).
  • CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: CDC 24/7: “Saving Lives, Protecting People.” Fentanyl. (2021, February 16). (2021, March 3).
  • SJRP. St. John’s Recovery Place. Florida Drug and Alcohol Rehab Center. What You Should Know About Fentanyl and Addiction Treatment. (2021, February 18). (2021, March 3).
  • SJRP. St. John’s Recovery Place. Florida Drug and Alcohol Rehab Center. Fentanyl Addiction. (2020, August). (2021, March 3).
  • NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse: Advancing Addiction Science. Research on the Use and Misuse of Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids. (2017, June 30). (2021, March 3).
  • SJRP. St. John’s Recovery Place. Florida Drug and Alcohol Rehab. Home Page. (Accessed 2021, March 3). https://www.sjrp.com
  • Harvard Health Publishing: Harvard Medical School: Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life. Benefits of Moderate Sun Exposure. (2017, January 20). (2021, March 3).
  • National Center for Biotechnology Information. Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health. Chapter 4: Early Intervention, Treatment, and Management of Substance Use Disorders. (Accessed 2021, March 3).