The Importance of Treatment for Synthetic Drug Addiction

When the use of any drug goes unchecked, it can lead to the development of an addiction. Understanding different substances allows us to study how addiction forms and how to treat it best. Addiction happens when someone can't control their use of a substance, and such use interferes with their day-to-day life. Synthetic drug addiction can be debilitating when not treated. Understanding how synthetic drugs work gives us the ability to care for clients who struggle with this addiction. West Coast Recovery Centers aims to provide adequate treatment and education to those who are struggling with synthetic drug usage. 

Synthetic drugs come with their specific challenges. Many of these drugs are unregulated, and their origins can not be traced when purchased. This means that people may not know what is in the drugs that they are purchasing and taking. It may also make treatment difficult to obtain. Understanding more about what synthetic drugs are will make treatment more accessible. It will also give our clients the skills that they need to stay sober once they complete one of our treatment programs and return home.

What Are Synthetic Drugs?

Synthetic drugs are chemically created in a lab to mimic the effects of other drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine, or morphine, for example. These drugs can be called designer drugs or party drugs colloquially. People who produce these drugs are constantly changing the chemical compounds to evade the detection or prosecution of the law. This also means that these drugs are difficult to trace and understand. 

These drugs can include things such as spice, or synthetic marijuana. Synthetic drugs also can include manufactured marijuana that is bought and sold through online storefronts. Other synthetic drugs include chemical compounds that are sold as party drugs and are often contaminated with other substances. Laced drugs and synthetic drugs that are not regulated may cause adverse reactions or even overdose. Even when someone feels that they know the drugs that they are using, the composition of the drug may lead to a range of adverse reactions.

Synthetic Drug Addiction

Understanding what synthetic drugs are helps to understand how people become addicted to these substances. Many public health organizations are seeing synthetic drugs as a new public health crisis. Synthetic drugs sold throughout the internet are not tested and not regulated. Unfortunately, many of these drugs are contaminated with substances like fentanyl because they are cheap, thus increasing the risk of drug overdose and death. 

Additionally, the differing chemical compounds of these drugs cause people to develop an addiction to the highs more readily. These substances may be very dangerous to the user without them even knowing it. A lot of these chemicals that are used in synthetic drugs are also much more addictive, which may cause addiction to form more easily. Developing synthetic drug addiction comes with its long-term risks.

Risks of Synthetic Drug Addiction

Synthetic drug addiction may have many different risks associated with it. Long-term usage of synthetic drugs can affect every part of the body, especially affecting the user's brain. Some examples of long-term health risks associated with synthetic drug addiction include an increased risk of permanent cognitive deficits, mental health disorders, and chronic health illnesses, among others.

In addition to an increased risk for addiction, the lack of regulation of these drugs may also leave users at a high risk of overdose, as mentioned earlier.  With a high risk of overdose comes a risk of serious health complications, as well as death. All in all, synthetic drugs have a high risk of addiction and often require a higher level of treatment and care to establish and sustain sobriety. 

Treatment of Synthetic Drug Addiction

Our understanding of synthetic drugs and how they work makes it easier for us to help our clients struggling with synthetic drug addiction. West Coast Recovery Centers aims to provide exceptional treatment for our clients, starting with detox and medication-assisted treatment (MAT). While addiction is often debilitating to our clients, we are committed to providing compassionate assistance through the beginning phases of treatment all the way through the completion of treatment and into long-term continuing care. Coming off of synthetic drugs may be difficult, which is why it is important to have a personalized clinical team to provide guidance and support every step of the way.

We offer a variety of different approaches to treatment for our clients beyond just clinical care. Our options include holistic treatments as well as traditional therapeutic interventions. Meanwhile, our treatment programs can be personalized to fit each client's individualized needs. These unique and diverse treatment plans aim to provide every client with the skills that they need to make long-term changes in their life. Addiction can be difficult to get through, but with adequate care, it is possible to achieve and stay in recovery. 

Synthetic drug addiction can be very difficult to manage on your own. If you are struggling with synthetic drug addiction, it is pertinent to get treatment. These drugs come with a higher risk of addiction because of their chemical makeup. Synthetic drugs are constantly changing to evade the law, which means that their makeup is difficult to track. The difficulty in tracking the changes in these drugs can lead to risks such as overdose and even death. Getting treatment for synthetic drug addiction from an accredited and educated facility is important in the long-term treatment of synthetic drug addiction. If you want to learn more about how West Coast Recovery Centers can help, call us today at (760) 492-6509.