Without support, the very first day of opiate withdrawal is undoubtedly the hardest. This is the time when many people relapse in an effort to alleviate their physical pain. With support, our patients are relaxed, comfortable, and safe. There is no pressure to take any active part in treatment. Instead, we expect clients to take the first several weeks of treatment to simply let their brains and bodies heal. Many physical withdrawal symptoms will begin to peak after approximately five to seven days. However, they will likely continue through week three or four. This is a time of intense cravings and temptation, and one that’s best spent in the secure, sheltered environment of our closed campus. After three to four weeks of physical opiate detox, many of our clients are ready to move on to other aspects of addiction treatment. Around this time, they’re seamlessly transferred into our residential treatment program where they’ll learn more about the causes of their addictions, and the best strategies for keeping their recoveries on track. All forms of drug addiction are recognized as a serious, complex, and ultimately lifelong disease. At California Centers for Recovery, we offer our clients the skills and tools for maintaining their sobriety long-term.

Opiates help people feel good in ways that most haven’t felt before. The relief and euphoria that even modest doses provide are incomparable to most other experiences. However, even as opiate users increasingly look forward to the release and relief of using, they’re often dealing with tremendous side effects on a daily basis. While actively using opiates, a person might contend with:
• Chronic fatigue
• Respiratory distress
• Constipation
• Sexual dysfunction
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Moreover, given that measuring heroin and fentanyl doses accurately is rarely a possibility, and due to increasingly high likelihood of encountering street drugs that have been contaminated with fentanyl, many opiate users are constantly at high risk of overdose.