Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that the National Institute on Drug Abuse says is 50 to 100 times more potent than similar substances. Doctors can prescribe fentanyl, or you can get it illegally in various street forms.
Women and girls who struggle with fentanyl use are at a high risk of harmful or even deadly outcomes because fentanyl is so potent. Some girls and women may take fentanyl without even knowing it because many substances are mixed with the drug, increasing their chances of accidental overdose.
Common Signs & Symptoms of Fentanyl Addiction
If you are concerned a woman or girl is struggling with fentanyl abuse, there are certain warning signs and fentanyl addiction symptoms to look for. It’s important to remember that these behaviors and symptoms don’t necessarily mean a woman or girl is suffering from fentanyl addiction, but they might warrant a greater conversation.
These are examples of warning signs and fentanyl addiction symptoms:
- Constipation
- Upset stomach
- Sleepiness
- Difficulty breathing
- Unusually happy
Prevalence of Fentanyl Addiction
Fentanyl use is contributing to a growing number of overdose deaths in the United States, with illegally made fentanyl becoming increasingly accessible. Without professional treatment, countless women and girls who are struggling with fentanyl abuse are at risk of accidental overdose, adverse health effects, or harm to their everyday lives.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that fentanyl overdose deaths increased by 10% from 2017 to 2018.
- More than 31,000 people died from overdoses involving fentanyl in 2018 alone.
- Law enforcement attributes the increase in fentanyl overdose deaths to illegally made fentanyl rather than prescription fentanyl.
What Does Fentanyl Withdrawal Look Like?
When an adolescent girl or adult woman develops a fentanyl addiction, she will likely experience withdrawal symptoms when she tries to stop taking the drug without professional help. Effects of this might include:
- Intense fentanyl cravings
- Muscle and bone pain
- Uncontrollable leg spasms
- Trouble sleeping
- Cold flashes and goosebumps
- Diarrhea and vomiting
Fentanyl withdrawal symptoms can be uncomfortable and distressing, which is why many women and girls find it difficult to stop taking fentanyl on their own. With the expert support of the staff at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, you can go through detox with minimal discomfort.
Benefits of Fentanyl Addiction Treatment
When an adolescent girl or adult woman is suffering from fentanyl addiction, she may behave in ways she never would before she struggled with fentanyl abuse.
She might steal to get more fentanyl, her work or school performance might suffer, or she might make excuses not to spend time with those closest to her.
By deciding to receive fentanyl addiction treatment, you can get professional help to support you through the fentanyl withdrawal process so you can finally rid your body of the drug. This will allow you to fully focus your attention on your health and start down the path to recovery.
You can also address the root causes of your fentanyl use and start making the behavioral changes that lead to long-lasting sobriety.
Choosing the Right Fentanyl Addiction Treatment
The cycle of fentanyl addiction can destroy the best parts of your life. You risk losing the ones you love most, struggling to keep a job, failing grades, and overdose.
But you don’t have to stay stuck in this cycle. You can take back control from fentanyl addiction through treatment at Timberline Knolls. We provide fentanyl addiction treatment that we individualize to your specific life experiences, medical history, and recovery goals.
Our residential fentanyl addiction treatment offers women and girls round-the-clock care in a secure environment that allows them to focus on achieving sobriety. Adult women benefit from structured, daylong care in our partial hospitalization program (PHP) with the option to go home at night or stay in one of our on-campus residences.
Therapies Used to Treat Fentanyl Addiction
At Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, we understand that not everyone achieves successful sobriety the same way. Each intervention affects every woman and adolescent girl differently depending on a variety of individual factors.
Our multidisciplinary team individualizes the fentanyl treatment experience for every woman and young girl who seeks support at our fentanyl treatment center so that their care is as unique as they are.
Depending on your specific needs and recovery goals, you may go through ambulatory, nonmedical detoxification to help you better engage in the therapeutic interventions in your fentanyl addiction treatment plan.
Elements of that plan might include process and psychoeducational groups that cover topics such as dialectical behavior skills, medication management, and building new coping strategies. You may also take part in individual, family, and experiential therapies.
This content was reviewed and approved by the clinical staff at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center.
