Addiction Resources for Families
Some questions you can ask yourself regarding the behavioral and emotional signs of substance abuse include:
- Do they try to cut back or stop using, but are unable to do so?
- Do they use more of a substance than they intend to?
- Do they spend a great deal of time looking for the substance, using it, and recovering from using it?
- Do they use a substance in risky situations, such as driving?
- Do they continue taking the substance, despite knowing the substance causes a physical or emotional condition to get worse?
- Are they unable to manage their responsibilities including home, school, or work?
- Do they give up important activities in order to use?
- Do they continue to use a substance, even knowing that it causes problems in relationships?
- Does your loved one show physical signs of abuse, such as taking more of the drug to get high or craving it?
Having at least two of these signs in the past 12 months could indicate that the person has a substance use disorder.
Learn more about Our Programs to assist with substance use disorder.
A substance use disorder is a pattern of behavior which is characterized by compulsive use of a substance despite having negative consequences from using. It can feel as though your loved one chooses drugs over you or your children but in reality, a person may feel unable to control their substance use. Drug addiction alters a person’s brain chemistry to the point that they lose the ability to control many of their behaviors. These changes to a person’s brain are powerful and long-lasting, which is why many people relapse after a period of sobriety.
At times, it is difficult to know what to do for a person with an addiction. Helping can go too far at times, and you may find yourself enabling them instead. Covering or making excuses for their behaviors rather than letting them suffer the consequences would be a prime example of enabling. Another example might be giving them money knowing that they will buy drugs with it.
Have a discussion with your family member or friend and tell them your concerns. Ultimately you can never convince someone to seek help. Suggest they contact one of our clinics to start them on their road to recovery. Privacy is paramount.
Learn more about Our Programs.
Road to Recovery is an outpatient opioid detoxification center, with locations across Ontario.
When the physical strongholds of addiction result in serious withdrawal symptoms that are too painful for an individual to cope with on their own, outpatient drug detox can provide a unique level of support and care that is suitable for most patients choosing this path. Outpatient drug detox can help individuals safely detox from opioids and prepare for acceptance into long term recovery.
During this process of outpatient detox, various medications can be prescribed to help relieve the physical and psychological effects of withdrawal. Based on your Road To Recovery Doctors can prescribe either methadone, Kadian®, Suboxone® or Sublocade® to help the patient reduce or stop the use of opioids.
Learn more about the Treatment Options.
They can request an intake appointment by contacting us by telephone or on-line as shown below. They can also drop by a RTR clinic and present their OHIP card. An initial appointment will be scheduled as soon as possible.
- Patients must be 18 years of age or older
- Valid photo identification must be presented including a valid OHIP number
- Evidence of opioid use disorder must be present as per DSM-V criteria
- A urine sample will be obtained periodically to assess for recent drug use.
- Agreement to follow program policies & procedures
- Full consent to be agreed upon and signed by the patient prior to starting medication assisted treatment
Contact Us to learn more about patient intake.
Methadone is usually prescribed by doctors to help you with opioid addiction to drugs like codeine, heroin, and fentanyl. Long-term clinical studies have shown not only the benefits of this treatment but also the affordability of the program. Our Methadone program also supports you with counselling, social work, and family therapy.
More about Methadone.
Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment (BMT) is used as a long-term treatment plan for opioid addiction. If you are addicted to drugs like Heroin, Morphine, Oxycodone or Fentanyl, BMT could be the right treatment for you. Suboxone® contains buprenorphine and naloxone. Suboxone® is often prescribed by doctors because it is safer, has fewer side effects, and takes less time to reach the correct dosage. It allows you to lead a normal, productive life while on the road to recovery.
More about Suboxone®
Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease of the brain. This means simply that when using drugs or alcohol, those with the disease are unable to stop, even if they want to. Instead, the urge to continue taking their drug of choice overwhelms them, even if the drug is causing them harm.
Addiction is characterized by not only the inability to abstain from use for any significant length of time, but also an inability to control the amount taken when using. Additional symptoms can include the loss of behavioral control, cravings, physical withdrawal, inability to recognize the problems caused by use and inability to effectively manage almost all aspects of life.
