If you’re realizing you have a problem with prescription pain killers, you’re far from alone. At Gracer Medical Group, an increasing number of residents of Northern California communities like Sacramento, San Jose and Oakland see us for addiction treatment once they understand they have become dependent.
For middle class Americans, dependence on prescription pain killers is perhaps the main addiction problem today. The number of “hidden addicts” has doubled in the past 10 years. Much of this is due to the increased availability of potent and highly addicting opiates, such as hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco, Lortab, Lorcet) and oxycodone (Percodan, Percocet, Roxycodone, Oxycontin). Many doctors today consider pain the “fifth vital sign” and treat it vigorously. Some are unaware of the potential for addiction in their patients even after a short course of pain medication. And patients are rarely screened for risk factors, such as prior alcohol or other drug abuse and bipolar disorder. When you add the fact it’s possible to get access to some of these medications over the Internet without a prescription, it is not surprising that we have such a huge problem.
Many of those who have become dependent are not even aware that addiction is their main medical problem. After all, they are getting their medication from their physicians. And their withdrawal symptoms may be similar to the original complaint. Once people realize they have a problem, most are desperate to break their dependence on prescription drugs. They just do not know how.
If you’ve sought help from a physician and been labeled an addict or told you need to go to “detox,” don’t feel discouraged for long. Many doctors aren’t experienced in treating dependence on prescription drugs, but at Gracer Medical Group, we are. We offer effective addiction treatment to Oakland, San Jose and Sacramento residents, as well as to patients from Sonoma to Bakersfield. Call 925.277.1100 or contact us via email.
Comprehensive Addiction Treatment
At Gracer Medical Group, we use Suboxone and Subutex, a new formulation of buprenorphine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat opiate addiction. Suboxone and Subutex help our patients throughout recovery by reducing or even eliminating the painful symptoms of withdrawal and relieving the powerful cravings. In fact, many of our patients credit these medications for giving them their lives back.
This does not mean that taking medication is the sole answer. At Gracer Medical Group we have developed a comprehensive program to deal with all aspects of opiate addiction: the psychosocial, nutritional and most importantly, the brain disease. Our program is long term. Our success rate is about 80% after one year of treatment, whereas most other options yield a success rate of just 10 to 15%.
Our office in San Ramon is centrally located to offer addiction treatment to people in Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose and other Northern California communities from Sonoma to Monterey. We also work with Central Valley residents from cities like Bakersfield.
Send an email or give us a call at 925.277.1100 to make an appointment. Gracer Medical Group on Norris Canyon Road in San Ramon serves many communities in Northern California including the nearby cities of Walnut Creek, Danville, Dublin and Pleasanton.