How long is Tramadol Withdrawal Duration? Your Guide to Tramadol Addiction Symptoms and Treatment

One of the most common risks of taking pain killers is addiction, and Tramadol usage is not an exemption. While the drug has a significantly lower addiction rating compared to morphine, its pain killing properties are strangely similar. You are prone to Tramadol addiction when you’re taking the drug for chronic pain, or if you have a history of substance abuse, whether that substance was narcotic or alcohol. Most people who have been diagnosed with mild Tramadol addiction usually ask this question: How long is Tramadol withdrawal duration? Is it possible to wean yourself from the drug? And what are the symptoms of addiction in the first place?

Recognize that you need help

The first step out of Tramadol addiction is acceptance. You have to stop denying that you have an addiction problem before you can get any help. To do this, you should pin point whether or not you’re experiencing any of the symptoms. Begin by asking yourself the questions listed below. If you answer yes to at least one of them, you may be addicted to Tramadol.

- Are you disobeying your physician’s prescription by taking bigger doses than advised?
- Have you been taking the substance longer than was prescribed?
- Are you taking the substance more frequently than was prescribed?
- Have you ever pretended to lose the medicine just to get another prescription before the due date?
- Have you ever hidden the contents of your medicine bottle just so you can ask for a refill before the due date?
- Have you ever stolen someone else’s supply of Tramadol?
- Have you ever obsessed about your next dosage?

While the drug is controlled in the USA, there are still a lot of internet suppliers who sell the drug using “discreet” packaging. You may be addicted to the substance if you’ve ever thought about buying online just to get an extra stash of these pain killers.

How long will the treatment last?

Once you’ve recognized your addiction, you should consult your physician to determine just how severe your addiction is. Mild addiction may be treated outside the rehabilitation center. Usually, these are Tramadol users who have only experienced mild hallucination but who were able to pinpoint the problem before any permanent damage was incurred. It is not advisable for anyone to stop using the substance completely once the addiction is diagnosed. There should be a “weaning process”, which is a gradual withdrawal from the drug. This way, the withdrawal symptoms will be minimized. Otherwise, the patient’s body may be too physically stressed out. This should be monitored until the patient completely stops depending on the drug.

More severe cases, usually with symptoms ranging from tremors to severe anxiety attacks, may require rehabilitation. Most of the time, the patients who are severely addicted to the drug may also not recognize their problem. They may even be in denial while they’re undergoing the rehabilitation. They may even show hostility and think that the detox process is some kind of unnecessary torture. The detox process is very similar to the outpatient withdrawal treatment. Patients who are suffering from severe addiction just need to be controlled more because they’re no longer in their right frame of mind. Rehabilitation inside the center usually takes three months to a year. Aside from the chemical detox procedure, patients also undergo counseling to help pinpoint what triggered their addiction in the first place.