WHAT WE TREAT
Breaking free from codeine addiction is possible, and we’re here to help you heal. At Paracelsus Recovery, we take a holistic and practical approach tailored entirely to your needs. Our personalised treatment programs focus on guiding you through a safe, expert-supported withdrawal while also addressing the deeper causes behind your addiction.
Codeine is an analgesic derived from morphine. Analgesics are narcotic painkillers: powerful pain medication that works by dissociating the user from the pain. Codeine is one of the most readily prescribed and most easy-to-access painkillers. It is normally prescribed to treat mild to moderate degrees of pain and as a remedy for coughs and diarrhoea. However, what often begins as a legitimate medical use of codeine can quickly spiral out of control as an individual’s tolerance can snowball, making it highly addictive.
Physical dependency occurs when an individual relies on codeine to an excessive degree. The body grows so accustomed to codeine that, in the absence of it, it thinks it is missing something vital. In response to this feeling, the individual experiences withdrawal symptoms. Psychological dependency occurs when we begin to rely on codeine to numb or dissociate ourselves from emotional pain such as stress, loneliness, or trauma. Most individuals suffering from prescription medication addictions will have varying levels of both physical and psychological dependencies.
Over time, codeine abuse can wreak havoc on one’s health. It increases an individual’s risk of developing respiratory depression, liver and kidney damage, experiencing seizures and developing other mental health conditions or substance abuse issues.
Due to its addictive nature, it can be very challenging to detox from codeine on your own. Often, the only way to do this is to undergo a medical detox to manage the physical withdrawal symptoms and to work with mental health professionals to manage the psychological withdrawal.
Through our combination of medical, psychological and personal care, we are proud to be the only clinic in the world that addresses co-occurring conditions and every possible root-cause of codeine addiction. In so doing, we can help you recover in a matter of weeks, rather than years or months.
bespoke treatment
How we treat codeine addiction
At Paracelsus Recovery, we don’t follow a pre-defined approach when it comes to treating codeine addiction. Similarly, we don’t adopt a specific treatment model. Instead, we advocate for a completely pragmatic approach to addiction; whatever works best for you to achieve your goals. This means that we fully support medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and do not impose any demands on you to stop using other substances, such as nicotine or alcohol, if they are part of your current habits.
Each individual who comes to us receives a personalised treatment plan that’s tailored to their specific needs. Our codeine treatment process includes a medically supervised and carefully monitored withdrawal. We provide supportive infusions (IVs) and a range of therapies to make the process as comfortable as possible. All of the therapies use complement each other, working together to help heal not only the physical aspects of addiction but also the emotional and psychological factors involved. See below for more details.
Our approach considers the whole person: mind, body and soul
At Paracelsus Recovery, we believe that everyone’s journey is unique, so we don’t take a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Instead, we customise each programme to fit your individual needs. While our approach prioritises cutting-edge modalities and holistic care, it is ultimately those unique needs that guide our work together.
Our approach goes beyond simply treating your symptoms – we aim to uncover and address the deeper root causes of your codeine dependence. That’s why, in addition to providing a safe medical detox from codeine, we conduct thorough testing. This helps us create a treatment plan tailored specifically to you, incorporating a 360-degree approach that targets the underlying factors that led to the addiction, whether they’re physical, emotional, or psychological. Such a treatment approach aims to restore any imbalances and support your long-term recovery through a unique combination of therapies, including biofeedback, nutritional therapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), sleep therapies, family therapy, and art therapy.
However, our approach goes beyond addressing the root causes of addiction; we also focus on its wider impact, treating any neurological or physical damage that may have been caused by substance use. These are treated alongside the underlying factors driving addiction. This approach combines intensive psychotherapy with biochemical restoration and complementary therapies in order to reduce stress and support a robust, sustainable recovery.
15+ team members dedicated to your recovery
We are the only residential drug treatment centre in the world to provide a minimum of 15 dedicated professionals to each client.
You will receive around-the-clock treatment from a 15+ strong team of world-renowned doctors, therapists and addiction specialists, including a Nobel Prize-winning board member. They will be with you every step of your recovery from codeine addiction and any co-occurring issues. A live-in therapist will also be available for 24/7 emotional support. No matter the unique blend of treatments you receive, they will be delivered with the Swiss medical excellence we are known for.
Comprehensive programmes as unique as you are
Our codeine treatment programmes are tailored down to the last detail. By taking a highly pragmatic and personalised approach to treatment, we meet you where you are and mould the programme to suit your lifestyle, needs and goals.
We can provide treatment for codeine addiction and any co-occurring dependencies and mental health conditions at our prescription drug addiction treatment centre in Zurich.
FURTHER READING
