What You Need To Know: Flu Shots | Visitor Restrictions.

Menu
Close Search Opener

Opioid Addiction

Understanding and treating opioid-use disorder

Opioids are powerful drugs that act on the brain to dull the senses. They include both illegal drugs as well as opioid medications that doctors prescribe to relieve pain, such as after serious injury or surgery. Unfortunately, people can become addicted to opioids even when they are prescribed by a doctor.

For an addiction assessment appointment, contact us:
  • Southeast Michigan: (248) 661-6100 or complete this form
  • South Central Michigan: (800) 531-3728

Many people in the Detroit area and throughout Michigan struggle with opioid addiction, also known as opioid-use disorder. But there is hope, even for people who have tried treatment before. Our addiction specialists provide comprehensive treatment to people who need help to overcome opioid addiction.

Opioids include both synthetic, or artificial, drugs and those created from natural resources. These naturally derived drugs are sometimes called opiates. Some examples of opioids include:

  • Codeine
  • Fentanyl, a medication for severe chronic pain that may be abused in illegal/street drugs
  • Heroin
  • Hydrocodone, including Lortab, Vicodin, and other brands
  • Morphine
  • Oxycodone, including OxyContin
Health FordCAST

Addiction specialist Elizabeth Bulat, M.D., discusses combating our country’s opioid epidemic.

Listen Now

Who is at risk for opioid addiction?

As opioids have become more available, both through prescription and nonprescription uses, more people in our area have struggled with this type of substance-use disorder. Opioid addiction is one of the two types of addiction we treat most often (along with alcohol addiction).

You may develop opioid addiction through:

  • Long-term use of opioid pain killers
  • Using illegal drugs or drugs that are not prescribed by a doctor
  • Using opioids in ways other than what a doctor prescribes

Opioid addiction can affect anyone. However, we often treat patients for this condition who share certain characteristics, including:

  • Younger age, including teens and adults ages 18 to 30
  • May use/abuse more than one type of drug, known as polysubstance-use disorder, with opioids as their preferred substance
  • Often start by using/abusing prescription medications and progressing to heroin, or other street medications
  • Patients with chronic pain may be at risk for addiction to pain medication without ever progressing to illegal/street drugs

Treatment options

Opioid addiction is medical condition that requires expert care to treat. Like any other illness, our addiction team treats opioid addiction with techniques backed by the latest science and research. We work with patients and their loved ones to create comprehensive, personalized treatment plans that meet their needs.

Treatment plans may include detoxification (also known as detox) and medication-assisted treatment. Your treatment plan will depend on your medical needs and level of support from loved ones.

Listen to addiction specialist Elizabeth Bulat, M.D., discuss combating our country’s opioid epidemic.

We’re Here to Help

Take the first step to recovery. 

Request an Addiction Assessment
Close

Schedule Appointment Online

If you are having an emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Please do not utilize this scheduling feature for urgent medical situations.

For your safety please select a MyChart Video Visit on Demand or call our MyCare Advice Line at 844-262-1949 before scheduling if: You currently have a temperature greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, you are experiencing a new loss of taste and/or sense of smell, in the past 21 days, you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, in the past 14 days, you have had contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19. Or, you have experienced two or more of the following symptoms in the last 3 days: fever, chills, drenching sweats, new cough, shortness of breath, body aches, headache, sore throat, runny nose or nasal congestion, or nausea/vomiting/diarrhea.

Henry Ford Health System is committed to ensuring our Deaf or hard-of-hearing patients and visitors have equal access to all services. We provide the appropriate auxiliary aids and services, including qualified sign language interpreters, TTYs and other assistive listening devices, at no cost. To request assistance, call 313-916-1896 or email CommunicationAccess@hfhs.org.

Schedule Appointment for