People who need treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) at a Suboxone clinic in Tom’s River, NJ should know that the latest and most effective evidence-based treatment for OUD is available nearby. The drug overdose crisis in U.S. has been having a negative impact on people around the country for over 20 years. The citizens of Tom’s River, NJ are not immune, and have experienced the effects of the opioid crisis first-hand.
That’s why knowing about the latest treatments – and how to find them – is critical for individuals and families who want to move past the harmful cycles of addiction.
What is a Suboxone Clinic?
A Suboxone clinic is an addiction treatment facility that’s fully licensed and approved by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to offer treatment for OUD with Suboxone, which is a combination of two medications: buprenorphine and naltrexone. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist. It occupies opioid receptors in the brain without the euphoria associated with opioid use. Naltrexone, on the other hand, is a full opioid antagonist. It prevents any opioid from occupying opioid receptors in the brain, thereby preventing any opioid-related euphoria.
Treatment with Suboxone is part of an approach to heroin treatment and opioid addiction called harm reduction. Harm reduction was fully endorsed by the State Government of New Jersey with legislation passed in 2022.
The Director of Harm Reduction Services for the New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition, Caitlin O’Neill, offers her opinion on harm reduction efforts in New Jersey:
“Many lives will be saved with the expansion of harm reduction centers…in New Jersey, and many peoples’ inherent value and humanity will be reinforced. This is a vital step towards New Jersey ending the overdose crisis…and finally building the systems of care that will keep all of us alive and safer — no matter where we lay our heads.”
The benefits of treatment with Suboxone include:
- Stopping/preventing the action of opioids on the brain
- Resetting the neurotransmitter system in the brain
- Blocking the euphoria associated with opioid use
- Reducing the severity of cravings for opioids
- Mitigating the most intense symptoms of opioid withdrawal
Suboxone treatment programs also helps:
- Increase the length of time people stay in treatment
- Reduce the use of opioids
- Reduce criminal behavior associated with drug use
- The ability to look for and find a job
- The ability to engage fully in family life
- School and work performance
- Reduce risk of fatal overdose
- Reduce risk of premature mortality (early death)
Evidence-based treatment with Suboxone is accessible in Tom’s River, NJ.
However, if you don’t know what to look for, how do you determine if you, a friend, or a loved one needs treatment?
Warning Signs: Opioid or Heroin Addiction
When a person has a substance use disorder, it’s important to get help sooner than later. Chronic, long-term addiction can create serious physical, psychological, and emotional problems.
If you or a loved one needs MAT treatment at a Suboxone clinic in Tom’s River, NJ, please remember: the earlier a person who needs treatment receives treatment, the better the outcome.
To determine whether someone might have an opioid/heroin addiction, watch for these warning signs:
Opioid Use Disorder: Physical Warning Signs
- Frequent accidents with no explanation
- Tremors/shaking hands
- Reduced attention/care about personal appearance
- Rapid change in weight
- Incoherent speech
- Clammy palms
- Bloodshot eyes
- Wide pupils
- Decreased coordination
- Strange smells: clothes, hair, breath
- Evidence of intravenous injections
Opioid Use Disorder: Behavioral Warning Signs
- Mood swings
- Drastic changes in personality
- Impaired performance at work or school
- Irritability
- Anger
- Problems concentrating
- Inability to fulfill obligations/responsibilities
- Reduced interest in favorite activities
- Lying about drug use
- Stealing to support drug use
- Furtive behavior
- Attempting to hide drug use
When these warning signs appear in someone you love, or you recognize them in yourself, the best first step is a professional evaluation for substance use disorder performed by a mental health professional. After a full evaluation, a physician, psychiatrist, or therapist can arrive at an accurate diagnosis and provide a referral treatment at a Suboxone Clinic in Tom’s River, NJ.
Pinnacle Treatment Centers: MAT Treatment Follows National Guidelines
The support and care we offer at our Suboxone clinics in Tom’s River, NJ is not just about taking Suboxone every day. Our treatment approach follows guidelines established by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). After a full biopsychosocial evaluation, our providers at Ocean Medical Services and Suboxone Services of Tom’s River develop a treatment plan with a variety of effective, evidence-based components.
MAT Programs at Pinnacle Suboxone Clinics in Tom’s River, NJ
- Individual counseling and therapy
- Group counseling and therapy
- Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD): Suboxone
- Changes in daily habits: Healthy food, daily activity, stress management, sleep hygiene
- Enrichment: group classes on the science of addiction and recovery
- Auxiliary approaches: Yoga, Meditation, Mindfulness
- 12-step programs: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA) SMART Recovery
- Case management services: help after discharge with accessing social services, accessing recovery housing, and relapse prevention
While therapy, changes in daily habits, and education on addiction and recovery promotes a successful recovery, the inability to participate in these components of treatment does not prevent a person from receiving Suboxone. A core tenet of harm reduction is meeting people where they are, and offering the treatment they’ll accept in the manner they’ll accept it. If medication is where a person needs to start, then that’s where we start.
Finding Addiction Treatment at a Suboxone Clinic in Tom’s River, NJ
To find treatment at a Suboxone Clinic in Tom’s River, NJ, please call us at Ocean Medical Services or Suboxone Services of Tom’s River.
To find evidence-based treatment for addiction, you can also use these online resources:
- Addiction Treatment Providers -Treatment Directory Application (rutgers.edu)
- 1-844 ReachNJ.GOV at (844) 732-2465 (for people without insurance)
- Call (844) 276-2777 for 24/7/365 for referral and emergency support from Rutgers University
- SAMHSA treatment finder
The earlier a person who needs treatment gets the treatment they need, the better the outcome.
The Opioid Crisis in the U.S. and New Jersey: Facts and Figures
Since 1999, a staggering number of people have died of drug overdose in the U.S. Data from the Centers for Disease Control indicate that number exceeds 1,000,000 – and it’s growing every year. The data shows around 75 percent of those overdose deaths involved opioids.
Let’s look at the fatal overdose data from the past several years. These figures are available on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website.
Overdose Fatalities, 2018-2023: United States
- 2018: 67,850
- 2019: 71,130
- 2020: 92,478
- 2021: 106,699
- 2022: 108,388
That’s a 60% increase over those seven years – and the national numbers are still rising. To narrow our focus to Tom’s River, where we operate Ocean Medical Services and Suboxone Services of Tom’s River, we’ll look at the data for Ocean County, NJ, where Tom’s River is located. To explore the publicly available data further, please visit the New Jersey Opioid Dashboard and the NJ Cares Opioid-Related Data resource page.
Overdose Fatalities, Opioids, Ocean County 2018-2023
- 2018: 219
- 2019: 204
- 2020: 245
- 2021: 242
- 2022: 186
- 2023: 168
Let’s be clear: one overdose fatality is one too many.
This data shows us that, although the past two years show a downward trend, the residents of Tom’s River need access to treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), which also includes heroin treatment and treatment for prescription opioid addiction. Experts call MAT with Suboxone the gold-standard treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Treatment for OUD with Suboxone is available at our Suboxone Clinics in Tom’s River, NJ.