Opioid Addiction Treatment in Salt Lake City
For many people, opioid addiction begins with a prescription. A surgery, an injury, a pain condition that needed managing. What starts as something a doctor recommended can shift into a physical dependence that feels impossible to break. Whether you have been struggling with oxycodone, hydrocodone, heroin, fentanyl, or any other opioid, you did not end up here through weakness, and you do not have to find your way out alone.
Recovery Ways provides medically supervised opioid detox, residential treatment, and outpatient care at our facility in Murray, Utah. Our team is licensed to administer medication-assisted treatment including buprenorphine, and we treat every person as an individual with a unique path into addiction and a unique path out.
Understanding Opioid Addiction
How Opioids Affect the Brain and Body
Opioids work by binding to receptors in the brain and nervous system that regulate pain, reward, and stress. They reduce the perception of pain and flood the brain with dopamine, producing a powerful sense of relief or euphoria. With repeated use, the brain adapts by reducing its own natural pain-relieving and pleasure-producing activity, creating a state where the person feels they need opioids just to feel normal. This is the foundation of physical dependence, and it can develop even when opioids are taken exactly as prescribed.
Common Opioids We Treat
Recovery Ways treats opioid use disorder involving all types of opioids, including:
- Oxycodone: OxyContin, Percocet, Roxicodone
- Hydrocodone: Vicodin, Norco, Lortab, Zohydro
- Fentanyl
- Morphine: Kadian, Avinza, MS Contin
- Codeine
- Tramadol: Ultram, ConZip
- Hydromorphone: Dilaudid
Signs and Symptoms of Opioid Addiction
Physical and Behavioral Warning Signs
Signs that opioid use may have crossed into addiction or dependence include:
- Taking opioids in larger amounts or for longer than intended
- Unsuccessful attempts to cut back or stop
- Strong cravings or preoccupation with obtaining and using opioids
- Continuing use despite problems at work, home, or in relationships
- Visiting multiple doctors to obtain additional prescriptions
- Buying opioids from someone other than a pharmacy or off the street
- Using opioids in ways other than prescribed, such as crushing and snorting tablets
- Needing more of the drug to achieve the same effect
Short and Long-Term Health Effects
Short-term effects of opioid use include slowed breathing and heart rate, drowsiness, nausea, constipation, and impaired judgment. The most immediate danger is respiratory depression, which is the reason behind most opioid overdose deaths. Long-term use is associated with hormonal disruption, immune system impairment, increased pain sensitivity, heightened risk of depression and anxiety, and significant neurological changes that can persist long after a person stops using.
Opioid Withdrawal and Medical Detox
What to Expect During Opioid Withdrawal
Opioid withdrawal is physically intense and emotionally exhausting. Symptoms typically begin within 12 to 24 hours of the last dose for short-acting opioids and within 24 to 48 hours for long-acting formulations like OxyContin or methadone. Common symptoms include:
- Intense cravings
- Anxiety, restlessness, and agitation
- Muscle aches and bone pain
- Runny nose, sweating, and chills
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Insomnia
- Tremors and muscle cramps
- Depression and mood instability
While opioid withdrawal is rarely fatal in otherwise healthy people, the intensity of symptoms is a primary driver of relapse. Most people who attempt to quit alone return to use during withdrawal simply to stop the pain. Medical detox makes it significantly safer and more manageable.
Medically Supervised Opioid Detox
At Recovery Ways, our medical detox program provides 24-hour nursing care and physician oversight throughout the withdrawal process. Our team uses evidence-based medication protocols to manage symptoms, reduce cravings, and keep each client safe and as comfortable as possible. We are licensed to administer buprenorphine (Suboxone) and naltrexone (Vivitrol), which significantly reduces withdrawal symptoms and cravings and is one of the most effective tools available for opioid stabilization. The goal of detox is to prepare each person physically and mentally for the next stage of treatment.
Opioid Addiction Treatment at Recovery Ways
Medical detox addresses the physical dimension of opioid addiction. The equally important work of understanding and changing the patterns, relationships, and emotional landscape that sustain addiction happens in treatment. Recovery Ways offers a full continuum of care so that each person can start where they need to and move through the program at a pace that works for them.
Medical Detox
24-hour medically supervised withdrawal management with medication assistance
Residential Treatment
Immersive structured programming with around-the-clock clinical support, individual therapy, group sessions, and psychiatric care
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Intensive daily programming as a step down from residential, combining structure with growing independence
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Structured programming several days per week for clients stable enough to live at home or in sober living
Evidence-Based Therapies and Dual Diagnosis Support
Opioid use disorder treatment at Recovery Ways is built around therapies with demonstrated effectiveness: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to address thought patterns and triggers, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for emotional regulation and distress tolerance, trauma-informed care for clients with underlying trauma, group and family therapy, and holistic programming including mindfulness and fitness. Many people living with opioid addiction also have co-occurring depression, anxiety, PTSD, or chronic pain. Our psychiatry team evaluates and treats co-occurring conditions as an integrated part of the care plan.
Does Insurance Cover Opioid Addiction Treatment?
Most major health insurance plans cover opioid addiction treatment, including medical detox, inpatient care, and outpatient programming. Recovery Ways works with many commercial insurance providers and offers free insurance verification so you understand your coverage before making any decisions. If you are uninsured or underinsured, our admissions team can discuss self-pay options and financial assistance.
About Recovery Ways
Recovery Ways is a Joint Commission-accredited addiction treatment and mental health center located in Murray, Utah, just outside Salt Lake City. We provide comprehensive care for opioid use disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions across a full continuum from medical detox through outpatient programming. Our clinical team includes physicians, psychiatrists, licensed therapists, and certified addiction counselors who build individualized treatment plans around each person we serve.
If you or someone you love is struggling with opioid addiction, you do not have to figure it out alone. Recovery Ways is here to answer your questions, walk you through your options, and help you take the first step toward lasting recovery. Reach out to our admissions team today.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is opioid withdrawal dangerous?
Opioid withdrawal is rarely fatal in otherwise healthy adults, but it is intensely uncomfortable and is the primary reason people relapse when attempting to quit without support. In people with underlying health conditions, or when combined with other substances, it can carry additional medical risks. Medical detox provides around-the-clock supervision to manage symptoms safely and prevent relapse during the hardest days.
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What is the difference between oxycodone and hydrocodone?
Both are prescription opioid pain medications, but they differ in their typical uses and formulations. Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet) is typically prescribed for moderate to severe pain and has a high abuse potential. Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco) is usually prescribed for severe injuries or post-surgical pain and is chemically similar to heroin, making it highly addictive. Both produce comparable withdrawal experiences and respond well to the same treatment approaches.
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What is medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and is it right for me?
MAT uses FDA-approved medications such as buprenorphine (Suboxone) or naltrexone (Vivitrol) alongside counseling and therapy to treat opioid use disorder. Research shows MAT significantly improves long-term recovery outcomes and reduces overdose risk. Recovery Ways is licensed to provide MAT, and our clinical team works with each client to determine whether it is an appropriate part of their treatment plan.
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How long does opioid addiction treatment take?
Treatment duration varies by individual. Residential programs typically run 20 to 30 days, while PHP and IOP programs extend over several weeks to months. Long-term recovery often involves continued outpatient support and medication management beyond the initial program. Recovery Ways tailors the duration and pace of care to each person's clinical needs and goals.
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Can I detox from opioids at home?
Attempting opioid detox at home is strongly discouraged. The severity of withdrawal symptoms drives most people back to use before they clear the acute phase, and attempting to quit cold turkey at home carries a heightened overdose risk if the person relapses, because tolerance drops rapidly during even a brief period of abstinence. Medical detox is the safest and most effective way to get through withdrawal.
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Does health insurance cover opioid treatment and detox?
Yes, most major insurance plans cover opioid addiction treatment, including detox and inpatient or outpatient rehab, under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Recovery Ways offers free insurance verification and our admissions team will walk you through your specific benefits so you know what to expect before you commit to anything.