How to Fight Back Against the Emotional Effects of Suboxone

If you’re taking Suboxone for your opioid drug addiction, you might have noticed certain emotional effects on your mood and personality. Unfortunately, these are a normal part of taking the drug. Suboxone works by triggering the same receptors as opioids, thereby producing many of the same euphoric results. Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do to control or lessen the emotional effects of Suboxone.

If you’re struggling with opioid addiction and don’t know what to do, give our hotline a call at 888-646-0865 (Who Answers?) . Our experts can help you find a treatment plan or detox center that’s right for you so you can end your addiction for good.

What Are the Emotional Effects of Suboxone?

Less emotional expressiveness is common with Suboxone use.

When you use opioids, your brain begins to respond positively to its effects, creating pleasurable symptoms. However, this also decreases the effects of naturally rewarding activities, such as reading a good book or eating a good meal. This is known as anhedonia and is a result of molecular, neurocircuitry, and cellular changes in your brain due to chronic substance use.

Because Suboxone is a partial opioid, it continues to stimulate your brain just like opioids, but at much lower levels. This means that you might continue to have the “flat” emotions that opioids cause. Some symptoms of this can include:

• Being less likely to recognize fear and being less panicked or anxious in threatening situations
• Less self-awareness of being happy, sad, or anxious with long term use
• Increased neutral empathy and less emotional expressiveness
• Less probability of being happy overall

As you begin to lower your dose, you might experience some opioid withdrawal symptoms. Typically, these are the exact opposite of the above symptoms, as your brain is trying to deal with the change in opioid availability. These withdrawal symptoms include:

• Feeling more anxious than usual
• Being agitated for no reason
• Feeling depressed

Dealing With Less Emotions

Feeling flat all the time can be hard to deal with and make your life seem less enjoyable overall. Depression can also be similar to this, but with more sadness about the state of your life. Either way, there are several things you can do to cheer yourself up and begin to feel again.

• Keep a journal to track your feelings. Meditate on your day and consider how your experiences made you feel. Just thinking about your feelings can make them seem more intense.
• Use words to explain how you feel to someone. Instead of just giving curt answers, use more eloquence to define your state of mind. This can help you feel more overall.
• Be sure to exercise to release tension and get endorphins flowing.
• Talk with a counselor or therapist for further guidance.

What to Do If You Experience Negative Health Effects of Suboxone

Dealing With Anxiety and Agitation

Being anxious or agitated can make your life miserable, as even small obstacles can send you into a torrent of emotion. By finding ways to tune these emotions down, you can easily overcome them both.

• Train yourself to relax. Whenever you feel an attack coming on, try to go to a dark and quiet place. Take some deep breaths and focus on calming thoughts.
• Talk with a counselor, therapist, or anyone willing to listen. Sometimes, you just need a calming influence in your life or someone to vent your frustrations to.
• Turn to cognitive behavioral therapy. This is a type of treatment that can change the way you think and behave when introduced to anxiety-causing situations.

Overall, the emotional effects of Suboxone can feel paralyzing if you aren’t prepared. However, by knowing what you’re in for before you begin taking the medication, you can adequately prepare yourself for whatever emotional obstacles are in your path.

Ready to take the plunge and get started on Suboxone? Our hotline can help you find a doctor or treatment center near you. Just give us a call at 888-646-0865 (Who Answers?) today.