Tennessee’s opioid addiction treatment centers focus on helping people overcome opioid dependence and addiction. These centers may offer opioid detox programs, behavioral therapy, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and other similar treatments.

Given that not all opioid clinics in Tennessee are equally capable of helping you make a lasting recovery, choosing the right opioid addiction treatment is of utmost importance. While there are many options, Accelerated Neuro-Regulation (ANR) stands out as the most modern, safe, and effective opioid dependence treatment.

Opioid Epidemic in Tennessee: Trends and Action Plan

Tennessee is among the most affected states by the opioid epidemic, with 3,038 Tennesseans having lost their lives to opioid overdose in 2021 alone. A staggering 80% of drug overdose deaths that year involved opioids.

Here are some other statistics that illustrate the extent of the opioid crisis in Tennessee:

• The age-adjusted opioid overdose death rate increased by 15 times between 2002 and 2022, from 2.9 to 45.3 deaths per 100,000 Tennessee residents.
• In 2018, more than six million pain reliever prescriptions were issued in Tennessee, and 1,183 Tennesseans died due to an opioid overdose. Almost 37% of these deaths also involved stimulants.
• At least three Tennessee residents overdose on opioids every day. The number of opioid overdose deaths in Tennessee more than doubled between 2018 and 2021.
• In 2019 and 2020, more than 800 babies in Tennessee were born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).
• Between 2019 and 2021, 324 Tennesseans died after mixing opioids with xylazine, a veterinary drug used for sedation.

Like other states, Tennessee is in the process of battling the opioid epidemic. In 2018, Governor Bill Haslam signed legislation to launch TN Together, the official state plan to address the opioid crisis.

The plan includes new laws to reduce the prescription of opioids to patients not currently on a course of treatment. Over $30 million in state and federal funds have been provided to support the fight against opioid addiction in three main ways:

#1. Prevention

TN Together aims to prevent opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid abuse by reducing the supply and prescription of opioid medications. Other prevention efforts include:

• Limiting opioid coverage for TennCare enrollees
• Revising the state’s health education academic standards to increase opioid addiction and abuse prevention education in schools
• Implementing outreach programs targeted at women of childbearing age to prevent NAS
• Creating a network of healthcare stakeholders to research, develop, and implement best practices in pain management
• Establishing a committee to develop up-to-date, evidence-based pain and addiction medicine competencies to teach in medical schools
• Running public awareness campaigns to raise awareness about the risks associated with opioids and the resources available for those struggling with opioid addiction

#2. Treatment

TN Together aims to expand access to opioid addiction treatment in Tennessee. It allocated a budget of over $25 million to provide drug addiction treatment and recovery services for people with OUD.

The plan ensures access to high-quality opioid addiction treatment centers in Tennessee for TennCare enrollees. Not only that, but it also seeks to establish a statewide public/private treatment collaborative to serve all Tennesseans struggling with opioid dependence and addiction.

Moreover, TN Together aims to expand opioid addiction treatment within correction facilities and encourage those who are incarcerated to complete intensive substance use treatment programs.

#3. Law Enforcement

TN Together addresses the opioid epidemic through law enforcement by increasing state funding to combat illicit opioid sales and trafficking. In particular, the plan aims to increase the number of law enforcement agents and expand training programs.

Furthermore, TN Together aims to improve the tracking, monitoring, and penalizing of the use and illegal distribution of fentanyl analogs and other dangerous and highly addictive drugs by revising the controlled substance schedules.

Lastly, to reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths, the plan seeks to provide every Tennessee state trooper with naloxone, allowing them to treat opioid overdose emergencies before the paramedics arrive.

In short, Tennessee has adopted a multifaceted approach to combat the opioid crisis. However, when it comes to treatment—the second TN Together component—it’s important to note that while there are hundreds of opioid addiction treatment centers in Tennessee, not all of them are equally safe and effective in treating OUD.

Most opioid clinics in Tennessee offer opioid detox, which is far from a comprehensive opioid addiction treatment.

On that note, let’s compare opioid detox with Accelerated Neuro-Regulation (ANR), the new gold standard in opioid dependence treatment.

Opioid Detox Treatment vs. ANR Treatment

Opioid detox treatment and ANR treatment are fundamentally different; while opioid detox merely flushes opioids out of the system, ANR tackles the root cause of opioid dependence by bringing the endorphin-receptor system back to balance.

Detox centers in Tennessee offer different types of detoxification, including inpatient detox, outpatient detox, medical drug detox, and rapid opiate detox. The latter, in particular, may seem like an attractive option due to its speed. Rapid detox swiftly removes opioids with the help of anesthesia and opioid antagonist drugs.

Although many rapid detox centers claim they can cure opioid addiction quickly and painlessly, detoxification isn’t nearly enough to bring lasting results. Since this procedure fails to address the neurochemical causes of opioid dependence, it is more likely to lead to relapse than recovery.

Another thing anyone looking for an opioid addiction treatment center in Tennessee should be aware of is that rapid detox is not only ineffective but also controversial. The quality of this treatment varies from one opioid clinic to the next.

Unsurprisingly, rapid detox—and other opioid detox treatments—are associated with numerous risks and side effects, ranging from nausea to psychosis and suicidal ideation. These treatments can also lead to life-threatening complications like pulmonary edema and cardiac arrest.

By contrast, ANR is a highly effective, safe, and comprehensive opioid dependence treatment. Developed by Dr. Andre Waismann, it is the first and only treatment that eradicates opioid dependence at its root by restoring the brain to its pre-addiction state. Therefore, it eliminates the risk of ongoing opioid withdrawal symptoms and relapse.

With this in mind, let’s discuss how ANR works to understand better how it can help you break free from opioid dependence.

How Does the ANR Treatment Work?

The ANR treatment works by re-regulating the endorphin-receptor system imbalance. Specifically, it modulates the central nervous system to decrease opioid receptor production and resume normal endorphin production.

The ANR procedure consists of the following steps:

• Preparation. The medical team of ANR Clinic will contact you regularly before your hospital admission to help you prepare for the treatment.

• Regulation. Regulation refers to the ANR procedure itself. Before the procedure, you will undergo extensive medical evaluation to ensure you’re in optimal shape for the treatment. To help you smoothly transition into the procedure, you will receive pre-medication. Then, you will be placed under deep sedation and administered medication to cleanse and block opioid receptors. The procedure itself takes 4–6 hours. Upon waking up, your endorphin-receptor system will be rebalanced, and you’ll spend the night at the hospital under the care of the ANR team. If needed, they will also fine-tune your endorphin-receptor system.

• Stabilization. Stabilization begins upon discharge from the hospital; most patients are discharged the next day after the procedure. After being discharged, you’ll receive guidelines, tools, and lifestyle recommendations to stabilize the endorphin system. 

• Optimization. The ANR team will continue working with you as you resume an opioid-free life. Stay in touch with the ANR team and follow their recommendations.
  

Unlike traditional opioid addiction treatment centers in Tennessee, ANR Clinic prioritizes patient safety by only performing the procedure in fully accredited hospitals equipped with essential medical equipment and ICU facilities. ANR is strictly performed by highly experienced medical professionals, such as anesthesiologists.

The therapeutic goal of ANR is encoded in its name—Accelerated Neuro-Regulation. Since this procedure restores normal nervous system function, it is the only treatment you need to achieve a lasting recovery from opioid dependence.

Benefits of Choosing the ANR Treatment For Opioid Dependence

Some of the key benefits of choosing the ANR treatment over other opioid addiction treatment centers in Tennessee include:

• Maximum safety. To ensure maximum patient safety, ANR is carried out in an ICU setting of accredited state-of-the-art hospitals by highly trained and compassionate critical care physicians, anesthesiologists, and other board-certified medical professionals. The treatment is also tailored to each patient and can thus be safely performed even on those with complex medical issues like heart or liver disease. 

• High success rate. Since ANR addresses the root cause of opioid dependence by reversing opioid-induced neurochemical changes, it negates withdrawal symptoms together with the risk of relapse. Therefore, it is extremely effective, as evidenced by the numerous ANR success stories.

• Cost-effectiveness. ANR costs $20,500, which includes a personalized treatment plan, pre-admission preparation appointments, a private room, and more. Although some opioid addiction treatment centers in Tennessee might offer cheaper treatments, they don’t guarantee lifelong recovery. ANR, meanwhile, is a one-time investment into your well-being.

• No opioid replacement drugs. After ANR, you won’t have to rely on methadone or other potentially addictive opioid replacement drugs used in most opioid addiction treatment centers in Tennessee. This makes ANR the safest option; not only does it eliminate opioid dependence, but it also doesn’t put you at risk of swapping one addiction for another.

• Short treatment duration. While the ANR procedure takes 4–6 hours, the hospital stay for ANR patients lasts only 36 hours on average. Therefore, ANR can help you achieve a lasting recovery from opioid dependence within a matter of days.

To get started with ANR or learn more about the treatment, contact us for a free, 100% confidential consultation today.