Ready to Start Getting Off Opioids?

There May Be a Smoother Way Forward.

Success is in the setup.

Sublocade® and Brixadi® are long-acting forms of buprenorphine that continue releasing medication gradually after each injection. Unlike abruptly stopping a short-acting opioid or following a rapid taper, the medication leaves the body slowly over time. For patients whose goal is getting off opioids and eventually becoming medication-free, that gradual decline can provide an excellent way to taper while reducing the intensity of withdrawal.

A Different Way to Get Off Opioids

For many people, getting off opioids isn’t just about stopping—it’s about getting through the withdrawal. Sublocade® and Brixadi® offer a different approach. These long-acting forms of buprenorphine release medication gradually over time, allowing the level of medication in your body to decline slowly rather than suddenly. That gradual decline can act like a long, slow taper, giving your body time to adjust along the way.

SLOW RELEASE

The medication is released gradually over time. Instead of a sudden drop, buprenorphine levels decline slowly as the medication leaves your body.

A BUILT-IN TAPER

There are no strips to cut and no daily dose to keep lowering. The long-acting medication gradually declines on its own, creating a much slower transition.

BUILT AROUND YOU

Your goal may be medication-free recovery. Our job is to help you pursue it with a plan—and be there if the plan needs to change.

How Our Physician-Guided Detox Process Works

1. GET STABLE

We first get you comfortable and stable on buprenorphine.

2. TRANSITION TO SUBLOCADE® OR BRIXADI®

Once stable, daily buprenorphine is replaced with a long-acting injection that continuously releases medication over time.

3. SLOW, GRADUAL RELEASE

After your final injection, the medication continues to leave your body slowly over time. We continue to monitor and support you throughout the process as the medication gradually leaves your system.

Your goal may be medication-free recovery. Our job is to help you pursue it with a plan—and be there if the plan needs to change.

Can Sublocade Help You Get Off Everything?

If your goal is getting off opioids, a physician-guided medical detox can provide a safer, more gradual way to manage withdrawal rather than trying to do it on your own.

Getting through withdrawal and achieving lasting recovery are not necessarily the same thing. Withdrawal success is not the same as recovery success.

That’s why Dr. Watson continues to follow you throughout the process. If your goal is to become medication-free, we can pursue that goal while continuing to address both the biological and behavioral sides of opioid use disorder.

Everyone is different, and no one can predict who will succeed medication-free. If that’s your goal, Dr. Watson will support your choice, monitor you throughout the process, and adjust the plan when needed to give you the best opportunity for success.

Understanding the challenges doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. It means you should have a plan. A physician-guided detox allows Dr. Watson to help you through the withdrawal, continue supportive counseling, monitor your progress, and be there if the plan needs to change.

Treat the Withdrawal. Prepare for What Comes Next.

Addiction has both biological and behavioral components. A physician-guided detox can help address the physical dependence and withdrawal, but getting through withdrawal doesn’t automatically remove the patterns, triggers, and behaviors that can lead someone back to opioid use.

That’s why our support doesn’t end when the withdrawal does. While Dr. Watson monitors your medical progress, behavioral support through counseling and peer support can help you build the tools you may need to succeed without medication.

Before We Can Get You Off the Shot, We First Have to Get You Safely On It.

If you’re currently using fentanyl, heroin, 7-OH, prescription opioids, or another opioid, we don’t simply start with an injection. The first goal is to safely transition you to oral buprenorphine and make sure you’re comfortable and stable. Once that happens, we can transition you to a long-acting injection and begin building the next phase of the plan around your goals.

STEP 1
GET STABLE

We start where you are.

Dr. Watson develops an individualized plan to transition you from your current opioid to buprenorphine, manage withdrawal symptoms, and get you comfortably stabilized.

WHAT TO EXPECT

STEP 2
GO LONG-ACTING

Once you’re stable on buprenorphine, we can transition you to a long-acting injection such as Sublocade or Brixadi. Dr. Watson then follows your response before developing the next phase of your individualized plan.

There is no one-size-fits-all detox schedule. First we get you stable. Then we build the plan around you.

The Silent 90%

Recovery rarely begins with medication alone. It often begins with forgiveness. Many patients carry years of guilt over the choices they made while living with addiction. They believe those mistakes define who they are. But addiction is a chronic medical condition, not a character flaw. Like diabetes or high blood pressure, it responds best to long-term management rather than shame or punishment. When patients begin to understand that, they can finally stop fighting themselves and start focusing on building a healthier future.

You don’t have to wait until your life falls apart to ask for help.

Forgive Yourself First,

Recovery often begins with forgiveness. Many people carry years of guilt over choices they made while struggling with addiction and begin to believe those mistakes define who they are. They don’t. Addiction is a medical condition, not a character flaw. Forgiving yourself doesn’t erase the past—it gives you the opportunity to stop fighting yourself and start building what comes next.

“Do-it-yourself detox plans are great when everything goes right. But what happens when they don’t?

The value of physician-led detox is that I’ll be there when things don’t go as planned.

— Dr. James Watson

Success is in the setup.

Recovery Begins With One Conversation

You don’t have to decide everything today. If you’re considering getting off opioids, getting off buprenorphine, or simply want to understand your options, the first step can be a conversation. Ask questions. Tell me where you are and where you want to go. Together, we can decide what makes sense for you.

Talking with me doesn’t commit you to treatment. It simply gives you a place to start.

Want to Learn More About Addiction & Stigma?

Understanding addiction as a medical condition can help replace shame with understanding. Visit our Addiction & Stigma resources for more from Dr. Watson.

Learn More About Addiction Stigma

Why Addiction Stigma Keeps People From Seeking Help →

Breaking the Stigma of Addiction Recovery →

Ready to Take the First Step?

You don’t have to have the entire plan figured out before you call. Tell us where you’re starting and where you want to go. We’ll help you understand your options and decide what comes next.

Medication Information: Sublocade®, Brixadi®, Vivitrol®, and Suboxone® are registered trademarks of their respective owners. Dr. Watson and Family Wellness, P.C. are not affiliated with or endorsed by the manufacturers of these medications. Medication names are used for patient education and treatment information.