There is now a medication available to all opiate addicts that can help them to recover and live a life free of drugs. That has only been a reality for the past ten years. Suboxone and other changes in addiction treatment have helped countless addicts make a recovery that was never thought possible. For the first time, addicts can actually expect to make it out of the trap of addiction.
Methadone and Suboxone both bind to the same receptors inside the brain. Called opiate receptors; they are in the part of the brain that is affected when a person takes a narcotic. If something other than an opiate binds with these receptors during withdrawal, the distress is ignificantly weakened and the symptoms are not as severe. Suboxone also helps to stop the body’s craving for opiates and can block the feelings of euphoria the body experiences if opiates are used. Unfortunately, it may not be powerful enough to provide the help needed for someone whose addiction to opiates is long standing or someone who acclimated to high doses of narcotics. For these people, Methadone may still be the only answer.
Choosing to use Methadone requires visiting a clinic or doctor’s office every day, except for holidays and weekends, for two years in most US States and five years in Florida, before the patient can take home a thirty day supply of medication; Soboxone can be prescribed for up to thirty days almost immediately. The difference is tremendous freedom to pursue normal, everyday activities like working, attending schools or training programs and starting a healthy lifestyle away from drugs. There are also many more clinics and private physicians licensed to prescribe Suboxone and treat drug addiction. When choosing the best therapy, it is much easier to attempt suboxone treatment first and then move up to Methadone treatment if it necessary, than to start with Methadone and change to Suboxone.
One of the biggest differences between the two medications is that Soboxone does not create the dependency issues that can occur when using Methadone. It is easier to stop taking Suboxone to become totally drug free. Suboxone also has less effect on the brain, leaving the person with a clearer mind and more ability to concentrate, making it much easier to succeed in new endeavors.
In 2000, congress passed an act stating that physicians with special training could treat opiate addiction with medication (DATA). In 2002, Suboxone was approved to do just that and addiction therapy changed overnight. Gone were the squalid clinics giving out Methadone from behind thick glass windows in the worst parts of big cities. Modern clinics and offices devoted to addiction treatment sprang up all over the US. New ideas about treatment were being introduced and addicts were now getting therapy that was intended to help with recovery and not just maintaining at a level of mere survival. Deaths related to opiates plunged and the number of new HIV/AIDS cases related to drug use also fell significantly.
As treatment became more available throughout the Nation, more people with middle class backgrounds began to seek therapy for opiate addiction, effectively changing an age old stereotypy. It was suddenly recognized that addiction was not just a problem on the streets but in schools, factories, offices and boardrooms. A new paradigm was born that has changed the attitude and focus of treatment for addictions of all types, from heroin, to OxyContin to alcohol.
When it became recognized that addiction was not a class conscious illness, and people from all walks of life were suddenly seeking help for dependency problems, more and more medical insurance companies started to add alcoholism and addiction treatment to their plans. Employers realized it was costing more money to fire employees, possibly pay unemployment and train new employees to take their places, than helping their current employees to get the treatment they needed. Many companies now provide referral services along with medical coverage for treatment.
Recovery from addiction involves several steps. Before anything can change in an addict’s life, he or she must admit there is a problem that cannot be controlled and then reach out for help. The next step is withdrawal/detox; this is best dealt with in an inpatient setting. Even with the help of medication, the person should be closely monitored. After withdrawal, the patient is put on a maintenances dose of Suboxone and the dose is regulated for maximum effect and a plan is created that includes therapy, referrals that may be needed and the creation of a support system for the person.
The regulations that allow physicians to prescribe Suboxone also require that they provide their patients with therapy and other methods of help that may be required during recovery. To succeed, the addict must make some very uncomfortable changes in his or her life. Not making these changes will ultimately mean failure if the person cannot walk away from a lifestyle that involves opiates and the people who use them.
While Suboxone can accomplish much, it still takes the strength and resolve of the addict to defeat an addiction; it takes therapy and support from someone who has been trained to help with addiction recovery. No one needs to suffer from addiction or try to fight their demons alone. Help is available and all it takes is a phone call to access it.
