Suboxone Drug Rehab vs Methadone Maintenance Treatment during the Holidays
Recovering from opiate addiction during the holidays can be an especially challenging time. Family obligations, gift shopping, parties and get-togethers can stress out the most sober of individuals let alone someone recovering from chronic opiate addiction.
The good news is opiate addiction treatment options can make the process more bearable. Suboxone and methadone medication therapies exist as two out of a handful of medication options available.
While both Suboxone drug rehab and methadone treatment work in much the same way, subtle differences between the two may make one option more so favorable than another depending on your drug history and individual circumstances. Considering how hectic the holiday season can be, finding the medication therapy option that works best for you can go a long way towards ensuring ongoing abstinence throughout the holidays.
Methadone – The Standard Opiate Addiction Treatment
Methadone exists as the very first opiate addiction medication treatment, first developed in the 1960s. Chemically speaking, methadone also belongs to the opiate class of drugs, which accounts for its ability to address the brain chemical imbalances left behind by chronic opiate abuse.
According to the Los Angeles Department of Health, methadone works to relieve much of the withdrawal and drug cravings aftereffects experienced throughout the first year or more of the recovery process. While effective, methadone acts as a full opiate agonist, meaning it activates neurotransmitter production in the brain in the same way as addictive opiates. Not surprisingly, these interactions can produce many of the same harmful effects as opiates over time.
Suboxone Drug Rehab
The right treatment can help you enjoy the holidays.
Unlike methadone, Suboxone works as a partial opiate agonist, which makes for a less addictive substance overall. As a partial opiate agonist, Suboxone activates both mu and kappa receptor cell sites in the brain, whereas methadone only interacts with mu sites.
Suboxone’s interactions with kappa sites deactivate certain key chemical production processes, according to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration. These combined effects create a ceiling effect, meaning after a certain dosage level, the drug’s effects start to level off, which helps reduce its abuse potential. Suboxone also contains naloxone, an antagonist agent that further lessens the likelihood of abuse by blocking the drug’s effects when it’s snorted or injected.
Because of its reduced abuse potential, Suboxone drug rehab can be carried out by authorized physicians on an out-of-office basis. Suboxone also produces long-acting effects that can last up to three days at a time, whereas methadone requires daily dosing as well as daily attendance in a clinic-type setting. For someone considering medication therapy options during the holidays, Suboxone drug rehab offers the most convenient and least intrusive option overall.
Important Considerations
While Suboxone drug rehab does offer certain therapeutic benefits, someone just coming off a chronic opiate addiction may well require a more structured treatment approach, according to Semel Institute. Regardless of which medication therapy treatment you decide on, it’s essential to obtain ongoing behavioral-based treatment when taking Suboxone or methadone. Neglecting to do this leaves the root of addiction well intact and defeats the overall purpose of treatment.
If you or someone you know is considering Suboxone drug rehab and have more questions about how Suboxone works, please don’t hesitate to call our toll-free helpline at 888-646-0865 (Who Answers?) for more information.
