Does Suboxone REALLY Help You Overcome Opiate Addiction?
When you’re addicted to opiates, getting sober can feel overwhelming. You have to deal with withdrawal and cravings. You have rehab, IOP, and 12 step meetings. You have to rebuild trust with those closest to you, and if you by chance mess it up, you feel like you’re starting over at square one each and every time.
But it doesn’t have to be this hard. With the right support system, a comprehensive treatment plan, and maybe even medication assisted treatment, you can get sober. If you are addicted to drugs or alcohol and think Suboxone may be able to help you reach recovery, call 888-646-0865 (Who Answers?) today to talk to someone who can answer your questions.
What Is Medication Assisted Treatment?
Suboxone reduces withdrawal and craving effects so you can focus on your recovery goals.
Medication assisted treatment (MAT) utilizes FDA-approved medicines specially designed to help those addicted to opiates overcome withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings. Suboxone is one of these medications. A synthetic opiate, it is composed of buprenorphine and naloxone and is considered a partial opiate agonist, meaning it binds with the brain’s opiod receptors, eliminating the withdrawal symptoms and cravings that those who are addicted experience.
Suboxone Improves Treatment Outcomes
While Suboxone is an opiate and therefore addictive, it does still improve addiction treatment outcomes. Because the medication stops both withdrawal and drug cravings, patients feel more “normal” and are often able to function at a higher level than when using pain killers or heroin. These people are no longer on the up and down, high-or-looking-to-get-high rollercoaster, consumed with drugs and drug seeking behaviors.
Suboxone also lowers the prevalence of drug related risks. This includes a range of things, some of which are:
- Unprotected sex
- Poly-drug use
- Reckless behaviors
- Exposure to HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, and STDs
- Chance of drug overdose
- Criminal behavior
Opiate Addiction Treatment Without the Use of Maintenance Medications: Is It Possible?
A Long-Term Solution
When used in conjunction with an individualized comprehensive treatment plan and monitored by a licensed physician, Suboxone does provide a long-term solution to overcoming opiate addiction. Once a patient goes on Suboxone, he or she will stabilize at a therapeutic dosage, one that is strong enough to quell withdrawal symptoms and cravings while producing the least high effect. The patient then remains at this level while working on other goals, such as finding stable housing, holding down a job, and improving relationships.
Once the decision has been made by the patient and doctor, a realistic plan is created to taper off the medication. Suboxone is an opiate and a person can become dependent on it, both physically and psychological so it is never recommended to stop Suboxone cold turkey. The medication is typically tapered over an extended period of time and with small drops in dosage. Some physicians may recommend staying on Suboxone, stating that the risk to recovery is not with the risk of continued use.
Is Suboxone Right for You?
If you’re addicted to prescription pain pills or heroin and think Suboxone may be the right option for you, call 888-646-0865 (Who Answers?) today. You’ll talk to an addiction specialist who can discuss your treatment options.
