Suboxone is a medication that is used to help with the recovery of opiate addiction.
That is an amazing statement and that statement could not be made, in the US, as little as a dozen years ago.
Suboxone has changed the way opiate addiction is viewed and treated.
Help is now much easier to find and the probability of success is much higher than ever before.
For the first time, there is real hope for opiate addicts.
Suboxone, like Methadone, binds to the opiate receptors in the brain.
This means that the discomfort from withdrawal symptoms is much more manageable, the craving for opiates is significantly reduced and if a person uses an opiate while taking Suboxone, the effects of the opiate will be blocked.
While the effects of suboxone may not be powerful enough, because of its lower peak effect, to meet the needs of someone who has been addicted for an extremely long time, or someone who is relying on regular, very high doses of opiates to function, its ease of use in treatment is such that it is much more advisable to attempt to use this treatment regimen first and only change to Methadone if failure looks emanate.
Methadone treatment still requires the addict to take the medication on a daily basis under strict supervision.
With the exception of weekends and holidays, an addict must have been free of opiates for a period of two years to be legally permitted to have a month's supply of methadone in his or her possession.
In Florida, the rule is five years of being opiate-free.
In most States in the US, suboxone can be subscribed for thirty days at a time almost immediately after treatment begins.
This provides much more freedom to the person to work and function socially.
It is also much easier for physicians and clinics to become licensed to dispense Suboxone, while Methadone is still more closely regulated.
Suboxone does not create the kind of dependency that methadone does and is therefore easier to titrate off when the time come.
This makes it much easier to become totally drug free, if that is the goal of the addict.
It also does not alter the consciousness like Methadone can, making it easier to work or attend school or training programs.
The Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000, allowed physicians and clinics to treat addiction with opiate replacement therapy without being a certified Methadone Treatment Center.
With this act, the entire philosophy about treating addiction changed.
The stereotyped idea of a dark and dingy clinic with technicians dispensing Methadone from behind bulletproof glass was eventually replaced with the acceptance of state of the art clinics and pleasant Doctors' offices where treatment and medication can be provided with dignity and respect.
Since Suboxone was approved for treating opiate addiction in 2002, the number of drug related deaths, and HIV/AIDS cases resulting from shared needles, has dropped significantly.
As Stereotypes changed, more and more middle and upper-middle class people began to admit to opiate addictions and started to seek help.
Modes of support therapy started to change and the focus become more oriented toward expectations of successful recovery as opposed to simply maintaining a status quo.
When the demographics of addiction changed and statistics began to show that more people who were currently employed were suffering from dependency issues, more and more medical insurances started to cover addiction therapy.
This has helped more people to maintain employment and costs employers and tax payers less money than a policy of not recognizing the issue or immediately firing someone when the problem is realized.
Many companies now offer referral services to their employees for both alcohol and drug dependence.
There are several vital steps involved in recovery.
The first is recognizing the severity of the problem and seeking help.
The second is detox/withdrawal, which sometimes requires a short hospital or clinic stay.
The withdrawal process is much easier now with the help of Suboxone to block much of the discomfort, but it is always best to be monitored for any complications and to have support available at all times during the process.
Stabilization on the correct dose of Suboxone is necessary after withdrawal, and then setting up a regime of help and therapy is necessary.
Clinics and doctors' who are licensed to prescribe Suboxone must also provide therapy to their patients.
Recovery requires more than simply not taking an opiate, it will require making changes in one's life that can be quite painful at times.
It is often the lifestyle of addiction that is difficult to alter and this is the downfall of many addicts who are attempting to make positive changes in their lives.
Suboxone has helped countless people walk away from an opiate addiction, but this medication is only part of the story.
It takes courage, determination and a strong support system to take those final steps that mean living a life that is free of opiates.
The addict does not have to face those changes without help and support; they are all available and can provide the assistance to get the addict through a tough transition and get back a meaningful life filled with hope and dignity.
That is an amazing statement and that statement could not be made, in the US, as little as a dozen years ago.
Suboxone has changed the way opiate addiction is viewed and treated.
Help is now much easier to find and the probability of success is much higher than ever before.
For the first time, there is real hope for opiate addicts.
Suboxone, like Methadone, binds to the opiate receptors in the brain.
This means that the discomfort from withdrawal symptoms is much more manageable, the craving for opiates is significantly reduced and if a person uses an opiate while taking Suboxone, the effects of the opiate will be blocked.
While the effects of suboxone may not be powerful enough, because of its lower peak effect, to meet the needs of someone who has been addicted for an extremely long time, or someone who is relying on regular, very high doses of opiates to function, its ease of use in treatment is such that it is much more advisable to attempt to use this treatment regimen first and only change to Methadone if failure looks emanate.
Methadone treatment still requires the addict to take the medication on a daily basis under strict supervision.
With the exception of weekends and holidays, an addict must have been free of opiates for a period of two years to be legally permitted to have a month's supply of methadone in his or her possession.
In Florida, the rule is five years of being opiate-free.
In most States in the US, suboxone can be subscribed for thirty days at a time almost immediately after treatment begins.
This provides much more freedom to the person to work and function socially.
It is also much easier for physicians and clinics to become licensed to dispense Suboxone, while Methadone is still more closely regulated.
Suboxone does not create the kind of dependency that methadone does and is therefore easier to titrate off when the time come.
This makes it much easier to become totally drug free, if that is the goal of the addict.
It also does not alter the consciousness like Methadone can, making it easier to work or attend school or training programs.
The Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000, allowed physicians and clinics to treat addiction with opiate replacement therapy without being a certified Methadone Treatment Center.
With this act, the entire philosophy about treating addiction changed.
The stereotyped idea of a dark and dingy clinic with technicians dispensing Methadone from behind bulletproof glass was eventually replaced with the acceptance of state of the art clinics and pleasant Doctors' offices where treatment and medication can be provided with dignity and respect.
Since Suboxone was approved for treating opiate addiction in 2002, the number of drug related deaths, and HIV/AIDS cases resulting from shared needles, has dropped significantly.
As Stereotypes changed, more and more middle and upper-middle class people began to admit to opiate addictions and started to seek help.
Modes of support therapy started to change and the focus become more oriented toward expectations of successful recovery as opposed to simply maintaining a status quo.
When the demographics of addiction changed and statistics began to show that more people who were currently employed were suffering from dependency issues, more and more medical insurances started to cover addiction therapy.
This has helped more people to maintain employment and costs employers and tax payers less money than a policy of not recognizing the issue or immediately firing someone when the problem is realized.
Many companies now offer referral services to their employees for both alcohol and drug dependence.
There are several vital steps involved in recovery.
The first is recognizing the severity of the problem and seeking help.
The second is detox/withdrawal, which sometimes requires a short hospital or clinic stay.
The withdrawal process is much easier now with the help of Suboxone to block much of the discomfort, but it is always best to be monitored for any complications and to have support available at all times during the process.
Stabilization on the correct dose of Suboxone is necessary after withdrawal, and then setting up a regime of help and therapy is necessary.
Clinics and doctors' who are licensed to prescribe Suboxone must also provide therapy to their patients.
Recovery requires more than simply not taking an opiate, it will require making changes in one's life that can be quite painful at times.
It is often the lifestyle of addiction that is difficult to alter and this is the downfall of many addicts who are attempting to make positive changes in their lives.
Suboxone has helped countless people walk away from an opiate addiction, but this medication is only part of the story.
It takes courage, determination and a strong support system to take those final steps that mean living a life that is free of opiates.
The addict does not have to face those changes without help and support; they are all available and can provide the assistance to get the addict through a tough transition and get back a meaningful life filled with hope and dignity.