Prescription & Opiate Drug Addiction

Sometimes, the best way to begin correcting a problem is to step back and examine why that problem exists in the first place. Whether the person struggling with opioid dependence is you or someone you care about, understanding this disease,what causes it, what contributes to it, and why it persists, is a key to being part of the solution.

The information here is provided to help explain and make some sense of opioid dependence, so that you feel better equipped to undertake, or help someone else undertake, the necessary steps toward treatment and recovery.

How Opioid Dependence Evolved

Opioids have been used for pleasure and for treating pain for almost 6 millennia. Despite the many changes in medicine over the past 6000 years, one thing that has not changed is that opioids are still regarded as highly effective, well-tolerated analgesics. Ongoing demand for pain relievers has led to the development of stronger, longer-acting medications, most of which are opioid based.

As the potency of opioid pain relievers has increased, so has patients' risk of becoming physically or psychologically dependent on them even when the medications are taken as directed. In 2001, opioid dependence accounted for 18% of all substance abuse treatment admissions, exceeding cocaine admissions for the 5th consecutive year. At present, the number of untreated opioid-dependent patients in the United States is believed to be at least 1.2 million. Recognition of the urgent public health need for opioid-dependence treatment alternatives was one of the reasons SUBOXONE was developed in cooperation with the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

Understanding Opioid Dependency 

Opioid dependence is a disease in which there are biological or physical, psychological, and social changes. Some of the physical changes include the need for increasing amounts of opioid to produce the same effect, symptoms of withdrawal, feelings of craving, and changes in sleep patterns. Psychological components of opoiod dependence include a reliance on heroin or opioids. The social components of opioid dependence include less frequent contact with important people in your life, and an inability to participate inimportant events due to drug use. In extreme cases, there may even be criminal and legal implications.

The hallmarks of opioid dependence are the continued use of drugs despite their negative affect, the need for increasing amounts of opioids to have the same effect and the development of withdrawal symptoms upons cessation. There are a variety of factors that can contribute to the continued use of opioids. Among these are the use of heroin to escape from or cope with problems, the need to use increasing amounts of heroin to achieve the same effect, and the need for a "high".

Role of  in Prescription Drug Treatment for Substance Abuse

Medicine is important for managing both the short- and the long-term effects of opioid dependence. Over the short term, medicine can help to relieve the opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms that occur when use of heroin or opioid painkillers is discontinued. Medication can also be important over the long term as well.

Typically, the changes that cause opioid dependence will not correct themselves right away, even though the opioid use has stopped. In fact, these changes can trigger cravings months and even years after a patient has stopped using opioids. Consequently, overcoming opioid dependence is not simply a matter of eliminating drugs of abuse from the body.

Importance of Counceling during Drug Rehabilitation

Stopping the use of heroin or painkillers is an important step in the treatment of opioid dependence. However, it is only the first step; the next step is not starting again. Reducing the risk of relapse is actually something that opioid-dependent patients learn how to do.

Helping patients to develop the skills to avoid the triggers and situations that might put them at risk is one of the key functions of counseling during treatment.

Counseling has other benefits, too, such as:

• Helping patients substitute positive behaviors for substance use
• Helping patients work toward realizing their treatment goals
• Providing support, encouragement, and hope

Numerous studies have shown that long-term treatment success (ie, stopping any use of drugs of abuse) is more likely when patients regularly participate in counseling as part of their opioid dependence treatment.

Recovery is possible with commitment and discipline. Call Dr. Lucey at 850-477-3453 for your substance abuse evaluation. Stop suffering and start living again today!