Opiate Dependency Is A Difficult Addiction To Break

The medical community are discovering that opiate dependency is a central nervous system disorder caused by continuous opiate intake. While the number of heroin dependents is increasing at an alarming rate, a previously unrecognized opiate dependency is moving to the forefront - prescription painkiller addiction (which are usually derived from opiates). Opiate dependency is unlike other substance dependencies, in that an individual is more likely to become physically dependent well before becoming psychologically addicted. Treatment for opiate dependent persons includes detoxification through the use of methadone .

In addition, the antiquated notion that addiction is an incurable disease and belief that once an addict, always an addict, needs to be dispelled. Patients are tired of being hostage of a belief that they must be eternally dependent on treatments and maintenance drugs. In most cases, the power of addiction is too strong for an individual to battle on their own. They need the support of loved ones and the help of qualified professionals. Nobody likes to admit they're an addict and nobody likes to admit that they need help. However, a successful opiates rehab will require that a person do both these things.

There is a new "Miracle Pill" called Suboxone (buprenorphine) now available that has been proven successful in treating opiate dependency. It is the first medicine to be approved by the FDA to treat opiate dependency in over 20 years. A similar drug, Subutex, has buprenorphine without naloxone. Subutex also is used for treatment of chronic pain.

Fortunately, good treatments for heroin addiction already exist, and better ones are on the horizon. Unfortunately, clinicians, policy makers, and the lay public are often unaware of the options and which approach is best for which patient. The medicinal use of opioids is primarily to reduce pain following surgery or trauma, or to treat the pain associated with cancer or other chronic diseases. Some heroin-dependent persons are not suitable for pharmacological treatments or are unwilling to consider them.

The death rate of people who use opioids is disproportionately high compared with that of people who use other IV drugs such as cocaine and phencyclidine (PCP). Heroin overdose comprises a substantial component of opioid-related mortality. Over 65 percent of the patients who are treated with the Waismann Method remain drug free after one year. Unfortunately, prescription medicine is now second only to marijuana among the drugs most abused by adults and young people, and many of those battling dependencies to prescription painkillers could be your closest colleagues, friends, or family members.

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