Addiction
Treatment
As opiate abuse is becoming more
prevalent, the "war on drugs" is at an all-time high. Lives are taken
over by the need satisfy cravings, viruses such has hepatitis C and HIV are
spreading, and the death rate from opioid overdose has increased 200% since
2000. To combat these devastating effects from this debilitating
disease, addiction rehabilitation programs, free needle exchange programs,
organizations such as Narcotics Anonymous, and medications designed to target
different aspects of the disease are being developed to help people addicted to
drugs.
Methadone is a drug that has been
used since the 1960's. It is used to reduce withdraw symptoms in people
addicted to heroin or other narcotics. Methadone is a full agonist with no
ceiling to sedation effects and can leading to fatal overdosing. Addicts
also have to go to clinic daily in most cases and therefore this form of
treatment can infringe on daily life.
Suboxone was initially thought to be
a better alternative to the limitations that come with methadone treatment.
Suboxone is a prescription medication mixture of buprenorphine and naloxone
indicated to treat opiate addiction by acting as a partial agonist on opioid
receptors. The effects plateau at high doses which makes overdosing less likely
than in methadone use and has a longer half-life and therefore a longer
duration of action. Suboxone also comes in sublingual films for ease of use and
proved to me more cost-effective than methadone.
But, problems that come with Suboxone
are becoming more relevant. It has been found that some prescribing doctors are
abusing the system and charging cash for weekly visits, patients are selling
their prescriptions on the streets, cases of overdose are rising, and the
stigma that the drug is being used for drug companies and doctors to make money
off people suffering from addiction.
Another drug to combat addiction is
Vivitrol. CBS News recently ran a report on the use of Vivitrol (naltrexone) in
inmates addicted to opiates. The Kenton County Detention Center in Covington,
Kentucky is using psychotherapy and a 12-step program while inmates are
incarcerated and then administering an injection of Vivitrol just before they
are released and then again one month after they've been out. Vivitrol works to
block opioid receptors in the brain and prevent the effects of opiates. The
protocol used is being considered as a model for prisons nationwide. Although
this seems to be a good alternative, issues arise if the former inmate gets
into a car accident, needs surgery or has some other severe injury. The
administration of pain medications in a time of need would be ineffective.
Overall, the rising amount of drug
and opioid overdose deaths and increasing each year and caused the war on drugs
to be of upmost importance and of critical need. Many models and treatment
plans are being developed in hopes to help addicts regain control of their
lives although it has been proven to be very difficult. Each plan must be developed
on a case by case basis and be created on a physical, mental, emotion and even
spiritual level which can be very time and cost inefficient. Future directions
and scientific advances in research to determine methods to prevent the
likelihood of addiction after the opioid use for pain could aid in the initial
problem of creating addicts although there would still be a need to treat those
already addicted.
References:
I fear this is a double edge sword that our society and research will continue to fight for years to come. Addiction goes so much further than having the cautious ability of choice. In many cases it is said to be a disease that people struggle with. I do not have a whole lot of knowledge about Addiction being defined as a disease, but I know this is a problem for our society. This is only going to get worse if our scientists do not have the support to go about finding solutions.
ReplyDeleteHighly interesting topic since addiction presents a major health issue nowadays. I completely agree the addiction cases should be handled individually to promote the success rate. On the other hands, i think prevention better than treatment. The education programs against addiction are better to start as early as possible for kids and student so that they will be aware for that danger which it could threaten their future. Good Job!
ReplyDeleteWith the 'war on drugs' still being relevant in present day, i believe that individuals battling with drug addictions should be closely examined and dealt with on a case by case basis so that they can receive the best treatment possible. i couldn't agree more with Ahmed more that prevention is better than treatment, however most of the times it is just too late.
ReplyDeleteWill people abuse drugs/alcohol if the treatment is out there? Since they know they will be treated anyway. I personally support the research on this. But I believe not everybody should have access to the treatments when it is out there.
ReplyDeletePeople will always abuse drugs no matter what researchers develop to help fight it. I'm not saying we shouldn't try, but the reality is that drug use has been around since humans walked the earth. I took a class last year, history of drugs and alcohol, and one this is for certain, as long as humans exist, drug use will exist. This was an excellent post!! Great job reviewing what forms of treatment are available!!
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ReplyDeleteI agree that opiate abuse is becoming more prevalent. More and more people have been getting trapped in the addiction of this drug, especially the young generation. My cousin also has this addiction so we are now thinking to take him to a good virginia opiate addiction treatment center. Hoping to find a good clinic soon.
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