Opiates – or opioids – are powerful drugs that, when prescribed legally, are used to treat moderate/severe chronic pain. They’re usually prescribed for pain resulting from injury, pain relief after surgery or people with chronic illnesses such as arthritis.
Some of the most common opiates prescribed by doctors to manage pain are as follows:
- Codeine
- Hydrocodone
- Morphine
- Oxycodone
- Oxymorphone
- Methadone
- and Fentanyl
Heroin is also an opioid, and heroin addicts fall under the category of opioid addicts.
What is Opioid Addiction?
Opioid addiction, like all addictions, is a disease. Even if initially prescribed the drugs for legitimate pain issues, people addicted to opiates often continue to take the drugs for the feeling of euphoria and pleasure they provide.
However, whether taken illegally or legally, opiates are very addictive. Taking them for extended periods of time can actually alter a person’s brain chemistry and lead not only to addiction but also dependence and increased tolerance. This causes people to take more and more of the drugs to get the same results and can lead to overdose.
People addicted to opiates will be unable to stop taking them without sending their bodies into withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawal symptoms can include:
- Excessive fatigue
- Anxiety and irritation
- Watery eyes and noses
- Sweating and chills
- Muscle cramps
- Intestinal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, cramping and diarrhea
- Insomnia
- and More
Because of the side effects of opioid withdrawal, which can sometimes be severe, people have an even harder time beating their addictions. This leaves some feeling hopeless and despondent, wondering if there’s even a reason to try to stop. If this sounds familiar, keep reading.
Is Suboxone a Good Treatment for Opiate Addiction?
We don’t want to keep you in suspense. The simple answer to this question is yes, suboxone is a good treatment option for opioid addiction. In fact, suboxone treatment is probably the best treatment for opiate addiction out there right now. It’s affordable, painless and can be undertaken either inside or outside of rehab to fit your specific needs.
You know yourself better than anyone. You know if you need to check into rehab and get away from the world for a while. If that’s what you need, suboxone clinics and rehab centers can accommodate you. However, if you can’t go to rehab because you can’t afford it or because you’re afraid of losing your job or not being able to pay your bills, you can be affordably treated with suboxone as an outpatient.
How Does It Work?
Suboxone is a combination of two different drugs, buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is an opioid that dispenses just enough opiate into your body to keep you from going into withdrawals. However, naloxone counters the euphoric, pleasurable feelings that make opioids so addictive. This keeps your body from suffering through withdrawal while also getting you used to living without the “high” of opioids.
The drug is administered in pill or sublingual strip form and is placed under the tongue or on the inside of the cheek to dissolve. Over time, your doctor will wean you off the drug, having you take smaller and smaller doses until eventually you don’t need it at all. This treats your addiction and saves you the pain of withdrawal.
Is It Effective?
As someone who has personally gone through suboxone treatment myself, I can promise you that it’s effective. I was able to completely beat a 10-year, 20-pill-a-day addiction in a little over a year without any side effects worse than a few night sweats.
As a single, lower-middle-class mom, I chose to go the non-rehab route, and I was able to do my entire treatment as an outpatient for a very reasonable price without losing my job, causing hardship to my kids or ever having to tell anyone I didn’t want to tell.
So please, if you’re suffering from opioid addiction, don’t sit there feeling hopeless. Suboxone treatment works. It worked for me, which is why I’m so passionate about reaching out to others and letting them know that it can work for them too.
You can turn your life around. It only takes making the decision to pick up the phone and call a doctor or clinic who can help. Please take that step today, and get ready to enjoy a whole new, addiction-free life just like I’m doing now. Call us today at 833-610-1174.