What Is Suboxone Treatment?
When you get news that a family member or a friend is struggling with opioid use, it can be disheartening and frightening. If you have dealt with it yourself, you know firsthand how concerned people are about you and your wellbeing, and how difficult it can be to overcome dependence. It can be scary when you or someone you know is struggling, but you aren’t sure what treatment methods are available, or if any exist at all.
If you or a loved one has suffered from opioid addiction, or opioid use disorder (OUD), you may have done research to find effective treatment methods. While doing so, there’s a good chance you have seen the word “Suboxone” come up as a form of treatment. Suboxone is a medication commonly used to treat opioid addiction and is often used in medication-assisted therapy (MAT).
How does Suboxone work?
Suboxone is a prescription drug that combines two different medicines: buprenorphine and naloxone. This combination of substances makes the challenging process of opioid addiction treatment much easier. Buprenorphine essentially provides a micro dose of opioids. What this does is ease the effects of withdrawal. The effects of withdrawal can be extremely difficult for a person to endure on their own. However, the small size of the dose prevents the user from achieving the “high” feeling of opioids. Suboxone does not worsen dependence, but rather eases cravings. The other medication involved in the process is naloxone, which is a drug normally used to treat opioid overdoses. However, when combined with buprenorphine, it makes for a highly effective opioid use disorder treatment.
What are the Benefits of Suboxone Treatment?
In short, Suboxone treatment is an effective and safe way to combat the effects of opioid addiction. When supervised by a medical doctor or psychiatrist, suboxone in conjunction with group therapy can promote a patient’s ability to return to a happy and healthy life free of opioid addiction. If you or a loved one are interested in starting treatment, please contact us.
