Suboxone, deemed by some as the miracle pill, has recently become a much more sought after solution than its widespread alternative, Methadone. Due to the fact that there are very few doctors that can prescribe the drug and its extremely high cost, the majority of addicts are forced to settle for methadone maintenance programs.
Methadone is a chemically engineered opiate that is at least the same, if not more addictive than street grade heroin, according to Dr. Sterling Potter, addiction specialist and licensed suboxone expert.
According to Potter, as long as we have had the ability to create drugs, all intentions considered, sadly there has and always will be individuals that bravely go where someone else has already been and informed them that if thay take enough of this and a little bit of that, they will get "high".
"One of the biggest problems concerning drug abuse that society is facing is parents who tell their children how bad drugs are, right before they ingest their nightly dose of oxycontin or other pharmaceutical grade problem solver yet can't figure out (nor willing to believe) why their pill bottle is a little on the light side," said Potter.
Farming, or Stealing from Family and Friends
"The main reason that today's youth are turning to heroin is because its cheaper and stronger than pain pills," said Deputy U.S. Marshal, Cletis Steele. "It starts with an act referred to as 'farming', stealing prescription medication from family and friends. As the nature of the disease spawns, the individual will begin faking injuries to acquire the pills as well as buying them off the street."
Early Phases of Addiction
Once individuals start down this deadly path, their bridges are usualy still standing, such as the trust of parents, relatives and a well regard within the community (these resources depend completely on the individual, all steriotypes aside). Persons in this early stage of addiction hardly ever recognize that they have become dependant on the substance before it is too late, said Steele.
It is common for an individual in this early stage to attract other addicts in later stages of the disease (mostly the ones that have introduced them to the drug in the first place). What the individual does not realize is that soon; if use is continued, addiction is imminent. All the while being looked at through the tainted eyes of so-called friends as just another source, said Steele.
Unfortunately, once people become physically dependent on opioids, there is less than a 10% chance of escaping the addiction, according to Vice President of Operations for the Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abuse (TROSA), a comprehensive, long-term, residential substance abuse recovery program located in Durham, North Carolin and recovering addict from the Dalancey Street program, Mike Keene.
"It's kind of like a black hole, every way you try to go, you always end up back in the same position, facing the same demons, said Keene." "The drug abuse is usualy a side affect of a much deeper behavior flaw that must be pin-pointed and addressed before reaching a healthy, maintainable level of recovery."
Methadone
Until recently the only alternative that doctors were using to effectivley treat opioid addiction was methadone, which according to Potter does nothing but trade one addiction for a government controlled, synthetic version of the same thing.
"The only difference between heroin and methadone is that the latter lasts longer in the persons system and is even harder to get off than the former," said Potter.
A new age in recovery
According to Potter, suboxone has shown dramatically less withdrawal symptoms than methadone and is just as effective in long term maintenance cases.
According to "The Discovering Alcoholic" website, both drugs are used to treat heroin and pain pill addictions. Methadone and buprenorphine (the main ingredient in suboxone) work in a similar fashion but are usually administered differently. Both drugs block opioid receptors in the brain to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Neither of the drugs will produce the meteoric euphoric high that accompanies heroin and painkillers, they in fact cancel out the high of other opioid drugs taken during treatment, making it seem like a waste of time for an addict to continue using heroin or other pain medications.
According to Potter, suboxone has proven to be a more effective form of buprenorphine because of the additive naloxone, which prevents misuse and abuse by injection and intranasal ingestion (snorting).
Reference materials
- http://naabt.org/collateral/How_Bupe_Works.pdf
- Discoveringalcoholic.com
- Drugs.com
- Trosainc.org
- http://naabt.org/education/buprenorphine_treatment.cfm
Kris Kohler - I am a freelance photojournalist with over seven years experience in the news field. I have published articles on various topics as a ...
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