Suboxone is a drug that helps people stop using harmful opiates after addiction has taken hold. While doctors still prescribe to a harm reduction theory of use, many Suboxone maintenance doctors have stopped this practice.
What is Suboxone?
Suboxone is an opioid medication used to treat opiate (narcotic) addiction. The drug is a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. Naloxone blocks the euphoric effects of opiates, including buprenorphine. The drug should help narcotic users taper off a drug addiction.
Doctors gained access to this drug in 2003 as a way to treat addiction from the privacy of their office instead of sending patients to rehab. But many doctors prescribed Suboxone as a maintenance drug or as harm reduction, instead of a way to taper off narcotics.
Today, many patients are addicted to Suboxone and need rehab to get sober.
What is Harm Reduction Drug Use?
Many Suboxone maintenance doctors used the drug as harm reduction. This means they kept patients on the drug long-term instead of helping their patients become drug-free. They believed it was better to continue drug use and possibly reduce overdose victims. Over time, many of these Suboxone maintenance doctors have seen the error in this logic.
Instead of regaining a drug-free life, their patients are addicted to another drug.
Why Suboxone Maintenance Doctors Now Limit Harm Reduction Drug Use?
Suboxone maintenance doctors have recognized that long-term drug therapy does not improve the quality of life for their patient. Suboxone therapy can be helpful to taper off other narcotics. But when used long-term as a substitution for other narcotics, Suboxone use is still an addiction. The patient will still suffer through withdrawal if the medication is no longer available. And because the patient has used a narcotic long-term, withdrawal will be harder to manage and may need hospitalization.
Look Past Harm Reduction with Suboxone Maintenance Doctors
Instead of long-term drug therapy, find a comprehensive addiction treatment that includes a detox program. Detox can be difficult, but medically assisted detox in a rehab center makes the process safe and fast. After detox, treatment will include individual counseling, peer group counseling, and behavior therapies. Treatment can take place as outpatient therapy, intensive outpatient therapy, or in a partial hospitalization program.
What to Do if Addicted to Opiates or Suboxone?
If you or a loved one is addicted to narcotics or have been placed on Suboxone long-term, consider enrolling in a comprehensive addiction treatment program. Recovery starts with detoxing harmful chemicals out of your system. Suboxone maintenance doctors may use the drug to taper you off narcotics, but you should not need to live a life of drug use.
If you are ready to get help, call Northlake Recovery at (561)-770-6616. We will help you enroll in a detox program right for you. Once the harmful chemicals are detoxed, you can come to our rehab to receive quality treatment designed to keep you sober. Call today!
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