Treating Dependence of Opioids

Opioids refer to a class of substances that includes natural and synthetic opioid drugs. They may be available in prescription form such as morphine, methadone, oxycodone and codeine as well as illegal substances such as heroin and opium. Opioid dependence refers to a situation where one is unable to stop using opiates despite negative consequences. Currently, the most commonly abused opiate is heroin. There are instances where an individual may have an addiction to prescription drugs such as morphine or hydrocodone. ‘Dependence’ came into existence by the World Health Organization (WHO) to refer to a cluster of physiological and behavioral phenomena of variable intensity where drug use has a high priority. The use of the drug is in order to experience its mental actions and effects or to avoid the discomforts of its absence. It is also frequent to be dependent on more than one drug.

Since the emergence of drug dependence, there have been numerous attempts to reduce the effects that the opiates have on individuals and more so to stop the widespread addiction. The opiates are excellent in pain reduction, but it is their ability to cause euphoria to the user that makes them so attractive to most addicts. There are several ways of treating dependence of opiates. Ironically, it seems that drug use best practice lies in the use of more drugs. However, several forms of treatment have to be administered in order to give the drug user a realistic chance of overcoming dependency. Therefore, psychology is also highly used. Drugs administered include buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone. Other experimental drugs have also been on the rise. Another major method in use is total abstinence. This entails that an ...

... middle of paper ...

...e in order to stick to the first step that emphasizes self-admission. A statement such as,

“Hey I’m Chad, and I’m an addict”.

Sponsorship from another member who is more experienced or who has been part of the group for a longer period. The sponsor should be expected to guide one to total abstinence. He shall be your guide and anytime an urge to take drugs comes over you should contact him as fast as possible. The 12 step program can be beneficial if utilized well.

In summary, different methods exist to treat dependence of opioids. Two methods from different ends of the spectrum can be used. Buprenorphine is a drug that is invaluable in the treatment of opioid dependency. However, there seems to be a glimmer of hope for those who choose total abstinence. What is not in question is that if an addict is to recover then both methods should be considered.