Benefits Of Abusing Medical Assisted Treatment

The United States of America has had a war against drugs since the 37th president, Richard Nixon, declared more crimination on drug abuse in June 1971. From mid-1990s to today, a crisis challenges the health department and government on opioid regulation, as millions of Americans die due overdoses of painkillers. Opioids are substances used as painkillers, and they range from prescription medications to the illegal drug, heroin. Abusing these substances can cause a dependency or addiction, which can lead to overdoses, physical damages, emotional trauma, and death. To ease the crisis, physicians are asked to depend on alternatives to pain management. Law enforcement cracks down on profiting drug-dealers and heroin abusers. People are warned against misusing opioids. The controversy begins for those who suffer from chronic pain, because they depend on opioids. There’s so a correlation to the 1980s cocaine epidemic, and people are upset over racial discrimination. Nonetheless, the best way to avoid this crisis is to recover the people at risk, reduce inappropriate opioid description, and have a proper response.

Some other treatment options may include; Morphine (for pain management), Buprenorphine, Ibogaine, Naltrexone, Levo-Alpha-Acetylmethadol (LAAM or Ultra-Rapid Opioid Detox (UROD). (Source) However, none of these methods have been proven to be as effective as MMT. MMT is highly effective because; it is long lasting ( 24 hours), especially when compared with morphine(which only lasts 6-8 hours) and it has a very high success rate of about 85% within a year of starting treatment. After 3 years of being on the MMT program the success rate climbs to 94% in many clients. (source) A current MMT user shared; “I started taking methadone because I couldn't stop myself from taking drugs, I was taking any kind of prescription opiate from codeine to demerol and morphine.I stopped drugs when I went on methadone. I had one relapse within the first year but have been clean ever since.” (Interview) It is clear when faced with these statistics and this testimony, that MMT is by far a more effective way of treating opioid addictions.

The United States currently faces an unprecedented epidemic of opioid addiction. This includes painkillers, heroin, and other drugs made from the same base chemical. In the couple of years, approximately one out of twenty Americans reported misuse or abuse of prescriptions painkillers. Heroin abuse and overdoses are on the rise and are the leading cause of injury deaths, surpassing car accidents and gun shots. The current problem differs from the opioid addiction outbreaks of the past in that it is also predominant in the middle and affluent classes. Ultimately, anyone can be fighting a battle with addiction and it is important for family members and loved ones to know the signs. The cause for this epidemic is that the current spike of opioid abuse can be traced to two decades of increased prescription rates for painkillers by well-meaning physicians.

behavioral therapies, to provide a whole-patient approach to the treatment of opioid use disorders" (p. 2). There are two types of medications commonly used in opioid use disorder MAT; Naltrexone and Buprenorphine. "Naltrexone is

Medication assistant treatment also known as (MAT) is when a person has presented with an opioid addiction and have challenges stopping and/or abstaining from opioid use and they are prescribed either Methadone, Suboxone, or Vivitrol. Those who are in support for MAT is that this a better alternative to having individuals addicted to illicit substances. The other side to MAT is that this is way to keep individuals addicted to drugs, legally. I do not support MAT treatment as a form of long term treatment and not as the solution for opioid addiction. Serving as an Addiction Counselor and working with individuals who are addicted to opioids, I encounter many individuals who are or at one point utilized

Before providing any drugs to patients, test are ran by a doctor to determine the addiction and what type of drugs will help their condition. Methadone clinics use methadone and buprenorphine to help manage addicts cravings. Levacetylmethadol is used for patients who do not respond to methadone and buprenorphine treatment. In addition to the chemical treatments that address addiction, clinics provide life skill classes, job skill training, individual counseling, group counseling, and medical care is also provided, which can help an addict see a future and want to stop

A broad range of medical and psychological therapies is currently available for people who struggle with substance addictions. The scientific community is working on evaluation of various treatments to determine which strategies offer the best chances of successful outcome. People who need treatment for alcoholism and drug use are very diverse group. Addiction is a disorder that requires an individual case approach; therefore, different ways to

Methadone is a synthetic opioid drug which was first used in World War II for the treatment of pain. Since then, methadone has become a popular choice for treating those addicted to other opioid drugs such as heroin, oxycodone, morphine, and hydrocodone. It is used to reduce dependency and the treatment should help them become clean. Even though, the policy of giving methadone to drug addicts is not a cure, it is a good one. Fortunately, the Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) is a reliable way for those with an opioid addiction to stop and not restart the use of opioids. For many, methadone treatment provides an opportunity to regain balance in both lifestyle and priorities. (“Opiate Addiction and Treatment Resource”). Everyone deserves

I agree that the withdrawal process makes opioid addiction debilitating. It takes time for the bodies of addicts to adjust when the opiods are not in their system. During withdrawal addicts experience many negative symptoms varing in severity. A form of treatment to reduce withdrawal symptoms and helping with detox is methadone which is also an opiod. When addicts are first put on methadone they take the instructed dosage, then over time the dosage slowly decreases. Methadone decreases the cravings of opioids and helps in maintaining to be free from other substances. Although I do not completly agree with taking medication to stop drug addiction, methadone has shown to be effective in treating drug addiction.

There are three predominate forms of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) that have proven effective in combating opioid use disorder. Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone have all shown to be effective in the treatment of substance use. When prescribed and monitored properly, MAT has been shown to reduce illicit drug use and reduce the rate of accidental overdose. However, while as many as 2.5 million people are suffering from substance use disorder, less than 40% have access to MAT

Methadone is a drug that is primarily used to treat patients who have developed and addiction to opiate agonists such as Heroin, Oxycodone, Morphine and Hydromorph Contin. (Canadian Public Health Association. N/D.) Methadone is also used to treat chronic pain. In treatment patients will undergo a physical exam and blood work to ensure their body can handle the drug. A test is also done on the patient to determine the level of opiate withdrawal the patient is in. Once the patient is determined to require treatment they will be prescribed a dose of Methadone to relieve their withdrawal symptoms as well as reduce cravings. Methadone itself is a synthetic opioid which acts on the same opioid receptors as other agonistic opiates. (Canadian Public

Buprenorphine has an extremely high affinity and slow dissociation from opioid receptors, providing simultaneous opioid blockade and agonist effects. The duration of action of buprenorphine is longer than these pharmacokinetic parameters, resulting in suppression of opioid withdrawal symptoms for 2 to 3 days after cessation of use.

Moreover, various kinds of treatment process for opioid addiction are being developed; Opioid agonist therapy tends to be one of the effective treatment procedures where opioid agonists like methadone and buprenorphine are

There are many different treatments people may use to try and get away from addiction. There are medical treatments, programs, and other therapies. Some medications to treat dependence include, Methadone, buprenorphine, buprenorphine combined with naloxone, and naltrexone. They will bind to certain receptors and will block and reverse the action of the opiate. Drug addiction plays the biggest mind game. Even if your body wants to stop, it’s almost like addiction has its own voice inside your head that won’t leave you alone. Addicts are the “puppets” to addiction. There are many social and psychological factors that might stimulate your brain that will result in a relapse. Some factors may include, stress in your life and certain stressors,

So the treatment should have focus not only on the person’s physical and mental health but also focus on person’s all related issues. If the addicted person completed the whole treatment, then the chances of relapse decreases, but if the person leave the treatment in between then there are chances of relapse increases. So the determination of the person to quit the addiction is most important in the treatment of drug addiction.