Guidelines for The Treatment of Opioid Addiction

Opioid addiction is a disorder that has swept the US like a wildfire. Nearly 2 million people are living and struggling with an addiction to opiate drugs, such as:

• Heroin
• Morphine
• Prescription pain relievers, such as Oxycontin or Vicodin

Addiction treatment is crucial for helping people overcome opioid dependency.

Modern Medical Movements in Opioid Addiction Treatment

Freedom from addiction is difficult to achieve, and opiates are one of the most difficult classes of drugs from which to detox. Since addiction is a chronic and relapsing disease, professional treatment is required for people to successfully recover. Addiction treatment is offered in the following order:

• Assessment: Including a physical and mental evaluation for co-occurring illnesses or disorders, evaluation of substance abuse history and assessment of social and environmental influences
• Diagnosis: A professional addiction treatment specialist with prescribing authority reviews the patient's past and self-reported symptoms in order to make a diagnosis of opioid addiction.
• Treatment: The patient and addiction treatment specialist work together to formulate a suitable treatment plan, including medications, counseling plans and possible admittance into a rehab program.

Opioid Addiction: Withdrawal and Treatment

Before finding freedom from addiction, an individual who is dependent on these substances must first go through acute withdrawals. Withdrawing from opiates is very painful, and medications are available to assist people through this process. The most commonly used medications in opioid addiction care are:

• Buprenorphine: Used for withdrawal symptom management
• Naltrexone: Used for relapse prevention
• Naloxone: Used to treat overdose
• Methadone: Used for withdrawal symptom management

Opioid withdrawal management is not, in and of itself, a treatment method for addiction. However, the strong cravings that occur during withdrawal often drive an addict to relapse, leading to continued use. An addiction specialist must work with each recovering addict to discover the best method of withdrawal management. Using a tool called the Objective Opioid Withdrawal Scale (OOWS), the severity of symptoms are analyzed in order to offer the best symptom management possible.

Opioid Addiction: Education and Prevention

As more people slip into this terrible form of addiction, community education and prevention programs become increasingly vital. If you or someone you love is suffering from addiction, modern treatment protocols allow for the most comfortable and safe recovery that has ever been possible. Contact Freedom From Addiction for more information about opioid addiction and treatment options. We can help.