5 Tips for Staying Sober
You’ve done the work to become clean and sober, and you want to do what you can to stay that way. Here are five great tips that will help you safeguard your freedom from a substance use disorder.
Menu
The Dual Effects of Suboxone
The opioid problem in the United States is a national health crisis. Since 1999, more than 760,000 people have died from a drug overdose and opioids account for two-thirds of these deaths. More alarmingly, more than 10 million people over the age of 12 misused opioids in 2018 alone.
Our team here at Northview Wellness Practice is all too familiar with these frightening numbers, which is why we offer our patients a way out of an opioid use disorder through Suboxone®. This medication contains two ingredients that tackle your substance use disorder from two different angles, and we explore them here.
Behind a substance use disorder
Substance use disorders in general, whether it’s opioids or alcohol, are diseases that hijack your physical, mental, and emotional health. There are two aspects of a substance use disorder, which include:
Dependence
This part of a substance use disorder is the dependence your body develops on the substance, which is what causes withdrawal symptoms when you try to quit.
Addiction
This side of a substance use disorder is characterized by a “rewiring” in your brain that favors using. Addiction is what leads to those uncontrollable cravings, the changes in your behavior, and the inability to quit.
Suboxone for dependence and addiction
The main reason why Suboxone is so successful in combating opioid use disorders is that it contains two ingredients that address both dependency and addiction:
Buprenorphine
The first hurdle to overcoming an opioid use disorder are the withdrawal symptoms, which is where buprenorphine comes in. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, which means it delivers a version of opioids into your system to combat withdrawal symptoms (taking care of dependency), but not enough to deliver the “high” (helping addiction.) It also prevents cravings AND it blocks the opioid sites with a stronger bond so that if you do use other opioids, their action is blocked and you do not get high (taking care of addiction.)
Naloxone
Buprenorphine works really well because it attaches to your opioid receptors and blocks them. The goal of this ingredient is to prevent you from getting “high” while also controlling your cravings to prevent relapse. But, some people try to get around the buprenorphine blockage by misusing their Suboxone. Naloxone is there to prevent that misuse. If you try to misuse it, then the Naloxone will displace the buprenorphine on the opioid receptor sites and cause immediate withdrawals.
NALTREXONE
Do not be confused. Naloxone is the extra medication in Suboxone. It is also the medication known as Narcan. Naltrexone is its long-acting “cousin.” It is in Vivitrol. This drug is an opioid antagonist that attaches to your opioid receptors and blocks them. The goal of this ingredient is to prevent you from getting “high” while also controlling your cravings to prevent relapse.
Suboxone and your recovery
Suboxone is approved by the FDA, and we monitor your recovery very closely to ensure that you’re getting the best out of the treatment.
When combined with counseling and support groups, Suboxone has helped scores of our patients finally break free from the chains of opioids.
If you’d like to learn more about Suboxone and whether it can give you the leg up you need to reclaim your life, contact our office by phone or email to set up a
confidential consultation.
You Might Also Enjoy...
The Importance of Dual Diagnosis Therapy for a Co-occurring Mental Health Problem
The connection between a substance use disorder and a mental health issue is a strong one, as the nearly eight million Americans who have a co-morbidity prove. When this occurs, treating both issues is paramount.
Five Warning Signs That Your Loved One May Have Relapsed
Addiction is a chronic disease that requires constant vigilance and good management. When a person falls short, relapse can occur. If you’re worried that a loved one has relapsed, here are some signs to look out for.
I Think I’m an Alcoholic. Can You Help?
You believe that you’re drinking isn’t normal anymore, and you’re tired of the overwhelmingly negative effects that alcohol is having on your life. The good news is that alcoholism is highly treatable.
Get the Support You Need From the Comfort of Your Own Home With Telehealth
The rise in availability of telehealth services has been great news for those who need (or would prefer) to receive quality health care from the comfort of their own homes. These services also extend to substance use disorders.
Isn’t Marijuana Harmless?
Marijuana may be legal, but like with alcohol, how you use this legal substance makes a difference. If you develop a use disorder, marijuana can be quite harmful and affect a number of areas of your life.