Drug addicts. That is a phrase laden with connotations, which is one of the reasons that the American Psychiatric Association changed the name of the disorder that affects those addicted to drugs from substance abuse disorder to substance use disorder. There are many things that can lead to someone being dependent on drugs. It’s not entirely their fault.
There are some who believe that dependence on drugs is not a choice, and there is a great deal of research to support that. Neurology research has shown that the limbic system of people who become dependent on drugs changes far more when the drug is used compared to other people. Because their limbic system changes, they need more drugs for pleasure.
And there are other factors as well. People who become dependent on drugs often come from homes that are broken apart. Often, dependence is passed down, so that a father or family member who is dependent on drugs will lead to a child being dependent on drugs. This is a common situation.
People who become dependent on drugs often have some type of trauma in their childhood. It is possible that they are using the drugs to escape from the residual effects of the trauma, which can include sleep issues, feelings of being unsafe, and many other symptoms of disorders like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
In fact, it is has been rumored that people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder have a tendency to drink much more than the general population. This is a significant issue for practitioners who are looking to treat that population. This can lead to drug dependence in the future, even after symptoms of PTSD have faded.
For people who are becoming dependent on drugs, they may suffer from some kind of co-occurring mental disorder, such as bipolar disorder or depression. They may have crippling anxiety or OCD like symptoms. In the mental health field, it seems that there are frequent co-occurring disorders.
For those who are dependent on drugs, there are many different drugs they may be dependent on. For instance, there is dependency on alcohol, dependency on meth, dependency on cocaine, dependency on cigarettes, and dependency on heroine, among others. The opiod dependency craze began in earnest with the introduction of high-powered painkillers.
Manufacturers of the painkillers misled others and the general population about the side effects of painkillers, most notably dependence. They bought out doctors in certain states to prescribe painkillers at an enormous rate, which got the patients dependent on the opiods and led to the current situation. These were called “pill mills.”
Reason being is that the doctors received money every time one of these prescriptions were filled. This has led to a great deal of lost lives, lost money for patients, rehab center visits, and removed licenses for doctors. Many of these pills mills began to get shut down in the past few years, at the urging and crackdown of government bodies.
For those looking to receive treatment for opiods and its sister heroin, there are treatments available that have some efficacy in treating the effects of these drugs. While many treatment centers still rely on a 12-step model, there are some that are branching out into newer forms of treatment.
One of these new forms of treatment is a drug called methadone. There are some terms worth knowing here that are important. They are how effective is methadone, methadone, methadone center, methadone centers, methadone clinic, methadone clinics, methadone rehab center, methadone rehab centers, methadone treatment centers, methadone treatment program.
There are some statistics worth knowing as well. They are:
- Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the US.
- Methadone has proven to be the most effective treatment for individuals afflicted with opiate addiction.
- Methadone?s effects last between 24 and 36 hours.
- Methadone treatment success rates range from 60% to 90%.
Methadone is a treatment that involves a pill, which people who have suffered from opiod or heroin dependency. It temporarily blocks off the impulse and the desire for the drug. This is a major part of opiate treatment. Opiate treatment can involve numerous things, including abstinence and 12-step programs, but methadone has been proven effective.
Opiate treatment is likely to include psychological help as well. There are different kinds of opiate treatment available. This can include rehab centers, treatment facilities, and more.