Summary
Today opioids are the most commonly used drug in the United States. For a long time, opiates have been used as effective pain relievers, but their relaxing effects started making people abuse them recreationally. Opioids cause a strong feeling of euphoria, which leads to the risk of using recreational substances. Addicted people have a constant desire to increase the dose, which is a severe medical and social problem. The United States is facing one of the worst drug crises in history. More than half of deaths are associated with prescription opioids: heroin and fentanyl (Coon et al., 2022). The number has risen nationwide amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis has acquired enormous proportions and become a brake on the economy and a threat to national security.
Forms of Treatment Available to those Suffering from Opioid Addiction
The most effective way to overcome opioid addiction is recognized as “substitution therapy”. This approach involves using a drug with less addictive potential as a legal alternative to heroin and other highly addictive drugs. Three substances are currently approved for substitution therapy: methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone (Volkow et al., 2014). Medications are determined with cautiousness to avoid unwanted psychoactive effects. For example, a significant disadvantage of methadone is its ability to provoke a strong withdrawal syndrome in case of discontinuation of its use. To alleviate the patient’s condition, doctors can resort to additional help with tranquilizers, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and non-opioid analgesics. In addition, doctors widely use symptomatic treatment and supportive therapy (Volkow et al., 2014). In the severe phase of withdrawal, the patient should be under constant medical supervision.
Helping a Friend or a Family Member with an Opioid Addiction
The most important aspect of the treatment motivation is the family. It is necessary to help a person acquire a sincere desire to battle for life. Rehab centers remain an effective chance for an addicted person to return to a healthy, drug-free life. It uses a unique rehabilitation program that allows one not only to overcome addiction but to return to a healthy lifestyle and realize its value (Brown, 2018). To provide effective motivation, the psychiatrist should learn all the necessary data about the addicted person. It will require the assistance of relatives and friends who can tell about the psychological atmosphere, patients’ habits, interests, and family relationships.