Using Medicines in Heroin Addiction Treatment - Replacing One Drug With Another?

Heroin addiction is a highly dangerous problem andsubsides. The medicines ensure that they would not
can prove fatal to the addicted individual if notexperience the highs and lows even if they were to
detected and treated on time. Doctors use medicinestake heroin now. Once the addict shows considerable
for the treatment of heroin addiction. The medicinesimprovement, the doctors slowly take them off the
used in heroin addiction treatment are not meant tomedicines in a gradual manner in order to minimize the
be substitutes for the drug. They are actually meantwithdrawal symptoms. From all this we can draw the
to free the patient from heroin addiction.conclusion that medicines used in the treatment of
Some of the medicinal drugs used for treatingheroin addiction are not substitute drugs, but are
addiction to opiates like heroin are methadone,meant to eradicate the strong craving for heroin.
buprenorphine and LAAM. When an opiate like heroinOther than medications, the patients also undergo
is ingested into the body through mouth, injection orphysical and emotional therapy for the healing of their
nose, it creates a temporary euphoric effect in thebody and mind. They learn ways and techniques to
body and mind of the person. They get aabstain from heroin whenever the craving arises.
momentary feeling of excitement and "high".Physical therapy includes activities like taking regular
However, this feeling wears down soon enough andwalks along the beach or in natural surroundings,
the phase that follows is full of depression andexercising, cycling and meditation. Emotional therapy
frustration. This sudden crash disturbs the mind andinvolves making the patient realize through counseling
as a result the person craves for more heroin so thatthe deep-rooted reasons for their heroin addiction.
they can feel the same euphoric effect again. ThisThey are trained to let go of the negative feelings
becomes a vicious cycle of addiction and addictsattached to these reasons. The patients learn to deal
keep taking resort to heroin to feel this feeling ofwith their craving for heroin without giving in to the
artificial euphoria and excitement. This vicious patternurge.
of euphoria, crash and the resultant craving results inTreatment for heroin addiction cannot be conducted
major fluctuations in the body and mind. It affectsat just any treatment center. A special license is
the physical and mental dynamics of a person andgranted by the state to the institute authorized to
causes increasing harm to them.conduct heroin addiction treatment. The medicines
Medicines like methadone or buprenorphine areare administered to the addicts under the strict
administered to the addicted person by well-qualifiedguidance and supervision of professionally qualified
doctors having a clear understanding of the dosagedoctors. Craving for heroin in addicts is too intense
to be given to the patient. These medicines do notand making them abstain from the drug is sure to
create the same level of euphoria in the body nor dolead to major withdrawal symptoms. Without the
they cause feelings of fluctuating patterns. Thehelp of medicines, it would be absolutely difficult to
mental and physical dynamics caused by thesecure the addiction. Medicines help in keeping the
medicines are much more stable in comparison to thewithdrawal symptoms in check and eradicating the
effects of heroin. Through the medication used incraving for heroin, ensuring that the patient is
addiction treatment the addict's craving for heroinliberated from their addiction.