Introduction to Suboxone For Loved Ones 

If your loved one is suffering from an opioid addiction, their healthcare provider may be offering to prescribe them Suboxone. You may be left with a few unanswered questions regarding this medication. Such as, what is Suboxone used for? Suboxone is a combination of two different ingredients: Buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine helps to reduce a person’s urges, while naloxone helps reverse the effects of the opioids. Let’s take a closer look at one of the most preferred medications for opioid addiction.

What Is Treatment Like With Suboxone? 

Suboxone is unique in several facets. It can be prescribed by doctors in and outside of a rehab facility if the doctors have the proper training and certification. Doctors will normally only prescribe Suboxone for short-acting opioid addiction. This medication treats pain, as well as the addiction. So, how long does Suboxone stay in your system? Suboxone can stay in a patient’s system for up to eight days. So, it is best to be monitored by a doctor during all phases of treatment.

How Does Suboxone Help With Withdrawal Symptoms?

If a patient is known to experience severe withdrawal symptoms or a doctor may recognize signs that they will in the future, the doctor most likely will prescribe Suboxone. This is because on Suboxone, withdrawal effects are often suppressed. Suboxone can also be known as a depressant, so it produces a calm and relaxed feeling. Suboxone is most often prescribed when a patient is suffering from a heroin addiction. Addicts are more prone to relapse because they do not want to experience withdrawal symptoms. Suboxone makes the necessary withdrawal stage more manageable.

 

Are There Any Side Effects Concerning Suboxone?

With every medication, there will be side effects and Suboxone is no different. A patient could get a Suboxone high and wish to experience that euphoric feeling more frequently. Use of Suboxone without close medical monitoring could lead to increased tolerance. But, it is unlikely the patient would become addicted. However, more frequently experienced side effects are irritability, nausea, and anxiety. More severe side effects can occur if a loved one were to stop taking Suboxone suddenly without consulting a medical professional. These Suboxone side effects include insomnia, seizures, and possible coma. Suboxone is a medication that may need to be taken over the course of a long time period. This can be challenging for some addicts, so close medical attention is advised.

 

Conclusion 

Loved ones suffering from opiate addiction may greatly benefit from a Suboxone prescription. The heavy withdrawal symptoms of opiate addiction make getting clean an even tougher hill to climb. Suboxone minimizes these withdrawal symptoms with limited side effects, granting patients an easier transition period. One of the greatest benefits of Suboxone is that it is a low-risk medication for addiction, meaning your loved one will not trade one addiction for another and can truly be free from the chains of their addiction.

Sources

[1] Suboxone. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.addictioncenter.com/treatment/medications/suboxone/

[2] How Long Does Suboxone Stay in Your System? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://americanaddictioncenters.org/suboxone/how-long-in-system
[3] The Effects of Suboxone Use. (2018, November 25). Retrieved from https://drugabuse.com/suboxone/effects-use/

[4] Getting off Heroin with Suboxone: Dangers & Benefits. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://americanaddictioncenters.org/suboxone/getting-off-heroin

Suboxone Benefits: How Suboxone Can Benefit Your Loved One

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Realizing that your loved one has an opioid addiction is a heartbreaking experience. The CDC reports that about 130 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose. You want to do everything in your power to make sure that your loved one doesn’t become a statistic. More than anything, you want to find a method that works so you can close this chapter of your life for good. There are many ways to go about battling opioid addiction, but there is one way that is backed by decades of scientific research and success stories across the globe: Suboxone. Read more to learn about Suboxone’s Benefits.

What Exactly is Suboxone?

Suboxone is a medication that is often prescribed to minimize the effects of opioid withdrawal. Back in 2002, the FDA approved the use of Suboxone for the treatment of opioid addiction. Whether it comes in a pill or a film, the medication combines the active ingredients of buprenorphine and naloxone:

  • Buprenorphine is an opioid partial agonist and helps to relieve the symptoms of opioid addiction.
  • Naloxone is an opioid antagonist and is meant to reverse and block the effect of other opioids in the brain.

Opioid addiction is a monster of a disease and takes a lot of dedication to beat for the long-term. Some of the most common opioids that are abused are heroin, oxycontin, and codeine. There are currently millions of Americans who are suffering from opioid addiction. This addiction is a chronic disease that requires outside help in order to treat accordingly.

The combination of the two active ingredients in Suboxone makes it very effective in treating opioid addiction while having a low chance of addictiveness at the same time. Buprenorphine has a chance of being addictive on its own, but when used along with naloxone it diminishes the opiate effect of buprenorphine. If it’s prescribed in a controlled setting and an individual adheres to the doctor’s prescription, the use of Suboxone comes with many more positives than it does negatives.

 

Concerns About Suboxone

You may be wondering, “If my loved one is addicted to opioids, why would I want to them to treat their opioid addiction with another opioid?” The truth of the matter is, Suboxone is not the same opioid as others such as heroin and oxycontin. Suboxone caters to their physical dependence to opioids without allowing them to become addicted to it.

When used correctly (adhering to the doctor’s medication), it’s a stable foundation of medicine meant to diminish the effects of opioid addiction without delivering a euphoric high. This effectively stops the cycle of addiction, which is something that’s extremely hard to do.

 

Dealing With Opioid Withdrawal

The effects of opioid withdrawal are debilitating. In the beginning, a person can deal with conditions such as restlessness, irritability, and flu-like systems. But, as the illness moves along, a person can deal with effects such as intense stomach cramping, depression, and nausea. Often in order to keep away from the effects of opioid addiction, a person will relapse. This is where Suboxone comes in.

When a person chooses to take Suboxone they no longer have to deal with the possibility of dealing with opioid withdrawal. Your loved one can then put their full focus into getting to the root of their opioid addiction, so they can stop using opioids for good.

Helping Your Loved One Through Their Addiction

Along with promoting the use of Suboxone, there are other ways that you can help your loved ones stop their usage of opioids and support them through their long road to recovery.

  1. Stick to Your Word: If you set boundaries, be sure to stick to them. Once you go back on your word, your loved one may keep engaging in this dangerous behavior because they’ve seen in the past that you’ll stick by them despite their addiction. Say what you mean and mean what you say.
  2. Do Not Cover up for Them: Throughout the timeline of their addiction, you may find yourself covering up for them in a variety of ways. For example, you may wake them up for work every day because, due to their opioid addiction, they are not able to wake up on time on their own. In order for them to feel the true effects of their addiction, it’s important to let them live through their consequences in real time. Support doesn’t have to mean compliance.
  3. Seek Help for Yourself: Addiction doesn’t just affect one person, it affects their whole community. As you work through this experience, don’t forget to take care of yourself. As the old saying states, you can’t pour from an empty cup. You may even want to seek help from someone who’s specialized in helping families who have been affected by addiction.

If you’re looking to help your loved one stop their opioid usage for good, using Suboxone may be the best way to do so. The medication has helped millions of people all across the world stop abusing opioids and get help with their addiction. Despite the stigma that may lie behind the usage of Suboxone, the medication’s worth has been proved by scientific studies and doctors alike. The health of your loved one is worth its weight in gold; Suboxone might be the choice to get them back to the person that you know and love.

 

Sources
[1] Understanding the Epidemic | Drug Overdose | CDC Injury Center. (2018, December 19). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html

[2] From Research to the Real World: Buprenorphine in the Decade of the Clinical Trials Network. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2853172/

[3] Information sheet on opioid overdose. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/substance_abuse/information-sheet/en/

[4] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2009). The facts about Buprenorphine. Retrieved from https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/providers/sud/docs/english_buprenorphine_facts.pdf

[5] Is buprenorphine treatment just trading one addiction for another? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.naabt.org/faq_answers.cfm?ID=1

[6] U.S. Department of Health And Human Services. (2004). clinical guidelines for the use of Buprenorphine in the treatment of opioid addiction. Retrieved from https://www.naabt.org/documents/TIP40.pdf

Suboxone for Teens: Is it a Good Choice?

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Opioid addiction is a debilitating phenomenon that’s affecting a wide range of individuals from different nationalities, ethnicities, and age groups. One age group that’s been affected significantly is teenagers.

Research found that between 1997 and 2012 the rate of hospitalization due to opioid poisoning nearly doubles in children and adolescents in the United States.

If you know a teenager that’s dealing with opioid addiction, now is the time to be proactive and help them overcome it through Suboxone.

Suboxone is one of the most effective medications utilized to treat opioid addiction. Suboxone consists of two main ingredients: buprenorphine and naloxone.

Together, they can prevent the painful withdrawal symptoms of opioids. This gives an individual a better chance of overcoming their opioid addiction since they don’t have to deal with those debilitating withdrawal symptoms.

The Phases of Opioid Withdrawal

The first phase of opioid withdrawal, entitled acute withdrawal, often includes abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, anxiety, agitation, and insomnia. These symptoms can last anywhere from one week to one month depending on the seriousness of the opioid addiction.

The second phase of opioid withdrawal, entitled post-acute withdrawal, can last up to two years. These symptoms include disrupted sleep, mood swings, struggles to concentrate, and low enthusiasm.

These symptoms can be a lot for adults to deal with, so you can only imagine how these symptoms would affect a child.

Suboxone has helped thousands of adults across the nation combat their addiction to opioids. But, what you may not be aware of, is that Suboxone has been approved for use for teens over the age of 16. If a teen is addicted to opioids, then Suboxone should be considered to help them overcome their addiction. Suboxone can be used in a variety of different ways in order for a teen to work through their addiction.

It doesn’t have to be a long-term medication that a teen would have to work into their daily routine for the rest of their lives. It can also be used during a short time period to help a teen detox from opioids. This stops the teen from experiencing the harmful effects of opioid withdrawal. Suboxone is prescribed to cater to the specific needs of the patient, especially when dealing with a teen.

Suboxone is Becoming More Available for Teens

Currently, suboxone is becoming more accessible and being recommended more frequently for teenagers. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that medication-assisted treatment is appropriate for adolescents with opioid use disorders. Additionally, they stated that pediatricians should consider offering medication-assisted treatment to their adolescent patients.

Suboxone can be a great option for teens who are dealing with opioid addiction. When a teen uses Suboxone, it doesn’t completely stop their life. They won’t have to take time off from school or work. A teen can use Suboxone and live their life as they normally would, as long as they cater to the doctor’s wishes. Additionally, using Suboxone is less expensive than putting your loved one in a rehab facility.

Parents can be very involved in their teen’s recovery and help them make that next step, through using Suboxone. If you think that your teen is abusing opioids, you may feel as though you’ve lost control. Introducing a medication-assisted treatment to your child can help you gain some of that control back and put your child on the right path to success.

Medication Assisted Treatment Can Be Useful Harm Reduction for Teens

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that drug overdose death rates for adolescents aged 15-19 more than doubled from 1999 to 2015. The CDC also found that the majority of drug overdose deaths for male and female adolescents were done accidentally. Research has found that intervening with medication-assisted treatment, like Suboxone, reduced harm for teens. This gives the teen a chance at living and thriving through an opioid-free lifestyle.

When a teen takes Suboxone, they’re given a better chance at recovery. If they choose to stop using opioids “cold-turkey”, they would have to deal with a painful detoxing period. This often takes them away from work or school and cause them to get behind in some areas. When using suboxone, the teen is able to look at their life aside from their addiction and understand truly why they’ve been abusing opioids.

Therapy Should Always be a Part of The Recovery Equation

Therapy can be a great option for teens who are recovering from opioid addiction and using Suboxone. There are many different types of therapy to take part in including group, individual, and family.

Group therapy is beneficial because it allows the teen to learn through other people’s experiences and gain valuable information about opioid addiction. Individual therapy gives the teen much needed one on one time and may be more comfortable for the teen, depending on their personality. As for family therapy, It’s very important for parents to get involved and for the whole family to get a better understanding of their teen’s addiction. Addiction doesn’t just affect one person, it affects the whole family as well.

Each type of therapy offers its own benefits, but all will give the teen key information and valuable coping skills to help them stop using Suboxone for the long term.

Misconceptions Surrounding Suboxone

A common misconception surrounding using Suboxone is that it’s just “trading one addiction for another.” It’s important to realize that’s just not the case. Addiction isn’t just a bad decision gone wrong, it’s a disease. In order to cure a disease, you often need to fight back with some sort of medication. Suboxone is a medication that has helped thousands of people beat their addictions. Recovery looks different for every person, but it may be the chance that your teen needs in order to get a second chance at life.

Conclusion

Suboxone is a valuable option for any teens who are dealing with opioid addiction. It alleviates the symptoms of opioid withdrawal so teens can focus on their recovery and have a better chance of beating their opioid addiction for good. Research has proven Suboxone as a viable choice for individuals who have opioid addiction, including late teens. If you’re a parent with a teen who you may suspect has an opioid problem, you should consider Suboxone. Allowing your child to use Suboxone could save their life in the long run.

advice for parents of addicts

How Do I Help My Child? Advice for Parents of Addicts

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Is your child suffering from drug addiction? Are you struggling to reach out to him? Are you searching for an effective way to end the addiction?

Drug addiction is a serious problem. It takes the lives of about 70,000 people in the United States annually. This scourge affects not only adults but also children and teenagers. From 1999 to 2016, opioids have killed close to 9,000 children.

But there is a solution to addiction. It starts by providing the right kind of advice for parents of addicts.

So if you are a parent of an addict, continue reading below as we discuss important points in dealing with drug addiction.

Advice for Parents of Addicts

No matter how helpless you feel regarding your child’s situation, there is a solution. Check out these six important truths that will help free your child from bondage caused by opioid addiction.

1. Rebuild Your Relationship

Dealing with a drug-addicted child begins with rebuilding your relationship. Issues that sprout from drug addiction often strain your relationship with your child. Thus, you need to strengthen it to get things back on track.

You can do so by having open and assertive communication with your child. This involves asking the right questions. It also entails actively listening to your child.

When asking questions, stick to the open-ended ones. Make sure that your questions are nonjudgmental. Do make your child feel that you are judging him for his actions.

Asking open-ended questions will help bring out more from your child. This will give him a chance to speak his mind openly.

When talking to your child, always maintain your focus. You need to be engaging. Always maintain a kind and respectful tone.

Try to limit your negative reactions. Manage your emotions if you become upset with his responses.

2. Focus on Positive Things

You want to foster an environment that is full of hope. Thus, you need to focus on positivity.

It is likely that your child is making poor decisions because of his addiction. This may result in low self-esteem. His self-confidence is also on a downward spiral.

To counter this, you need to focus on the positives. Make them feel that they can overcome their condition. Use encouraging words to drive out their negative thoughts.

Even if addiction is partly affected by genetics, all is not lost. Engage your child in an optimistic conversation. This will open up the doors for new things that will veer him away from his addiction.

By encouraging positive behaviors, you can help improve their coping skills. You can create better peer relationships. You will help him build strength to face his challenges.

3. Set Guidelines and Parameters

You also need to set guidelines and parameters both of you should follow. This will help clear the expectations regarding your child’s behavior. The key is to develop these guidelines in the presence of your child.

You need to collaborate and agree with each and every rule. Be sure to explain the consequences clearly in the event that your child breaks a rule.

You need to be clear on what will happen if they decide not to follow the guidelines. When implementing the guidelines, you need to detach yourself from your emotions. You need to be consistent when it comes to implementation.

As for the parameters, you need to set them when your child is calm. You need to discuss the parameters while they are rational.

Children struggling with drug addiction have the tendency to test the limits of the people they love. They will try to manipulate you using emotions.

4. Stop Enabling

We know that you love your child very much. However, there is a thin line between loving them and enabling them.

Do not become an enabler.

Use the boundaries that you set to check if you are helping your child cope or if you are simply enabling him. Enabling your child means shouldering much of your child’s responsibilities. It negates the value of accountability.

Do you make excuses for your child? Do you blame yourself for their actions? Do you focus more on eliminating their short-term pain instead of entirely solving the problem?

If your answer is “yes,” then you are likely enabling your child. Turn things around by letting your child know that you are in charge.

5. Love Your Child

Even as you strictly impose your guidelines, you should never forget to express your love for your child. When was the last time you gave your child a hug? Now is the best time to do so.

Show your love by hugging and kissing them. Praise them if they successfully followed the guidelines. Never get tired of giving words of encouragement.

Always remind your child that you love him.

6. Love Yourself

Lastly, you need to love yourself by taking care of yourself. This means not letting your child’s predicament consume you.

If your child continues to be hard-headed despite your efforts, do not blame yourself. Love yourself by accepting your limits.

Dealing with drug addiction takes a lot out of you emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Do not neglect your health, as it may lead to burnout.

Once stress gets the better of you, you will likely get sick.

Be open to the idea of asking for help. There are many drug treatment centers in the country. These places provide counseling not only for the addicts but also for their parents.

But be careful when choosing the best centers. There are those tagged to be unscrupulous.

Take care of yourself as you take care of the rest of your family.

Get the Right Kind of Help, Today!

Getting the best advice for parents of addicts will not be complete without getting the best medical products. We encourage you to look into Suboxone and how it can help your child battle addiction.

We offer extensive resources for Suboxone clinics and doctors in your area. Get in touch with us today. Let’s take a huge step toward restoring your child from drug addiction.