Suboxone Medication Can Aid the Treatment Process

Buprenorphine is a medication that has helped recovering individuals overcome an addiction to opioids.  Examples of opioid drugs include heroin, methadone, vicodin, oxycontin, norco, and percocet.

Suboxone is the brand name for the injectable form of buprenorphine.  Subutex is the orally administered form of buprenorphine which is absorbed from a tablet placed sublingually (under the tongue).  Suboxone and Subutex are medications that, when used in conjunction with a drug rehabilitation program, can increase the chance of successful recovery from opioid dependency.

So how does it work?  Buprenorphine helps the individual who is in early recovery cope with withdrawals by reducing the brain's ability to process opiate-based substances.  The result is fewer cravings, which allows the recovering person to better focus on mental and spiritual recovery. 

Is Suboxone by itself enough to manage an addiction?  In a word, no.  Suboxone in isolation is not sufficient for long-term recovery from addiction to opiate-based substances.  Taking Suboxone in isolation may help an individual remain substance-free in the short term, but without an addiction treatment program that addresses the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of recovery, he will likely give into his cravings and return to using.  To be effective in the long term, Suboxone and Subutex must be part of a complete rehabilitation program that includes a sponsor, a plan for recovery, and additional components such as therapy sessions and educational workshops. 

As part of a long-term treatment process, patients typically will take Subutex, which is the oral form of buprenorphine.  Patients will typically be gradually weaned off of Subutex in a process called titration.  Titration is the gradual reduction of medication that prevents dependency while still assisting patients with resisting urges to use opiate-based substances.

There are many options for receiving Suboxone enhanced drug treatment.  It is recommended that the person in need of treatment choose a facility that is familiar with Suboxone but also provides realistic expectations of what the Suboxone medication will do – facilitate a holistic recovery process.  Sunrise Recovery Ranch is one such rehab in Riverside, California, that has a highly skilled and multidisciplinary staff of psychiatrists, physicians, and therapists who work together to create a treatment program that integrates Suboxone as an enhancement.