Effective treatment approaches for addiction

Effective treatment approaches for addiction that motivated victims to choose healthy living
Effective treatment approaches for addiction: Medication
Substance abuse is ravaging the life of many people across the globe. Because of this, only effective treatment approached application will help in solving this riddle. And according to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury, MD medications can be used to help with different aspects of the treatment process including:
Effective treatment approaches for addiction: Withdrawal
Medications are essential as it facilitates the process of suppressing withdrawal symptoms during detoxification. Besides that, it is also important to note that, medically assisted detoxification is not in itself treatment of an addiction, as a matter of fact, it is only the first step in the treatment process. Meaning that patients who go through medically assisted withdrawal and fail to go for any further treatment show drug abuse patterns similar to those who were never treated.
Effective treatment approaches for addiction: Treatment
Medications can be used to help re-establish normal brain function and to prevent relapse and diminish cravings. Currently, we have medications for opioids which may include heroin and morphine, tobacco (nicotine), and alcohol addiction. Efforts are also being made in developing others for treatment of stimulant e.g. cocaine, methamphetamine etc. and cannabis (marijuana) addiction. Most people with severe addiction problems, however, are poly-drug users meaning that they are using more than one drug at some time. Such people will definitely require treatment for all of the substances that they abuse like for instance:
Opioids: Methadone, buprenorphine and, for some individuals, naltrexone are effective medications for the treatment of opiate addiction. Acting on the same targets in the brain as heroin and morphine, methadone and buprenorphine suppress withdrawal symptoms and relieve cravings. Naltrexone works by blocking the effects of heroin or other opioids at their receptor sites and should only be used in patients who have already been detoxified. All medications help patients disengage from drug seeking and related criminal behavior and become more receptive to behavioral treatments.
Tobacco: A selection of preparations of nicotine replacement therapies now exist including the patch, spray, gum, and lozenges that are available over the counter. In addition, two prescription medications have been FDA–approved for tobacco addiction: bupropion and varenicline. They have different mechanisms of action in the brain, but both help prevents relapse in people trying to quit. Each of the above medications is recommended for use in combination with behavioral treatments, including group and individual therapies.
Alcohol: Three medications have been approved by FDA for treating alcohol dependence: naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram.
- Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors that are involved in the rewarding effects of drinking and in the craving for alcohol. It reduces relapse to heavy drinking and is highly effective in some but not all patients—this is likely related to genetic differences.
- Acamprosate is thought to reduce symptoms of protracted withdrawal, such as insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, and
- Dysphoria (an unpleasant or uncomfortable emotional state, such as depression, anxiety, or irritability). It may be more effective in patients with severe dependence.
- Disulfiram interferes with the degradation of alcohol, resulting in the accumulation of acetaldehyde, which, in turn, produces a very unpleasant reaction that includes flushing, nausea, and palpitations if the patient drinks alcohol.
Compliance can be a problem, but among patients who are highly motivated, disulfiram can be very effective. And up to that point, we want to encourage you that for effective treatment approaches for addiction, you can call doctor Akoury for further professional guidance.
Effective treatment approaches for addiction: Medication
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