11 Nov 3 Powerful Benefits of Suboxone®
3 Powerful Benefits of Suboxone®
Once a person commits to beating their addiction and building a healthy life, roadblocks such as withdrawal symptoms can make it especially difficult. Suboxone® is a powerful prescription medication that can minimize uncomfortable symptoms, significantly increasing the chances that addiction recovery will succeed.
What is Suboxone®?
Suboxone® is a combination of two drugs, buprenorphine, and naloxone. These drugs work chemically to decrease the severity of cravings and withdrawal symptoms, resulting in reduced stress and anxiety.
You may have heard of Suboxone® and other medications referred to as MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment).
What is MAT (Medication-Assisted Treatment)?
MAT is the use of prescription medications to help people come off of opioids and stay off. The reason MAT is so popular and exciting is because it works so much better than just quitting Cold Turkey! If a person IS able to quit Cold Turkey, they often start using again because the addiction is stronger than their resistance to it.
SO…. How does MAT, specifically Suboxone, work?
Well, it works in 2 ways:
- Suboxone® attaches tightly to the opioid receptors in our nerves and does NOT allow other opioids to attach and give their effect. For instance, if a person is on Suboxone® and then injects heroin, the heroin has no place to bind to the nerve because it is filled with Suboxone® so the patient doesn’t get any effect from the Heroin.
- Suboxone® actives the opioid receptors just enough to help with the cravings and withdrawal, but it doesn’t give the high that the other opioids do.
3 Benefits of Suboxone®
We saw above how Suboxone® blocks other opioids from binding, and also minimally activates the opioid receptors on our nerves.
But how does this help us?
1. Reduces Cravings
Once a person is addicted to Opioids, the cravings quickly become incredibly strong. Making the urge to continue taking the drug stronger than the desire to quit. This is one of the main reasons why many people cannot overcome their addiction on their own without MAT.
Suboxone® helps to curb cravings! When a person takes Suboxone, the drug attaches to the opiate receptors, and sends a weak signal to the brain, satisfying the appetite for opioids, thus reducing the urge to use. Minimizing the overwhelming desire to use is a powerful step in a person’s attempt to break the addiction.
2. Reduces Withdrawal Symptoms
When breaking an addiction to opioids, withdrawal symptoms can be awful and another reason why many people struggle to quit using. The withdrawals make them feel so bad, they start using opioids again to stop the withdrawal symptoms. Suboxone® assists in getting through the initial withdrawal stage. Many people who use Suboxone even say they feel no withdrawal symptoms at all.
3. Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety naturally accompany the decision to overcome an addiction to opioids, and the thought that it may be unsuccessful is enough to cause a person to continue using. Choosing to get help and overcome an addiction is physically and emotionally taxing.
Suboxone® can reduce both stress and anxiety that occurs during addiction treatment by decreasing cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and in some cases pain relief. Reducing pain and other adverse side effects provides a sense of confidence, naturally reducing stress and anxiety.
Suboxone® promotes success in opioid treatment therapy. With the reduction of cravings, withdrawal symptoms, stress, and anxiety, a person will have a greater sense of overall well-being and, more likely, successful treatment in overcoming their opioid addiction.
Key Takeaways
Recovery involves many aspects of our lives and includes emotional, physical, spiritual, and medical support. MAT is the medical support part of recovery. But addressing the whole person is the key to lifelong sobriety. If you or a friend or loved one is struggling with opioid addiction and feel Suboxone® may be of benefit, we can help. Honeychurch Medical Center LLC. offers friendly, discreet, individualized opioid addiction therapy, that includes a maintenance and taper plan. Contact us today!
Medical Disclaimer: Honeychurch Medical Center LLC. helps individuals struggling with OUD, (opioid use disorder). This article contains fact-based information, gleaned from published materials from various respected medical sources, and reviewed by Dr. Clodfelter to educate the patient, their friends, and their families. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, which you can only receive
that from your health care provider.