What is the huge epidemic sweeping our world today? For many, the answer would not be addiction. Epidemics are battles against viruses, flus, and other common ailments that plague our daily lives. Opioid addiction is the physical and mental state of being dependent on opioids. The addiction crisis has reached unprecedented levels. An article describing patient preference for medications in therapy states that “In 2012, 2.1 million people in the United States met the criteria for prescription painkiller abuse/dependence in the past year, and half a million people met the criteria for heroin use disorders. ” (Uebelacker) Something must be done to combat this disease of addiction that is sweeping our nation. Although there are numerous drug rehab centers in the United States, the key to the success of these centers lies in the use of drug treatment. Thesis Statement: Although drug treatment is seen by some as counterproductive in the sense that it merely replaces one addiction with another, the use of medications such as Buprenorphine and Methadone helps reduce withdrawal symptoms, increases the permanence of the therapies provided, and decrease the number of fatal overdoses. With so much suffering, there is a dire need to cultivate viable options to end addiction. While treatment options are available, they do not fully encapsulate a successful strategy for those wishing to end opioid use. This need for better options has led to the creation of several medications to be used in addition to regular drug rehab therapies. Enter information about each of the drugs and their uses. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first drug we will talk about is methadone. Methadone is an opioid agonist, meaning it changes the way the brain and nervous system interact with opioid receptors. Additionally, it changes the way the body reacts to pain allowing users to detox from opioids without harmful withdrawal effects. One of the most important information to consider about methadone is that it "blocks the euphoric effects of opioid drugs such as heroin, morphine, and codeine, as well as semisynthetic opioids such as oxycodone and hydrocodone" (Walsh). This is important to consider when arguing that methadone is not a harmful drug that allows users a different “high” as a substitute for the opioid of their choice. In addition to methadone, this article will also discuss the uses of buprenorphine, another common medication used to treat patients with opioid addiction. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, meaning it still produces effects of euphoria and respiratory depression but in much weaker states. This essential medication creates a “ceiling” for the effects a user can feel, allowing patients to not need as many opioids and eventually eliminate them all together. Along with these medications, a normal drug rehab process might include inpatient and outpatient programs that include extensive mental health-based therapy and processes for staying sober. Buprenorphine and methadone are both effective medications that can be used in addition to regular therapies to reduce medication use and help those struggling with opioid addiction, as well as increase the likelihood that patients will continue treatment. As stated previously, buprenorphine and methadone work to relieve withdrawal symptoms for those whothey detox from opioids. This may not seem very helpful to those who aren't currently living with addiction, but the fact that addicts don't have to deal with horrible withdrawal symptoms can greatly increase the chances that patients will be more receptive to different therapies. Pharmacological treatments “will increase patients' retention in treatment and improve social functioning, as well as reduce the risks of transmission of infectious diseases and involvement in criminal activities. " (Volkow). While these drugs may not cure addiction, they have a significant impact. When discussing the positive aspects of these drugs, the ability to curb their future use comes to mind. Relapse is a very serious problem that those who have triumphed and gotten clean have to face; in fact, one of the reasons why some addicts relapse is due to the intense craving and withdrawal they experience is just as dangerous, if not more so, for those who have escaped to opioid use. During a relapse, many addicts will return to using the same amount of opioids as when they stopped, but their bodies are not accustomed to absorbing so much of the substance that can lead to a fatal overdose New England Medicine has shown that “maintaining MAT prevents relapse and death, but is strongly discouraged by lifetime limitations” (Volkow). This is a huge step forward in the battle to end addiction. Lives will be saved by the use of these drug addiction therapies. While many believe that buprenorphine and methadone have numerous benefits, a select few believe that these drugs are merely a means of replacing one addiction with another. Because buprenorphine and methadone affect the brain in the same way as most opioids, it is believed that many who use these drugs are not truly detoxing. In an NPR article discussing addiction, a former addict describes his buprenorphine use as “often overdosing, buying pills from other patients so he wouldn't run out. He stopped using other narcotics and, overall, felt more functional. However, after three years of visits to the doctor, he never felt like he had achieved full recovery. ” (Hsu) There is a common misconception that the majority of those who switch to these opioid-based medications will never be completely sober. This idea creates hesitation regarding the use of these drugs to allow someone to become completely sober. Most of this discomfort comes from unawareness of the topic. Donald Avoy, MD, in his book Professional Perspective on Addiction Medication, writes: “Professionals in the criminal justice system have viewed it with suspicion for forty years. It is poorly understood by most medical professionals. It is viewed with despair by the families of the people who hire it. The general public knows him only vaguely. ” (Stanford) It is clear that this lack of knowledge has created a stigma around both of these drugs. These ideas can be harmful to the many people who could benefit from these types of treatments. The stigma of methadone and buprenorphine has limited the availability of these drugs to the public. Patients in need have been so affected that “only a fraction of the more than 4 million people believed to be abusing painkillers or heroin in the United States receive what is called medication-assisted treatment.” (Hsu) By reversing the stigma, we can help those who truly are in need by providing life-saving therapies. These drugs are not intended to provide users with the desired feeling of euphoria and well-being.?