Reaction Paper - Assignment Example

Medication management for addiction Affiliation Medication management for addiction Addiction is one of the major health problems that have affected the health sector not only in the United States, but also in the world. It has been established that there is an increased prevalence in the use of opioid drugs and other hard drugs such as heroin. The number of people who depend on opioid drugs internationally is enormous; hence, the increased intervention by the medical fraternity to ensure that the number decreases.

One of the most common therapeutic interventions has been the abstinent and maintenance methods. This method requires that individuals enroll in self-help groups, which are referred to as Narcotics Anonymous. In this paper, I will focus on the long-term maintenance and management of persons who are addicted to Opioid drugs. Methadone is recently been used as a treatment for persons suffering from opiate addiction. However, its reception in the country and internationally has not been positive, in the sense that, it has brought many controversies.

Conversely, in my opinion methadone has been a great boost for persons addicted to opiate drugs, as well as, heroin. This is because it blocks the euphoric and numbing effects of opiates. Secondly, cravings for opiates are relived, which has been stated to be a major factor for relapse. Besides, from reducing cravings, it has helped in reliving symptoms associated with withdrawal from opiates. The fact that methadone does not cause any intoxication or euphoria in the body causing a person to work effectively is the major reason methadone is the appropriate maintenance treatment.

Therefore, the use of methadone as a long-term drug for drug addiction maintenance is effective. Because according to the research conducted by Proctor et al. (2014), it is clear that the advantages of methadone over buprenorphine were many. In the research conducted by Akhondzadeh et al (2014), the research indicated that the use of self-help group was most preferred because of the higher agreeableness, as well as, lower neuroticism that were seen in people who attended NA meetings. Although the use of methadone is, a good approach of dealing with people who are opiate addicts in this time and age people are too busy to find time to attend NA meetings.

Additionally, it was established that people who attend NA meetings had a lower level of education and come from poor backgrounds than those who used methadone as a form of maintenance for drug addiction (Matesa, 2011). For that reason, it is clear that although there are different methods of drug maintenance they vary depending on the demographics in which a person comes from. This is because even for patients were using buprenorphine as a form of treatment they varied from those who used methadone, as it was a 30-day prescription meaning that the patients did not have to frequent the doctor’s office for checkup.

In conclusion, the advantages of methadone are many, but the disadvantages cannot also be ignored because the people who use the drug have low self-esteem. This is because they do not have time to associate with other people; the daily visits to the doctors are cumbersome, and they distort their life. Therefore, it is a good way for long-term maintenance of patients suffering from drug addiction, as the side effects of the drug are minimal. For that reason, I would encourage people who are opiate addicts to use the drug, because with time when the patient becomes tolerant of the drug the dosage can be increased without causing any harm to the patient.

ReferencesAkhondzadeh, S., Shabrang, M., Rezaei, O., & Rezaei, F. (2014). Personality Patterns in Narcotics Anonymous Members versus Individuals with Addiction Receiving Methadone Maintenance Therapy. Iranian J Psychiatry, 9(3), P. 158-162. Matesa, J. (2011, February 4). The Great Suboxone Debate. Retrieved November 12, 2014, from http://www.thefix.com/content/best-kept-secret-addiction-treatment?page=allProctor, S. L., & Copeland, A. L. (2014). A Naturalistic Comparison of the Effectiveness of Methadone and Two Sublingual Formulations of Buprenorphine on Maintenance Treatment Outcomes: Findings From a Retrospective Multisite Study.

Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 22(5), P 424–433.