Written by Manal Usmani and Edited by Kevin Liu
Opioids are one of the best and worst painkillers known to man. They are one of the most effective drugs for the treatment of both acute and chronic pain but are highly addictive and can lead to unintentional overdose [1]. The first wave of the modern opioid crisis or epidemic in the United States occurred in the 1990s, and has affected almost 500,000 people to date. At the time, major pharmaceutical companies produced opioid based drugs in bulk,claiming that patients would not get addicted. However, patients soon realized that these claims were suspicious considering the high incidence of overdoses from those that were prescribed medication. In response, the government took strict action and passed laws placing restrictions on doctors when prescribing opioids, and many patients who needed these painkillers to continue living a normal life were denied [2]. Doctors were threatened with having their medical license revoked and many could not risk their careers to prescribe these kinds of medications. A black market quickly emerged, and brought with it increased crime rates and unmonitored opioid usage. These illegal methods to obtain opioids helped feed the addiction while making the drug more available to new consumers, and has been the root of many other societal problems.
However, a public health focus on helping those addicted and proactively reducing the number of people who are dependent on opiods, the societal burden of addiction can be lessened. Medication-assisted treatment programs are one of the most comprehensive models to tackle the complex issue of drug withdrawal after stopping use [3]. These programs involve the administration of a therapeutic drug such as methadone, which is comparable to a low dose opioid intake, over a couple of months to wean patients off of opioids. Most clinics that administer this drug are treatment facilities that also provide counseling and support groups. At these facilities, a holistic approach involving multiple routes of treatment is taken since this drug alone may be seen as an easily accessible opioid that patients can misuse to continue feeding their addictions.
There are numerous ways in which recovery is structured and implemented at holistic treatment clinics. Having accountability for showing up to scheduled counselor appointments has helped many patients “stay clean” and address their dependence on the drug [4]. In a similar way, support groups composed of individuals that are struggling through similar situations help to foster a sense of accountability and provide an avenue for recovering patients to vent their struggle. Increasing interactions in a community that is built upon saving the addicted from their habits has shown promising results in many studies involving opioids [4]. Hearing success stories and finding companions and friends who are also on the same path as you can be uplifting and encouraging to make safe and healthy decisions. If you know someone who is struggling with addiction, you can do a quick search on the internet for treatment facilities in your city. There are many affordable programs for opioid addiction that specifically consider socioeconomic background and offer monthly payment programs in order to help as many individuals as possible to be free of their addictions.
References:
- Rosenblum, A., Marsch, L. A., Joseph, H., Portenoy, R. K.(2008). Opioids and the treatment of chronic pain: controversies, current status, and future directions. Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology, 16:405-416.
- Hirsch, R.(2017). The Opioid Epidemic: It’s Time to Place Blame Where It Belongs. Missouri medicine, 114:82-90.
- Chen, T., Masson, C. L., Sorensen, J. L., Greenberg, B.(2009). Residential treatment modifications: adjunctive services to accommodate clients on methadone. The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse, 35:91-94.
- Kidorf, M., Brooner, R. K., Peirce, J., Gandotra, J., Leoutsakos, J. M.(2018). Mobilizing community support in people receiving opioid-agonist treatment: A group approach. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 93:1-6.