One of the most difficult things to do is break an opiate addiction. Getting addicted to opiates is not hard to do, yet it happens to people every day. If you find yourself in a situation where you have an addiction to opiates, you might reach a point when you decide to break it. When this day comes, you might want to consider using medication to help you. Here is an explanation of how this works.

The Challenge of Stopping the Use of Opiates

The first thing to understand is the reason that people cannot stop using opiates. Opiates come in many forms, but they all have the same effects on the brain. They train your brain to need them. They also prevent your brain from functioning normally, which makes you think that you need them. When you have an addiction to opiates, you will likely get sick if you do not get them. As a result, people with opiate addictions struggle to break these habits. Many people turn to drug rehab programs for help, and some programs offer medication to help them stop using drugs.

How Medication Works

Experts use two main types of medication to help opiate addicts break free from drugs. The first medication is methadone. Methadone is commonly used for addicts, and it helps in several ways. First, methadone changes the way the brain responds to things, such as pain and withdrawal symptoms. Secondly, it prevents the person from feeling a "high" from drugs. When people use methadone, they face fewer withdrawal symptoms, making it somewhat easier to avoid relapsing.

The second medication is suboxone. Suboxone also helps addicts stop their drug use. When a person takes this medication, it significantly reduces the cravings to use drugs. It affects the brain in a way that satisfies the cravings of the drug user.

The Purpose of Medication

One thing you should know is that medication for breaking a drug addiction is not designed to be a permanent solution. Instead, using medication offers a way for a person to get clean and stay clean for a period. The experts offering the medication must slowly reduce the amount they give a person over time. The goal is for the person to eventually stop using the medication.

If you are addicted to drugs and want to get help, contact a drug addiction treatment facility and ask about opiate addiction medicine. They can help you find a way to get clean and stay clean, and they might offer medication assistance for this purpose.