How To Get Off Suboxone – 3 Steps to Stop Suboxone Safely

Posted on November 12, 2022January 2, 2023 by cmspresident

How To Get Off Suboxone – 3 Steps to Stop Suboxone Safely

An FDA approved pharmaceutical drug called Suboxone, or buprenorphine, is used to treat addiction to opiates as it effectively addresses cravings and withdrawal symptoms. When used as instructed, it has been shown to increase abstinence from opiates without substituting one drug for another. Long-term Suboxone maintenance therapy, lasting multiple years, has been effective in sustaining longer-term sobriety.

Suboxone is a partial agonist, and, even though it does not provide the user with a high, it does precipitate some withdrawal symptoms when use is stopped after many years. Although many patients who are firmly in recovery and are confident of sustaining their recovery without the aid of maintenance buprenorphine therapy, they are anxious about doing so because they do not want to compromise their sobriety.

In medication-assisted therapy for opiate addiction, buprenorphine—marketed under the brand names Suboxone and Zubsolv—is currently the popular medication. Buprenorphine is also a more convenient therapy relative to methadone treatment, as buprenorphine can be prescribed by doctors while the patient has to go a treatment facility to receive methadone.

How hard is it to get off suboxone?

Suboxone is not addictive relative to opiates like heroin, fentanyl and Oxycodone or even methadone (a full agonist) since it is only a partial opioid agonist. While there will be some withdrawal symptoms while coming off of Suboxone, anxiety is more of a concern, as the patient does not want to face cravings or withdrawal symptoms that could drive a relapse.

The good news is that detox off of Suboxone or other forms of buprenorphine is available in New Jersey in Freehold, West Orange and Middlesex. Also, it is important to know that suboxone withdrawal detox is fully covered by most health insurance plans.

In our opinion, three steps are needed in order to make the decision to quit Suboxone or buprenorphine and do it from home. While we believe it is best to enter an outpatient treatment facility in order to come off of Suboxone, we think, at a minimum, the following steps should be taken in order to do-it-at-home:

Consult your psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, therapist or other care giver:

If your psychiatrist or physician has prescribed you Suboxone or other forms of buprenorphine, do not discontinue taking the medication without first discussing it with him/her. Your physician or prescriber can educate you about what to expect when you stop using the medication and you can collaboratively evaluate your readiness to come off of Suboxone, or buprenorphine. Also, it is good place to explore how to wean off of the Suboxone or buprenorphine – do-it-at-home or enter an addiction treatment facility in New Jersey.

Follow Buprenorphine, or Suboxone taper protocols:

If your prescribing physician and you decided to do-it-at-home, be sure to follow taper protocols put in place by your prescriber closely and stay in touch with you prescribing physician. Almost always psychological symptoms surface as the decision to quit using buprenorphine maintenance therapy is anxiety provoking. Be sure to be alert to signs and symptoms of common behavioral health issues such as anxiety and depression.

Continue participating in therapy:

It’s essential to continue receiving therapy during a suboxone taper as it is usually anxiety-provoking. Anxiety and depression are common during this phase and it needs to be effectively addressed in order to ensure that these symptoms do not lead to a relapse.

Or do Suboxone, buprenorphine detox the EASY Way – Enter an Outpatient treatment facility:

The easy and safe way to come off or Suboxone or come off of buprenorphine in new Jersey is the enter outpatient treatment at Middlesex, West Orange or Freehold. Detox off of suboxone and buprenorphine is fully covered by health insurance so there are minimal costs associated with choosing to enter a treatment facility to detox off of buprenorphine or Suboxone.

At the facility your Suboxone taper will be customized and the Suboxone or buprenorphine will be provided by the facility itself. Besides board certified psychiatrists will be available to address any psychological symptoms that come up during the process. Also, therapy to enhance support will be made available. Therefore, we believe, that it is safer and easier to detox from buprenorphine or Suboxone at an outpatient treatment facility rather that do-it-from home.

No matter which path you pursue, get professionals to help you in the process. Avoid quitting abruptly, and don’t go it alone, as th stakes are high and it could lead to relapse on opiates. Involving addiction treatment professionals will ensure that you face minimal cravings and withdrawal symptoms making the process of weaning off of buprenorphine safe and comfortable.

How to Guide a Loved One to Seek Alcohol Detox

Posted on November 1, 2022November 3, 2022 by cmspresident

How to guide a loved One to Seek Alcohol Detox

Addiction is difficult to live with, as it disrupts life and makes it dysfunctional. Oftentimes individuals suffering from substance use disorders are in denial that they have a problem. They feel they are in control and can stop abusing alcohol or drugs whenever they choose to. A minority of those afflicted by the disease of addiction, whether to alcohol, opiates or benzos, face the reality that they have an addiction problem. Given this, it is easy to see why most people suffering from addiction fail to access addiction treatment in a timely manner.

Usually, it is a challenge for the loved ones of people suffering from addiction to convince them to enter addiction treatment. The fact that most treatment facilities adhere to the outdated inpatient detoxification or residential rehab model for addiction treatment only adds to the resistance to enter substance use disorder treatment, as it conveys the message that people suffering from addiction are somehow anti-social and need to be isolated from their own communities. Also, people suffering from addiction view inpatient alcohol detoxification in New Jersey or residential treatment programs as punishment for suffering from a disease.

To sum it up, there are primarily three challenges to helping a loved one to enter treatment for alcohol addiction or to other substances: their own denial, stigma associated with treatment that removes them from their own communities and insensitive addiction treatment models that condemn individuals suffering from addiction. Here are some ways how you could try to deal with these issues.

Denial:

This is not easy! Loved ones of those suffering from addiction find this to be a huge challenge. However, it can be done. The first step is to arm yourself with facts before you have a conversation with a loved one about their addiction to substances. Google is your friend! Google facts about signs and symptoms of addiction. Unkempt appearance, loss of interest in hobbies, absences/tardiness at school/work, unwarranted irritation, negative impact on job or academic performance, etc. are telltale signs. Log ones that you observe with date and time. Besides Google can also educate you about the negative impact on one’s health from excessive abuse of drugs or alcohol. For alcohol, there are official guidelines that establish mild, moderate and excessive consumption benchmarks for men and women.

Repeated presentation of facts should help to reduce denial and increase willingness to explore treatment options.

Reduce Stigma – Suggest Outpatient Addiction Treatment Options:

Most individuals suffering from addiction dread the fact that they will be removed from their living environment and sent away to an inpatient or residential facility in order to access treatment. Remember that outpatient treatment options, including ambulatory detoxification for alcohol, opiates and benzos, have become available over the past few years. Presenting outpatient treatment options to the individual afflicted by the disease of addiction could help reduce resistance to engaging in addiction treatment.

Eliminate Negative Labeling – Addiction is a Disease:

Science has proven that addiction is a chronic brain disease due to changes in the brain caused by even moderate abuse of substances over a short period of time. Research facts about addiction and avoid attaching negative labels to the person suffering from addiction. Remember that addiction is not a behavioral problem or a moral issue. So, it would not be productive to engage in a blame game that serves to alienate the person addicted to a substance. Changes in the brain trigger cravings that, unless satisfied, inhibit normal functioning. In other words, only the continued use of substances helps the person who has become chemically dependent on the substance feel normal enough to function optimally.

Basing the conversation on the fact that addiction is a disease will help lower resistance and create a positive environment for fruitful conversations. Keep the conversation objective and goal oriented, “We have a problem. How do we solve it together?”

Getting Help:

Firstly, seek medical help in treating the disease of addiction. Not only is it more effective, it is also safe. Believe it or not, even coming off of alcohol, which people believe to be benign, can be dangerous unless attempted in a medical detox facility. Alcohol withdrawal Management can cause seizures or stroke, which needs to be prevented and, therefore, safe Alcohol Detox in New Jersey can only be done in a medical detox facility. There are many treatment options for alcohol dependence in New Jersey, but remember that outpatient alcohol detox is not only a safe and effective option, it is also likely to be more acceptable to the individual affected as it lowers stigma and treats addiction to alcohol as a disease and not as a behavioral issue.