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After the detox program has been completed patients are referred to outpatient programs or residential rehab centers. Rehab can last for between 30 – 90 days and much of the time is spent in individual and group therapy sessions.

Medication-assisted treatment

There is also medication-assisted treatment which is used to help with opioid dependence. This treatment is proving popular as it looking at addiction through a medical lens, treating it as a chronic illness like diabetes, cancer or heart disease.

The prescribed medication allows the addict to regain a normal state of mind, without cravings, withdrawals and the drug-induced highs and lows.Contrary to popular belief, taking one medication for opioid abuse is not the same as substituting one addictive drug for another, something that has happened in the past.

The three drugs used in recovery program

The three drugs used to assist with withdrawal are methadone, naltrexone, and suboxone. Methadone has been the standard medication-assisted treatment used for more than 30 years. Studies show that using this opioid as part of a recovery program improves physical and mental health, and decreases the number of deaths from opioid abuse. When taken correctly it suppresses withdrawal symptoms, blocks the effects of other opioids and minimizes cravings.

Like methadone, naltrexone is known as an opioid blocker, that blocks the pain-relieving and euphoric of opioids like heroin. It doesn’t have the same addictive properties, it doesn’t result in a physical dependence and a tolerance for the drug doesn’t develop. However, there are a few disadvantages to using naltrexone.

Unlike methadone and suboxone, it doesn’t suppress the symptoms associated with withdrawal, or the cravings. It can’t be taken until a patient has been off opioids for at least two weeks, and for most, it’s almost impossible to abstain for this period of time. Also, the risks of overdose are increased if, or when, relapse occurs.

Suboxone is a relatively new drug, only approved by the FDA in 2002 for the treatment of opioid addiction. It is quickly becoming the preferred treatment as it has several advantages over methadone and naltrexone. Also, there are only few doctors in Santa Monica who are eligible to prescribe Suboxone.

It suppresses withdrawal symptoms and cravings, it doesn’t result in euphoria in the addicted patient and it blocks the effects of other problematic opioids for 24 hours. The success rates of suboxone have been reported to be as high as 40 to 60 percent.