Treatments for Heroin Addiction

 

By: Jillian Curry

 

 

With the recent death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman due to a heroin overdose, one may wonder how his death could have been avoided.  Heroin is an opiate drug that is highly addictive.  Treatment for heroin addiction is most successful when it is sought early.

The most successful treatment for heroin addiction involves a combination of therapy and medication.  The most common therapeutic techniques include cognitive-behavioral therapy and contingency management therapy.  Cognitive-behavioral therapy involves changing the thought processes that occur before a behavior in order to prevent the problem behavior from occurring, while contingency management therapy involves a reward and punishment approach for good and bad behaviors.

Effective medications for heroin addiction include Methodone and Suboxone.  Methodone is primarily used as a painkiller, but is also very effective in reducing the withdrawal symptoms of heroin.  This medication lasts 24-36 hours and does not have effect on daily activities.  Suboxone is a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone, which work together to reverse the effects of narcotic drugs, like heroin.

Either of these medications, in combination with therapy, provide great hope to those suffering from heroin addiction.  When sought early, treatment could mean the difference between life and death.


Sources:

http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/heroin/f/herion_faq09.htm
http://www.drugs.com/misspellings/methodone.html
http://www.drugs.com/suboxone.html