Using Drugs to Treat Drug Addiction
Treatment for substance abuse is a complex field with many options and theories out there. One that is always a subject of debate is using drugs as a treatment for substance abuse. There are many variations of this – from using drugs in a medical setting to help ease withdrawal symptoms to using popular new drugs like Kratom to help people stay away from opioids. It’s a thin line in what’s ok and what isn’t, and some argue that using drugs is never the correct route to take.
In Treatment for Substance Abuse, Medication for Detox is Important
One thing that not many people can disagree with is the idea that using medication while patients are in acute detox is important to help ease their discomfort and prevent medical distress like seizures or heart problems. This should be done in a medically supervised environment with doctors and nurses frequently monitoring a patient’s vital signs. Many addiction treatment centers offer a medically assisted and monitored detox. In addition to being safer for the patient, having more comfort during the first crucial days of sobriety might help them achieve long-term sobriety. Often, addicts simply can’t make it through the detox process and end up going back to using before it is over.
One Addiction Shouldn’t Be Substitute for Another
Addiction is addiction, period. While it is true that heroin is most likely worse than marijuana, in the end, it is all in the same boat, and one easily leads to another. If a person is striving for a sober life, it is important that they eliminate all substances to make it count. Recently, a petition was filed in Maine, asking to permit medical marijuana to be used for the treatment of addiction to heroin and other opioids. It was denied however tests are still being done to see if it could be an effective treatment. They say the petition was filed as an answer to Maine’s growing opioid epidemic. It’s difficult, however, to argue the value in using drugs as a treatment for substance abuse, when there are options out there that don’t require the use of other addictive substances
Bouncing from Substance to Substance is Not An Effective Way To Beat Addiction
The worst thing a person can do is to decide to take things into their own hands and try out a different or “less dangerous” drug to help with their addiction. First of all, mixing any drugs is dangerous, and a person in active addiction is unlikely to have enough willpower to stop using their old drug of choice. Additionally, when a person begins to use a new drug, their bodies aren’t used to the effects, and they don’t know how much they can tolerate. This is a gray area that is better off avoided because it carries with it a lot of danger of overdose and negative consequences.
