Anyone who has ever been addicted knows first-hand what addiction is like. It’s like living in hell. It’s like being imprisoned by your own obsessive mind and shackled to your own compulsive body. Addiction is like living the worst day of your life over and over again with no end to the repetitive cycle in sight. It’s like being forced to spend 24/7 with someone you can’t stand…..and that someone is yourself. Addiction is never fun. It’s not glamorous like most movies make it out to be. To be addicted is to be miserable and miserably destined to nothing but an indefinite state of doom and gloom. Yet, as much as being addicted is an agonizing life experience, quitting the use of alcohol or drugs is not easy. As much as the addicted person sincerely wants to stop, ending the cycle of addiction requires unwavering commitment –not to mention a certain amount of pain. Recovery isn’t easy, which is why so many addicted people relapse and stay stuck in the nightmare of addiction. Rather than face the pain and get it over with, most people will continue to abuse drugs and alcohol to steer clear of the inevitable pain of withdrawal. But, what if it didn’t have to be this way? What if someone who struggles with a substance abuse problem could just take a pill and make the nightmare end? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if recovering from addiction were as easy as picking up a prescription and taking a once-a-day-dose that induced sobriety? Imagine if a medicine that cured you of addiction, once and for all. Well, we may not be there just yet, but there are new prescription drugs showing promise for helping with drug addiction and alcoholism.
Ibudilast –A Japanese Asthma Medication Could Treat Alcoholism
With addiction now declared as an international health epidemic, civilized countries around the world are working hard to discover new ways to treat addiction and alcoholism. Modern medicine is continuously evolving and we are closer to an addiction cure than we ever have been in human history. It’s no secret that the Japanese are known for their cutting-edge technology. Why should their prescription medications be any different? A medication called “Ibudilast,” an anti-inflammatory drug designed to treat asthma in Japan, is proving to be a remarkable solution for those who are addicted to alcohol. In a recent study, alcoholic subjects who were administered the drug showed a decreased desire for alcohol –even when alcohol was put right under their nose. In just a few weeks, many people who were once addicted to alcohol found freedom from the disease of alcoholism just by taking Ibudilast. In addition to experiencing a significant reduction in alcohol cravings, research subjects who participated in the study reported having an increased sense of well-being. They also reported a decreased feeling of the kind of gut-wrenching depression that typically accompanies alcohol abuse and withdrawal. As an added bonus, Ibudilast decreased overall inflammation in the body, which is a nasty side-effect of alcohol addiction. Although using Ibudilast for treating alcohol is still in its infancy stages, this so-called wonder drug may be available in the United States in the next few years. If introduced to the American market, Ibudilast could have a tremendously positive effect for millions of people who have suffered from alcoholism for years. (Before you hop on a plane and fly overseas to get your very own prescription for Ibudilast, find out if you really do have a problem with alcohol.)
Zubsolv –The Anti-Opiate, Now Available Near You
Heroin and legal opiates are among the most difficult drugs to kick. Why? Because stopping the use of opiates is like stabbing a million teeny-tiny needles into every cell of your body. Detoxing off street heroin or legal opiates like Oxycodone and Hydrocodone is like living a thousand deaths. It is excruciatingly painful and almost impossible for any human being to endure without medical supervision. The agonizing experience of detoxing off opiates is why so many people stay addicted to them. Those who are addicted to these substances will go to almost any length to avoid the pain. Drugs like Zubsolv (comparable to Naltrexone and Suboxone) are currently on the market in the United States and available to opiate addicts who have a desire to do away with their addiction for good. Zubsolv is a prescription drug that is showing great promise in helping treat opiate addiction. It is prescribed to those who are addicted to opiates or street heroin. Zubsolv is only available with a legal prescription and should only be taken while under medical supervision. It is given to those who have made the commitment to stop taking opiates. Zubsolv is what is referred to as an “opiate antagonist.” It works on the part of the brain that receives pleasure from opiate use. Zubsolv stops the negative effects of opiates, reduces cravings, and minimizes painful withdrawal symptoms. Developed and produced by the Swedish drugmaker Orexo, Zubsolv has been gaining traction in the United States since 2013 and it is beginning to be prescribed more frequently by American doctors. Like any other prescription drug used to treat addiction, Zubsolv should only be used in conjunction with other recovery efforts like professional addiction treatment, counseling, and 12-Step programs.
Paxil – An Antidepressant Prescribed to Treat Methamphetamine Addiction
Although detoxing from methamphetamines is not nearly as physically painful as detoxing from opiates, make no mistake about it –kicking meth is incredibly difficult. Where opiates cause an intense physical withdrawal, detoxing from meth causes an extreme psychological reaction that can ultimately result in psychosis or suicide. Because methamphetamines flood the brain with the body’s natural “feel good” chemicals dopamine and serotonin when a person stops taking meth, these chemicals are significantly depleted. This causes depression, extreme agitation and hostility, and a lack of cognition. Paxil might be the antidote to meth withdrawal. Typically, Paxil is an antidepressant prescribed by doctors who are treating people with a mental illness. Perhaps it goes without saying, but using meth is very much like having a mental illness. It’s no wonder, then, that mental health professionals have come together in agreement that Paxil shows incredible promise for treating meth addiction. Paxil works on the brain to rejuvenate the chemicals meth attacks. It has also been proven to reduce meth cravings and restore the mind to its natural, healthy state of functioning. If you are struggling with an addiction to methamphetamines –and you have a sincere desire to quit –talk to your doctor about Paxil. It may be the solution you’ve been looking for. Of course, taking Paxil alone will not cure your addiction to meth. Just like with opiates, you are going to need ongoing and support if you want to stay meth-free. However; taking Paxil can greatly increase your chances of long-term sobriety and help you on the road to recovery.
Disulfiram –A Pharmaceutical Showing Promise in Treating Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine works on the brain in very much the same way meth does. It floods the brain with feel-good chemicals, which interferes with the brain’s ability to produce these chemicals on its own. This causes the brain to crash and bring on a seemingly insurmountable state of depression. This is what causes the cocaine user to return again and again to cocaine. The cocaine crash is mentally disturbing and cocaine addicts will do just about anything to avoid that level of discomfort. Also like meth, cocaine withdrawal does not necessarily affect the physical body as opiates do. Although cocaine withdrawal is difficult, it does not cause the level of excruciating physical pain found with opiate or heroin withdrawal. Nevertheless, the unpleasant experience of cocaine withdrawal should not be underestimated. Disulfiram, a prescription medication that has long since been prescribed to treat alcoholism is now showing promise for treating cocaine addiction. Although scientists are not exactly sure why Disulfiram works on certain parts of the brain to reduce cravings for cocaine and restore the brain’s natural chemical makeup. It also decreases cocaine-induced depression caused by withdrawal. Unfortunately, studies have proven that Disulfiram does not work for everybody. However; it has been proven to assist many people in overcoming cocaine addiction. On another (and very exciting) note, scientists are currently working on a cocaine vaccine that may once and for all do away with cocaine addiction. To be sure, this vaccine is in its very early stages and would not be available to the American public for many years, but the cocaine vaccine is good news. The vaccine would effectively nullify cocaine’s effect on the brain and prevent the drug from having any negative effects on the user, essentially motivating a cocaine addict to stop using.
Right Here, Right Now – The Reality of Recovery in the Modern World
Are there really medications that can cure addiction? No. At least not yet. We can hope and dream that one-day modern science will create a magnificent pharmaceutical concoction that will make addiction disappear like smoke in the wind –but that day has not yet come. Until then, we have to stick to what works. First, let’s take a minute to talk about what doesn’t work. Punishing someone for having a drug or alcohol problem is never the solution for treating addiction. Although millions of people across the United States are currently serving jail time for having a drug or alcohol addiction, there is no shame or guilt to be had for people with a substance abuse problem. If you have an addiction to drugs or alcohol, compassionate and effective care if available. You can stop feeling bad about yourself and set your sights on the road to recovery. You are not a bad person who needs to be good. You are a sick person who needs to get well.
Behavioral Intervention –The Only Proven Method of Recovery
Although it is nice to fantasize about taking a pill and doing away with addiction, we have already established that no such pill currently exists. The only way to stop getting high is to stop getting high. The only way to stop getting drunk is to stop getting drunk. In other words, the only way to break the cycle of addiction is to stop ingesting chemicals that make you addicted. This is easier said than done, of course. If you could have stopped using on your own, you would have done so by now, right? If you could intervene on your own behavior, you would. But, let’s be real. If you are currently addicted to alcohol or drugs, chances are, you are going to need more than hopes and dreams. Although many people don’t realize it, quitting drugs can be a deadly proposition. When stopping the use of drugs or alcohol, there can be dire and even lethal consequences. Suddenly stopping drinking and drugging can cause seizures, stroke, and heart failure. To recover from drug or alcohol addiction, professional help is usually a requirement. Most people simply cannot stop using drugs or alcohol on their own without inpatient treatment –or outpatient treatment, at the very least. Depending on the type of drugs a person has been taking or how often someone has been drinking, many people require a medically supervised detox to get clean. This only happens in a recovery facility. Where professional addiction treatment leaves off, 12-Step recovery picks up. There are tens of thousands of 12-Step meetings all over the country that offer hope, healing, and peer support for those who struggle with substance abuse. Although it is recommended, many people do not actually need to check themselves into a alcohol rehab facility. Millions of addicts and alcoholics have gotten clean in sober in the rooms of programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Heroin Anonymous, and Cocaine Anonymous. Recovery isn’t easy. It requires work, dedication, and some uncomfortable feelings. BUT –recovery is worth it. If you’ve been living the same nightmarish day over and over again for far too long –aren’t you ready to find a new way to live?