Sunday, April 3, 2016

By Paul Thompson


Most people tend to get confused when they realize that one of their loved ones has a problem with heroin addiction. What they fail to realize is that this is just a disease like any other disease and needs medical attention. The heroin treatment Athens GA has been successful for several years, thanks to dedicated rehab centers that are well equipped and are run by experienced doctors.

In most cases, the best approach is often to integrate the behavioral and the pharmacological treatment approaches for better results. Although either of the methods can still be effective when utilized alone, it has also been found as an effective way to reduce the crime rate.

In regards to the pharmacological therapy, or the medication approach, the research has been able to show that the pharmacological approach helps increase the retention in treatment programs. This in turn helps decrease the use of the drug, reducing the risk of transmission of the infectious diseases and cut down on the criminal behavior.

The treatment process is done in various stages, with the initial phase being the challenging phase. At the initial phase, the patient experiences several withdrawal symptoms, including diarrhea, pain, vomiting and nausea among others. It can be severe in some cases and it pays to be in the right care facility with the qualified and experienced professionals looking after the patient.

With the medication, the drugs used work through the same opioid receptors just as the addictive drug, only that they have no harmful effects. There medications are categorized into three types. These include the agonists that are used to activate the opioid receptors, the partial agonists that are also used to activate the same opioid receptors, but with smaller response and the antagonists which are used to block the receptors thereby interfering with the opioids' rewarding effect.

The agonists are the drugs that are used when activating the opioid receptors. The partial agonists work in the same way as the agonists, but with lesser response. The third category is the antagonists, which are used to block the receptors and thus diminish the opiod rewarding effects. Depending on the stage of the addiction, the treatment approach could be outpatient or residential.

The other unique approach targets behavior change. This is the behavioral therapy, which can either be the contingency management technique or the cognitive-behavioral therapy. In the contingency management approach, a reward system or voucher system is used. The patient earns points every time they test negative of the drug. He points can be redeemed for products that promote a healthy lifestyle.

In reality, several approaches can be used. These include, but not limited to the behavioral therapy, the medication approach, the relapse prevention techniques, and the detoxification methods. In all these, the support from the family members and caretakers is necessary. As such, the best treatment approach is collaborative in terms of the methods used and the inclusive by bringing together all players. The centers for treating the heroin addiction in Athens, GA, put together all the necessary steps to produce the best therapy that yields the results in the shortest time possible with the least side effects possible.




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