While there are no easy ways to battle Substance use Disorder (SUD) there are different medications available to assist in the therapeutic process. Chances are that your problems didn’t start overnight and for most people we see come through our doors, they have been abusing drugs and alcohol for years. Now that your body has developed a physical dependence upon alcohol, there are probably several social and behavioral characteristics that have you under this spell that seems to go on and on with no end in sight. The most successful treatment often requires a very holistic approach that not only deals with the physical cravings but the mental and spiritual sides of a person. Our medication assisted treatment program primarily deals with the physical cravings.

Stop the Alcohol Cravings

Depending upon the severity of your physical dependence, we may recommend an inpatient alcohol detox program because your withdrawal symptoms could be life threatening and we can minimize the severity of withdrawal with medications, diet and close medical supervision. We do offer opiate withdrawal help in our new opiate detox center.

We may recommend Naltrexone (Revia & Vivitrol) to help reduce the cravings for alcohol or opiates and have seen success with Vivitrol injections, administered once every 28 days, after clients are beyond 14 days of their opioid drug. Vivitrol blocks the receptors that cause the euphoric high in the brain. Insomnia and anxiety are also common in early sobriety and Vivitrol can help in reducing the anxiousness.

Vivitrol vs. Suboxone

Vivitrol was approved by the FDA in 2005 for Alcohol and 2010 to treat opiate dependent patients. It is an extended release injectable form of Naltrexone. There are no opioids in this product and administered once per month during the initial recovery period only. It is a non-addictive antagonist, therefore no secondary addiction…that is a BIG deal. It has been shown to:

• Prevent a lapse from becoming a full-blown relapse
• Reduce symptoms of protracted withdrawal such as anxiety, cravings, and insomnia
• Lengthen periods of abstinence
• Support positive effects of treatment, foster counseling gains
• Allow brain cells to return to normal function

Suboxone is a brand name medicine that was approved by the FDA in 2002 to treat narcotic opiate addiction. It contains an opiate analgesic, Buprenorphine, mixed with an opiate antagonist called Naloxone (Narcan). The dosage of Suboxone is administered as either a tablet or as a sublingual film and is used to taper a patient off their dependence with minimal withdrawal symptoms. At Livengrin, it is used in detox only. Although it helps decrease the intensity of the heroin cravings, it can be misused and become a substitute unless the patient continues to taper to abstinence.

The keyword in M.A.T. is “Assisted“. These medications are not substitutes for going to meetings, staying engaged in your therapy, and using the other holistic tools available to you to beat your disease.

Drugs To Stop Drinking Are Not Enough

There are certainly other drugs used to help people stop drinking and craving opioids but we at Livingrin believe we have a recipe for success that works that involves several other modalities in conjunction with medication assisted treatments. Alcoholism and drug addiction treatments that address the whole person rather than a physical craving have proven much more successful in helping people turn their live around for the long term. We attempt to customize a treatment program that is tailored to the individual and often includes some combination of

• Group Therapy to help learn about the disease
• Individual Therapy
• Relapse Prevention
• Outpatient Rehabilitation
• Introduction to 12 Step Recovery networks

And often several forms of holistic therapies are recommended if the situation is right for the individual.

If you or a loved one would like to learn more about the programs offered by Livingrin, please free to contact us at (800) 245-4746