Substitution in Drug Addiction Treatment
Some knock the use of Suboxone to detox off of opioid-based drugs by saying that it’s merely substituting one addictive drug for another. In a sense, yes, Suboxone is addictive so if you replace your current opiate of choice with this form of buprenorphine then you are substituting one drug for another. The difference is that Suboxone is a partial agonist and opiate painkillers are full agonists. In terms of their action in your brain, partial agonists manage to trick your body into thinking that you are still getting your old drug so you don’t go into withdrawal when you quit taking it. However, you won’t get that cloudy feeling when you take Suboxone, the one that comes with other opiates, especially when they’re abused.
So technically, it is a substitution, but substituting a prescription painkiller with Suboxone is hardly trading one evil for another. Suboxone is clearly a step down in intensity and one that allows you to focus again and regain your motivation and clarity.
In the same way, when you remove that euphoric haze from your life, you may find that you have a lot of time on your hands. For those who have been functional addicts—as are most who are addicted to prescription painkillers—you may be overjoyed to tackle your old interests and hobbies with renewed verve and find your regular schedule infused with a new life. Others may feel a bit overwhelmed with this free time and realize that a mental addiction has begun. Here, substitution therapy is appropriate as well.
Where you once slept or watched TV, you can now spend time with your kids, helping them with their homework or taking them to the park. Find a local support group meeting at that time. Take a class or teach yourself a language or photography or still life drawing. Substitute good habits for bad ones and you’ll find that the detox process will fly by.
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