Drug Treatment & Therapy

What is Naltrexone Therapy and why is it important?

Naltrexone is a medication used to help those addicted to the opiate category of drugs gain a ‘foothold’ on recovery.

Naltrexone is an opiate antagonist. It works by attaching itself to the endorphin or opiate receptor sites in the brain. This attachment serves as a block to any opiate that may be introduced into the body. Without a receptor site to attach to, the opiate will have no affect in the body. This makes relapse a distant possibility.
The ‘freedom’ gained from an opiate blocker can be put to wise use in a treatment setting. Without the ‘urge’ to ‘score’ the drug, an addict buys time to learn a way to mature and challenge himself with responsibilities. He finds that he can change his unproductive ways into a lifestyle that brings rewards and satisfaction of living right.
Two Naltrexone Applications
Naltrexone Tablet. Naltrexone as an oral tablet has been used for over thirty years. The duration of the effect is limited to only 24 to 48 hours. When the Naltrexone tablet wears off, the urge for an opiate type drug returns. It has been found that this application of naltrexone therapy is not very effective due to patients forgetting or intentionally not taking the tablet. It is not long before opiate use occurs again. It is easy to see why the Naltrexone pellet never became popular in the recovery industry. Until recently.

Naltrexone Implant. A much higher success rate occurs when the addict voluntarily, or a loved one, or the justice system, forces him to undergo the outpatient procedure of having a doctor implant the Naltrexone pellet under the surface of the skin. It is now impossible to skip doses of the medication. This special formulation of naltrexone is designed for a slow release which can last 6-10 weeks. A drug treatment program of three months should be included with Naltrexone. While Naltrexone eliminates the urge, or craving for the opiate based drugs, it can be mistaken for a ‘cure.’ That is a false security. Recovery from any addiction demands self improvement. Naltrexone affords the time period necessary to dedicating and gaining a foundation in recovery, and eliminates the opiate relapse variable. To provide optimum results, we strongly believe that a patient should be on Naltrexone therapy for at least twelve months. These twelve months should include at least two implants, and oral Naltrexone for the remainder of the patient’s first year of sobriety.

Naltrexone is not a substitute for the therapy and personal growth process of a drug rehab and 12 step program. Continued support, as with any ‘tool’ of recovery, increases the odds of a person staying off drugs. Permanent support means permanent success. Support through a program that includes peers, is critical in that eventually a recovering person begins to ‘put’ something into the process of gaining a self-built program of recovery. Mandatory becomes voluntary. The addict begins to feel there is a ‘cause’ more important than himself, and in fact, he sees that the philosophy of a Step Program serves him best when he has committed himself to serve it.

Naltrexone is a powerful tool in the recovery process. Any addict who is dependent on any of the opiate derivative drugs, is a good candidate for treatment. But, again, it is just one of three necessary ingredients for lasting abstinence:
1. Naltrexone
2. Primary Drug Treatment
3. A willingness to change