More and more addicts are turning to pills (which may seem a little paradoxical at first!)in order to beat their addictions.
Research into addiction increasingly sees it as a brain disease and not always something that a person can just stop doing.
As more and more pills are coming on the market for addicts, they are depending less on rehab clinics and more on these prescriptions.
A new pill called Naltrexone is seeing success by eliminating the craving felt by so many addicts. Naltrexone joins other anti-addiction pills like Antabuse (for alcoholics) and there are many other formulas being tested.
Many of these are in the form of shots, administered by a doctor.
Studies are showing very good outcomes with anti-addiction medications and those currently using them say they work, and work well.
Traditionalists, however, are not so quick to adopt anti-addiction pills. Many still believe that talk therapy and 12 step-type programs are better, and treat the body, mind and spirit of a person, rather than just the body/brain. Proponents of anti-addiction pills admit to being frustrated by many rehab clinics reluctance to even discuss the option of anti-addiction medication with their patients/clients - some even believe that rehab clinics are not interested in this newer approach for fear of going out of business. Not so, say the clinics. They simply believe their approach is better due to their well-rounded approach and that even though addiction is a brain disease - the emotional and spiritual healing they offer is just as important.
Of course, like any treatment for addiction, the addict has to make the decision to get treatment and stick with it - no matter what kind they choose.
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Do you think anti-addiction pills could replace therapy? Have you had any experience with either?