Case Study: The Methadone Train

There has been an astounding increase in the use of illegal drugs during pregnancy, therefore increasing the number of babies born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. Just a few short years ago, the babies who suffered through Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome were treated with drug therapy with medications such as Methadone, Morphine, or Clonidine in the neonatal intensive care unit. However, the prevalence of drug use in pregnancy and in turn neonatal abstinence syndrome has caused the newborn nursery to turn into a drug rehabilitation center for these babies. Several issues arise with the obstetrical healthcare team when taking care of these patients, such as a negative personal bias resulting from the negative stigma of drug use especially during

Drug abuse is the habitual taking of addictive or illegal drugs in order to feel a euphoria, treat pain, or help with sleeping disorders. Drug abuse is a chronic brain disease that causes drug use despite the harmful consequences to the user and the people around them. In Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the dystopian society portrayed is oblivious to the impact of the censorship around them. Books are banned and if found, they are burned along with their houses. The people in this society do not have time to think about anything because they are constantly surrounded by the constant chaos of loud noises on commercials or televisions and are over stimulated. Addiction and drug abuse is used as a way to escape the harsh problems in society.

Sam Quinones’ Dreamland is a commentary about the opioid problem in America. Quinones draws attention to how in the twentieth century opioids were seen as addictive: “[D]octers treating the terminally ill faced attitudes that seemed medieval when it came to opiates” (184). In the 1970s, Purdue Pharma stated that opioids such as morphine were not addictive substances. After this study was released, many doctors began to view opioids as a viable option for pain relief. Throughout the rest of the book, Quinones explains the shift from doctors never prescribing opiates to prescription opiates being used to treat any sort of pain: chronic back pain, arthritis, severe headaches, etc. Pain became the “fifth vital sign” and with everyone wanting to

I. Importance: As American deaths from drug overdoses continue to rise in the United States, the nation is faced with a public health crisis so profound that in October 2017, President Trump declared the opioid epidemic to be a national public health emergency (Merica). President Trump’s declaration came after numerous studies indicating the danger opioid addiction posed; for example, a 2016 study entitled “Increases in Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths—United States, 2010-2015” claimed that drug overdose deaths “nearly tripled during 1999-2014,” reaching a startling high 52,404 deaths in 2015 (Rudd, et al). These statistics are more than just disturbing revelations regarding the opioid crisis; they are evidence of a serious problem that is rapidly affecting the lives of more and more Americans every year.

          The opioid crisis has risen over the years here in America. The addiction to painkillers has caused many drug overdoses across America. According to the Vox," In 2015, more than 52,000 people have died from drug overdoses from linked to opioids such as Percocet, heroin, Oxycontin or even fentanyl. This problem did not become an overnight health crisis, but it has become quickly known in America.

The Methadone Maintenance Treatment (Camh) helps patients overcome an addiction of opioid dependence. The treatment uses methadone as a replacement for the opioid. Methadone is a narcotic drug that helps suppress opioid withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings for opioids, not induce intoxication (e.g., sedation or euphoria) and reduce the euphoric effects of other opioids, such as heroin (Camh). MMT is beneficial to the patient in many reasons. Methadone helps suppress opioid withdrawal symptoms because patients in this treatment program are given only one a day. According to the Camh, methadone lasts for about 24 to 36 hours, while heroin lasts for three to six hours, which are easier to overdose. Another benefit

For starters, Hari discusses how society over the years has made misconceptions about addiction, because of this addicts have been wrongfully treated, and blame was placed incorrectly. The author goes on to explain two different stories; both being well known about the prescription drug crisis. One being the fact that even the most powerful drugs such as diamorphine hasn’t caused addiction (Hari). In fact, that didn’t make sense to Hari on how powerful drugs were used in extreme medical cases and through prolonged use none became addicted. This is one of the misconceptions about addiction. What Hari and his findings concluded about addiction is that addiction doesn’t come from drug hooks, more so the root of addiction is depression and disconnection. “The Canadian physician Gabor Maté argues in his book “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts” that studies examining the medicinal use of narcotics for pain relief find no significant risk of addiction” (Hari). This being said, what we thought we knew about addiction isn’t correct. During the Gin Craze back in the 18th century an enormous amount of people was driven out of their everyday lives to urban slums, which through all their distressed caused them to drink their selves to death. Even if Gin wasn’t around, they would have found something else to ease the pain of everyday life. But there

Opiate addiction is much different than that of other substances that are abused and can cause addiction. Opiate addiction is a serious problem in our country and will become an even bigger problem in the years ahead. The persistent use of opiates and is thought to be a disorder of the central nervous system. Though opiate painkillers are prescribed by physicians, opiate addiction is an insidious medical disease. But since opiate addiction is far more than a behavior problem, treatment requires more than just therapy.

The target customer group for Open Arms Opioid Clinic will be all persons in Lee County with new or current prescriptions for opioid medications. Our secondary target customer group will be family members and friends of those customers who may be on opioid medications. Our target customers can be of any socio-economic class with no specified demographic. The quality of life of these customers will be improved by their willingness to take part in our program.

Thank you for an informative paper. What troubles me about methadone treatment is how it is a substitute for another narcotic. It is sad about heroin addicts that do not want to get off their narcotic dependence. However, I do not feel that methadone is the answer because it is replacing one narcotic for another; although they have less craving. The other side to this issue is that methadone death have increased. According the CDC (Center for Disease Control) in 2009, death from methadone increased sevenfold since 1999. They call it one of the most deadly drugs around (Boyles, 2005).

One issue that social workers are faced with today is the ever growing population of Heroin and Methamphetamine users in Indiana. Over the past several years, both heroin and meth usage in Indiana has continued to rise. This surge has affected citizens of Indiana in a multitude of ways, including children being removed from homes. The increased removal rate has put on a strain on emergency shelters to provide for “drug endangered children.”

Opioids are a category of pain medications that reduce the stimulus of pain signals sent from the brain. Within this category are medications such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, codeine, and other similar drugs. These medications are used to treat mild to severe pain depending on dosages and type of opioid given. With the reduced perception of pain also comes a plethora of unpleasant symptoms such as drowsiness, mental confusion, nausea, constipation, and, depending upon the amount of drug taken, can depress respiration. However, many experience a euphoric experience after administration that drives them to abuse opioids. This abuse leads to addiction or overdose which

Medication Assisted Treatment, or "MAT" for short, is the use of FDA approved medication for the treatment of opiate/opioid addiction and substance abuse with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat addiction (Cormier, 2014). This treatment can be used concurrently with a 12-step addiction program. Common medications used with this treatment are Methadone, Buprenorphine, Naltrexone, Acamprosate and Disulfiram. Despite research demonstrating MAT’s effectiveness as an evidence-based practice, such treatment remains underutilized (Reardon, 2014). For example, less than one-half of the 2.5 million Americans aged 12 or older who abused or were dependent on opioids in 2013 received MAT with positive effects (Volkow, Frieden, Hyde, & Cha, 2014). Training on MAT needs to be expanded to providers to aid in decreasing the rate of overdose and abuse. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides in depth detail as to where providers can receive this certification along with information on regulations and guidelines of the program. Oversight of treatment medications used in MAT remains a multilateral system involving states, SAMHSA, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and DEA (Legislation, Regulations, and Guidelines,

According to butcher a behavioral pattern of someone who abuses and is dependent on drugs such as morphine and heroin commonly introduce the drug into the body by smoking, snorting, eating, skin popping, and mainlining. In Sean’s case the discovered needle tracks on his arms indicate that he might be consuming the drugs by skin popping or mainlining. Those who are addicted to opiates experience withdrawal symptoms after approximately 8 hours of using the drug. In Sean’s case he arrived at the hospital with symptoms of vomiting and abdominal cramps. Physiological dependence will result in withdrawal symptoms that include depression and suicidal thoughts. It appears as if Sean is going through a withdrawal face therefore, he is experiencing

If a parent has a drug addiction then the child is more likely to have a drug addiction because the parent had it while during the child’s process. Drug addiction is a compulsive drive to take drugs in defiance of them being potentially serious or having a dangerous consequence. Recent studies have shown that it is not simply a choice whether or not we become a drug addict, it also involves many genetic and environmental factors. When a woman is pregnant, a baby is growing inside of her. If the woman uses drugs while she is going through the child’s birthing process, the drugs can pass onto the child. A child’s mother who has used alcohol and drugs while they were pregnant, sometimes the child might need special medical care all their lives and some might not be able to live on their own when they grow up.