If you’re considering a visit to a suboxone doctor for substance use disorder treatment, you certainly have queries related to what such treatment entails. This prescription drug plays a vital role in the journey towards addiction recovery. According to Harvard Medical School, it’s essential to have clear doctor-to-patient communication when administering a suboxone prescription. Read on for what to expect during a visit to a suboxone doctor at NC Wellness Center – High Point.
Prepare for a Q&A Session With the Suboxone Doctor
As you start your journey to recovery, the doctors will ask a sequence of questions to help them decide if your condition requires suboxone treatment. Such questions aim at probing into crucial factors, including:
- The last time you used the drug
- The frequency of your use
- Other substances you use
- The type of opiates that caused your addiction
- Whether you consider the opiate of your choice as short- or long-acting
Before continuing with treatment, you’ll need to distinguish the treatment procedure for short- and long-acting opiates.
Short-acting opiate dependence associated with heroin, for example, doesn’t call for a tapering period. The doctor can put you on the suboxone treatment immediately. Nevertheless, there is a caution: It must be done after 12 hours of the last opioid use.
Long-acting substance use disorder related to fentanyl or methadone, for example, requires a slow and measured tapering off period before you can start suboxone treatment.
When treating opioids addiction, it’s recommended to take any buprenorphine-based medication when withdrawal symptoms are at their onset. The medication aids you to reverse your addiction while reducing the severity of the withdrawal and cravings. Additionally, this diminishes the probability of being hooked since suboxone is highly addictive.
What to Expect While Taking Suboxone
After consulting with your suboxone doctor, the rehab center will conduct a final assessment of the viability of the treatment for your addiction. If you’re the right candidate, your initial few days will involve getting used to taking the drug. Your doctor will possibly start by administering a small dose, usually 2-4 mg.
After this stage, your medical practitioner will ascertain the prescription’s efficiency and your reaction to the drug. This progression is essential because the drug can be addictive. Throughout your treatment, the doctor may increase your dose slowly, based on your tolerance and needs. Higher dosages are characteristically more than 4 mg but less than 24 mg.
Long-Term Suboxone Use
After completing the introductory level of suboxone dosage, your doctor will advance the treatment to a long-term course that will permanently end your substance use disorder. However, treatment often varies from doctor to doctor or facility to facility.
Typically, after the third day of your treatment, if your condition is stable, the physician will review your medication’s response and might recommend dosage changes. After your 5th day on suboxone, you should start feeling normal.
Psychotherapy
Talk therapy is the final phase of your substance abuse treatment program, as it ensures your journey toward recovery is fruitful and enables you to maintain sobriety. At this phase, your therapist will equip you with the needed skills to deal with cravings and prevent relapse.
For example, you’ll learn coping skills that are beneficial in handling anxiety and stress, allowing you to understand better what led you into substance abuse. Your suboxone doctor at NC Wellness Center – High Point will concur that therapy tactics are instrumental, especially in light of addiction’s mental factors. Useful therapy programs include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Family therapy
- Psychoeducational group therapy
- Trauma therapy
- Motivational enhancement therapy
Find a Suboxone Doctor and Start the Path to Recovery
Suboxone treatment is an ideal solution for people struggling with opioids addiction. However, it would be best to first consult a suboxone doctor regarding any apprehensions you may have and understand how the treatment works. Contact NC Wellness Center – High Point at [Direct] to get started on your addiction treatment.
