Why opioid dependence needs treatment
Although opioid dependence is a very personal experience, there are aspects of the condition people may need help managing. Why? The fact is, opioid dependence can reset the brain’s chemistry, so you think the drug is necessary for survival. When your brain tells you that you can’t live without a drug, it can lead you to behaviours that would not previously have been engaged in.
Effective treatments for opioid dependence address not only brain chemistry but also these behavioural changes. Treating opioid dependence is very similar to the treatment of other chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure in that it can involve medication-assisted treatment, counselling, in-patient treatment programs, and/or 12 step programs to help promote lifelong goals in managing this disease.
The primary goals of all treatments for opioid dependence are to help you:
- Stop opioid misuse
- Identify harmful behaviours and learn to follow new healthy ones
- Get back to the people, places and things that are important to you