The Wrong Way to Treat Opioid Addiction

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The Wrong Way to Treat Opioid Addiction
Maia Szalavitz in her article “The Wrong Way to Treat Opioid Addiction” describes the controversy about addiction medication. She specifically illustrates the use of Buprenorphine in medication-assisted treatment which is widely rejected as some individuals consider it to be a barrier to ending overdose cases in outpatients. Maia Szalavitz main argument is that dependence on buprenorphine in the treatment of opioid addiction is not addiction as its benefits outweigh the risks associated with its use. Hence, relying on buprenorphine to treat opioid addiction is not an addiction but rather a way of prolonging the lifespan of the patient.
According to the reporter, addiction is primarily used to describe a condition where patients continuously engage in activities or use of a substance such as crack for pleasure. The continuous use of the substance becomes compulsive such that they cannot participate in ordinary activities (Maia Szalavitz). On the other hand, Maia Szalavitz suggests that drug dependence is an adaptive behavior that results from continuous administration of a drug. Withdraw from the use of the drug results in cessation. In buprenorphine dependence, the addiction can be diagnosed without experiencing withdrawal syndrome. Furthermore, the positive effects of the substance are more than the adverse effects and therefore make it a better plan for treating opioid addiction. However, in substance addiction withdrawing from the use of the substance results in withdrawal syndrome which may have severe impacts on the user.

Also, the positive impacts of using the substances are minimal implying that addiction is health-wise hazardous.
In conclusion, the article by Maia Szalavitz mainly describes the appropriate method of treating opioid addiction by differentiating addiction and dependence. In her opinion, Maia Szalavitz prefers the use of buprenorphine in the treatment process of opioid addiction even with the critique from some experts as patients can engage in simple activities, and their lives are prolonged.

Work cited
Maia Szalavitz. “The Wrong Way to Treat Opioid Addiction.” The New York Times, Jan 17, 2018. Accessed (January 21, 2018) https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/17/opinion/treating-opioid-addiction.html