The addiction to alcohol afflicts millions of individuals worldwide. Its debilitating effects have caused marriages to fail, depression as well as accidents on the road. There is a long list of possible reasons why individuals drink alcohol. From a medical standpoint, drinking alcohol has many great health benefits. However, most individuals do not drink to be healthy but because they either like the taste, as a way of forgetting a stressful event or because they want to fit in. Some individuals who start drinking eventually start craving for a drink until they no longer know when to stop which leads to addiction. A controversial new drug treatment has been released in the hopes of curing alcoholism in individuals.
The use of Naltrexone is being promoted more as a new drug treatment to cure addiction to alcohol. By blocking the ability of alcohol to release endorphins, it effectively removes the urge and craving to drink. The individual can still choose to consume alcoholic drinks and experience the effects but not the wonderful feeling induced by its consumption. In essence, it is like removing “the magic” of drinking, as according to one Naltrexone user. The drug does not force the individual to quit drinking but instead the individual chooses to do so because the former sensation of bliss no longer exists. Compared to other prescribed medication wherein the individual is told to quit drinking while taking the medication, with Naltrexone individuals are actually asked to drink. This is because the drug does not work without consuming alcohol or being abstinent.
It is interesting to note that there are only a handful of doctors that would prescribe the drug to patients. For one, making the patient drink alcohol while taking the drug makes the doctors uncomfortable. Instead, they advise on abstinence even when prescribing the drug. Medical specialists who are involved with detoxification centers are not keen on prescribing the drug, as it means that they lose potential business and profits. With prescribing the drug, individuals are no longer required to check into an inpatient detox center for the process. This could mean the demise of detoxification and rehab centers.
The prescription and use of Naltrexone as a method to treat alcoholism is still a matter of contention for medical specialists. For those who have used the new drug treatment, they attest to its success in treating the addiction. Specialists, however, are divided. The drug regimen goes against traditional methods of treating addiction where the individual’s issues are addressed in the hopes that they will eventually and voluntarily give up drinking. It may be an issue of the drug working too well and against traditional methods that specialists do not know what to make of it.
Related posts: