Dealing with Opiate Addiction in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Dealing with Opiate Addiction in Grand Rapids, Michigan

In Grand Rapids, Michigan so many people are in need of drug rehab for opiate addiction that it is putting a strain on the budget that the state had allocated to help individuals overcome addiction. In 2008 there were just under 9000 people in Grand Rapids seeking out help for heroin, morphine and prescription drug addiction. In 2010 there were just under 20,000 people who needed some sort of help for their addiction. It used to be that Heroin was the primary opiate drug of choice in Grand Rapids. Today many are hooked on prescription drugs like OxyContin. There is a constant debate on how individuals who struggle with opiate addiction should be treated.  Many choose to get help for their opiate addiction through methadone treatment. While this may work for some going the route of methadone to help with addiction can be very dangerous. Methadone is extremely addictive and like any other drug is commonly abused. It is not uncommon to find individuals in addiction treatment who are there for methadone abuse. The best way to stop addiction whether it is for heroin, prescription pain medication, cocaine or alcohol is through first relieving the physiological dependency to drugs and alcohol through a medically supervised detox and then going to a comprehensive addiction treatment to address the psychological aspect of addiction. In Grand Rapids, Michigan the number of those with opiate addiction has increased so much and many are choosing to treat their opiate addiction with methadone virtually exchanging one problem for another. Substituting one drug for another is never a good idea. If someone struggles with addiction to one drug they are likely going to start abusing whatever they substitute it for. Methadone is just as if not more dangerous than OxyContin or Heroin. More often than not the person decides to go on a methadone maintenance program wind up addicted and abusing methadone just as they did their first drug of choice.