[vyper]

Heroin? We don't need no stinkin heroin:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.01/detox.html?tw=wn_tophead_5

Interesting, no?

[Liberator]

It doesn't solve the psychological problems that led them to drug abuse in the first place, nor will it aleveate the withdrawal effects.  Quick Fixes like this mean less than nothing if they're just doing it to appear clean for some reason.  Long Term success(greater that 6 months) is probably around 10%-15%.

[aldo_14]

It's a method, but it can't stand alone.

NB: Read page 3-4 in particular, though; don't just read the 1st page or so

[Liberator]

This quote troubles me:

"The 12-step program is an outdated 20th-century concept," says Clifford Bernstein, an assistant clinical professor of anesthesiology at UC Irvine and medical director of the Waismann Institute, the nation's leading rapid detox center. "For 70 years, thanks to Alcoholics Anonymous, addicts have been told they're suffering from a spiritual problem. AA assumes that you can talk someone out of their addiction - which is ridiculous. Addiction is a medical problem. If somebody has cancer, you don't try to talk them out of their disease."

He's curing the physical addiction sure, but so much of addiction, to anything, is in the mind of the addict.  He doesn't seem to realize this and it's something modern medicine is veering away from with frightening speed.  They are treating the hardware failures/defects without considering that the software has faults that led to the hardware failure in the first place.

[vyper]

The quicker you treat the physical problem the sooner you can move on to the mental issues.

[Liberator]

But, unless close tabs are kept on the patient, they could relapse easily and with no one but themselves, their supplier, and God would be the wiser.  It's not an either/or or a now/later proposition, it's both/together simoultaneously.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Liberator
But, unless close tabs are kept on the patient, they could relapse easily and with no one but themselves, their supplier, and God would be the wiser.  It's not an either/or or a now/later proposition, it's both/together simoultaneously.

It's a medical advance though, no doubt.  

The issue (here)  is not regarding the effectiveness of the drug in curing the addition, but in the need for a protracted care program to prevent relapse....if this works and removes the medical 'need' for the drug, it's still a Very Good Thing.

 It's not all that dissimilar to the methodone program, after all; methodone is used as it has a reduced withdrawal effect compared to heroin.  And it's worth remembering the addiction is within in the brain itself in both medical and psychological terms (addiction to dopamine produced as a result of the drug IIRC).

[Moonsword]

Lib, I agree with you that people need to be treated for psychological as well as physical addiction, but breaking one, if used correctly, can be a great stride forward.

[Black Wolf]

Think about it this way - someone wants to get off, but can't get through the physical pain of Cold Turkey. This gives them that. If there're psychological probalems as well, then that's another thing - this is a cure for addiction, not a cure all.