Vivitrol: Can it Help You Beat Alcohol Addiction?
Vivitrol is not a completely new idea in addiction treatment. In fact, its former incarnation has been used to effectively treat alcohol addiction for years now. In its new form, it is an injectable that effectively limits the number of slips during recovering as well as their duration and helps alcoholics to avoid alcohol cravings.
How Does Vivitrol Work to Combat Alcohol Addiction?
The active ingredient in Vivitrol is naltrexone, a drug that effectively treats addiction to both alcohol and opiates like heroin and prescription painkillers. It works by blocking the opioid receptors in the brain, preventing alcohol and opiate drugs from attaching. Patients may drink but be unable to get high or drunk as a result when they are taking Vivitrol, because Vivitrol blocks the effects of alcohol or opiate drugs as long as it is in the system.
Unfortunately, the euphoric response or high is the only thing blocked by Vivitrol. Those who drink will still experience other side effects of alcohol, like slurred speech, slow response time, drowsiness and more.
Blocking the high provided by alcohol is not the only way that Vivitrol fights alcohol addiction. It also limits cravings by as much as 90 percent, helping many patients to get through most days without having to deal with the impulse to drink.
How Long Does Naltrexone and Vivitrol Continue to Fight Alcohol Addiction?
Perhaps the only drawback to naltrexone is the fact that it must be taken every day when it is in pill form or else the effects fade after a few days. It’s easy for patients who are frustrated with alcohol addiction recovery to forget or purposely skip taking their medication when they are not under the medical supervision of professionals.
As an injectable, Vivitrol removes this issue. It’s given once monthly at a doctor’s office and lasts until the next visit. No maintenance medication is required. A continual stream of naltrexone is released into the blood throughout the month, allowing the patient to focus on recovery or other issues related to rebuilding life after alcohol addiction.
Other Benefits of Vivitrol
One of the biggest problem facing those in recovery for alcohol addiction is the stigma that comes with the disease. Vivitrol shots given by a doctor helps to frame the disorder for the addict as the medical disorder it is rather than as an issue of character.
If you would like to learn more about the types of alcohol addiction treatment options available at Michael’s House, contact us at the phone number listed above today.
