Location
Our Seattle Location
Northpoint Seattle’s outpatient treatment program is located in beautiful Seattle, Washington, and we work to help the surrounding communities.
- Seattle
2111 N Northgate Way Suite 101,
Seattle, WA 98133, United States
Suboxone Abuse and Addiction in WA State: Treatment and Recovery Options
It may come as a shock, but drug detox and rehab may be needed to stop using Suboxone. Abuse and addiction are rampant in Washington State when it comes to opioid replacement therapy drugs like this one.
Of course, there are times when using this drug is appropriate, such as when recovering from heroin addiction. But the problem is that it can be used recreationally, and people tend to stay on it for far too long.
Suboxone has become the “gold standard” for treating opioid addiction, and for good reason. It has successfully gotten many people off other opioid drugs. But even though it has its benefits, there are still risks associated with using it. There are many people who start using it without ever being told that it can be addictive. As a result, people often find themselves having to recover all over again.
Suboxone can be extremely dangerous when it is misused in any way. We want to talk about the risks involved with using it, as well as where to find quality treatment in Washington State.
Do You Have Questions About Addiction? Call Our Recovery Experts Now.
What Is Suboxone?
Before diving into the signs of Suboxone abuse, let’s take a quick look at what this drug really is.
Suboxone is a medication currently used to treat the painful symptoms of withdrawal caused by opioid dependency. It’s manufactured exclusively by a pharmaceutical company called Reckitt Benckiser and, historically, came in two forms: a sublingual tablet and a sublingual film.
The tablet version of this drug has since been taken off the market by Reckitt Benckiser (a choice that’s been embroiled in controversy) but a number of generic versions have since been released including Bunavail and Zubsolv released in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Bunavail comes as a dissolvable buccalfilm (meaning it’s placed on the inside of your cheek) while Zubsolv is a sublingualtablet meaning its absorbed under the tongue.
On a chemical level, Suboxone was widely considered to be one of the most promising new medications used to treat opioid dependency. It contains the partial opioid agonist buprenorphine along with the opioid antagonist naloxone.
Working together, these two compounds help reduce the severity of cravings in recovering addicts, eliminate withdrawals when used correctly, and can even block some opioids from producing the sedation and euphoria that they’re abused for.
Subutex is another drug similar to Suboxone. However, while Suboxone has the added anti-abuse chemical naloxone, Subutex is composed solely of buprenorphine. As such, it tends to be more susceptible to abuse than Suboxone and is one of the reasons the drug has since been removed from the market.
There’s never been a direr need in our country for addiction treatment reform than there is today. From May 2016 to May of 2017, an astounding 66,324 people died from a drug overdose in the U.S according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
These numbers are a shocking change from almost two decades ago. In 1999, the number of confirmed drug overdoses was fewer than just 17,000. That’s an almost fourfold increase over just 18 years.
And unsurprisingly, opioids are the main culprits in this unprecedented rise in overdose deaths. With the rise of purportedly safe prescription painkillers like OxyContin and Percocet along with unbounded opioid prescribing guidelines and pharmaceutical industry marketing, more and more Americans grew addicted to these overpowering drugs.
These weren’t just people looking for a quick buzz either. Opioids can be incredibly addictive, even when they’re used according to a legitimate prescription. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention actually found that 1 in 4 patients who receive long-term opioid prescriptions for non-cancer pain actually struggle with addiction.
What’s more, prescription opioids can also be deceptively powerful. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid used in clinical pain management, is as much as 100 times stronger than morphine and even 50 times more potent than heroin.
It’s no wonder, then, that Fentanyl is now responsible for more deaths than heroin.
Clearly, both natural and synthetic opioids are a problem. And if we’re ever going to fix it, we need better addiction therapeutic methods that are proven to be more effective than the old way of treating a dependency issue.
And that’s why Suboxone, one of the most effective opioid dependency treatment medications, has become so important in the addiction world today.
A Suboxone Drug Company is Charged With Fraud: Are Washington Residents Aware?
A British company that makes Suboxone recently lost about 70% of their value because they were accused of fraud. The accusations claimed that they boosted their profits by lying about many aspects of the drug.
Fraud charges were filed against the company, Indivior, in 2019. Indivior makes Suboxone film strips, which are taken sublingually. Their claim was that the medication would address opioid withdrawal symptoms and provide relief. But there is evidence that that claim was not exactly the truth.
The FDA had previously given Indivior seven years to sell Suboxone without fear of competition from generic brands. That window of time ended in 2009. Indivior is accused of lying to doctors, stating that the strips were a safer alternative to the generic pills that were set to be released.
The indictment that was filed claimed that Indivior promoted the film strips as less likely to be abused than tablets. They also claimed that the strips were less likely to be accidentally used by children. But the company was well aware that these statements were not true. Additional allegations claimed that the company lied in 2012 when it announced it was stopping the production of Suboxone in tablet form. They cited concerns about pediatric exposure at that time. But the real story behind their actions was that they hoped to delay the FDA’s approval of generic versions.
Obviously, people are right to question the validity of Suboxone for treating opioid addiction. Many experts believe that people who use this drug are just trading one addiction for another. But our question is, are people in Washington State aware of this deception? Our guess is that most of them are not.
Signs of Suboxone Abuse
Despite being one of the best chances for opioid addicts to get past their painful withdrawals, overcome cravings, and remove the incentive for relapsing, Suboxone is by its very nature an addictive drug itself.
That’s why learning how to identify the signs of Suboxone abuse is so crucial. The more able you are to pick out the symptoms of abusing Suboxone in others, the faster you can get them the professional help they need before it turns into an addiction.
In order to understand how and why Suboxone is abused, it’s necessary to understand a bit more about the chemical compounds that make up this particular medication.
Buprenorphine is the main star of this medication as it’s responsible for the reduction of cravings, lessening of withdrawal symptoms, and even for blocking other opioids from latching onto opioid receptors. And best of all, it isn’t nearly as addictive as other drugs.
Buprenorphine is able to accomplish all this because it is a partial opioid agonist. That means that it binds to the opioid receptors in your brain (the same ones that drugs like heroin bind to) and stimulates them to a lesser degree than other opioids that are full agonists. That’s where the “partial” comes into play in “partial opioid agonist.”
What’s more, buprenorphine is also what’s known as a “sticky molecule,” meaning it has an especially high affinity for these receptors. That means that it tends to be more attracted to these cells and when it does bind, it isn’t likely to come off, thereby blocking the receptor entirely. It can even knock off other opioids from these receptors. That’s how powerful it is.
As a result, detox is less of an overwhelming experience and relapsing is not only less likely but also just plain harder to do (since it literally blocks the receptors).
The second ingredient in Suboxone is not quite as active as buprenorphine but, according to some, it can be just as integral.
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist meaning it blocks off the opioid receptors (like buprenorphine) without actually activating it. Also similar to buprenorphine, naloxone has an especially high affinity for opioid receptors and consequently, can knock of certain other opioids from those receptors too.
But naloxone isn’t just any opioid antagonist. Rather, it’s what’s also known as a partial inverse agonist. That means that it can actually reverse the effects of opioid agonists that attach to the receptors.
This quality in particular makes it especially useful during a potentially fatal opioid overdose. When someone suffering from decreased respiration caused by opioid overdose is treated with naloxone, their respiration can return to normal within minutes.
One side effect of using naloxone in someone with opioids in their system though is that doing so can bring on a precipitated state of opioid withdrawal – the symptoms of which can be excruciating at times.
Now, the reason this compound is included in Suboxone is that it works as an abuse deterrent. When Suboxone is taken properly (either orally, sublingually, or via buccal film), the naloxone remains inactive naturally. If it didn’t, it would react with the buprenorphine and cause precipitated withdrawal.
However, if Suboxone is abused via injection or intranasally by snorting, the naloxone does in fact interact with the buprenorphine and bring about the incredibly uncomfortable symptoms of withdrawal.
This makes Suboxone particularly hard to abuse but, as we’ll see, that doesn’t stop some people.
While Suboxone is much safer and less habit forming than methadone, another opioid agonist used in treating opioid dependency, it can still be abused in order to achieve a high.
Compared to other drugs, however, figuring out exactly how to do so can be a bit tougher. That’s because Suboxone is manufactured with a powerful abuse deterrent (naloxone) built right into the compound. As a result, opioid addicts can’t simply melt Suboxone down and inject it or even crush and snort it without feeling some pretty nasty side effects.
What’s more, buprenorphine itself also has what’s known as a “ceiling effect,” meaning so much buprenorphine up to a point can cause euphoria and sedation. But once that ceiling is reached, you won’t be able to feel any added effects, no matter how much more you take. This is another reason Suboxone is considered so much safer than its alternatives.
These factors all add up to a highly abuse-resistant drug, so much so that it can even be prescribed in a physician’s office rather than distributed via an approved clinic (the only way to receive treatment via methadone).
That being said, these factors also make it significantly easier to get your hands on Suboxone and, most importantly, use it outside of the supervision of the prescriber. With Suboxone, patients can take their dose within the confines of their own home. But with that added level of freedom, they can also find different ways of abusing this drug that its numerous safeguards aren’t able to prevent.
In fact, in 2011 alone more than 21 thousand people were admitted to the emergency department for nonmedical use of buprenorphine. Evidently, drug users are finding a way to abuse this substance.
Methods of Suboxone Abuse
Despite Suboxone seeming like a perfect drug that’s near impossible to abuse, users have found a few ways to take advantage of this deceptively dangerous opioid.
Let’s take a look at how.
For one thing, mixing Suboxone with other drugs can be quite common when it comes to abusing this substance. While most people avoid using Suboxone with other opioids as it is highly likely to cause precipitated withdrawals, the buprenorphine in Suboxone can actually intensify the sedation and euphoria from other central nervous system (CNS) depressants like alcohol, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines.
What’s more, Suboxone may also be combined with other illicit substances such as marijuana.
Data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) report sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), found that the overwhelming majority of emergency department visits involved abusing other substances as well, most notably other pharmaceuticals like benzodiazepines (27%), illicit drugs (also 27%), and alcohol (11%).
– Some drug users may also take advantage of a Suboxone prescription in order to stave off withdrawal symptoms simply to tide them over until their next serious opioid fix. Heroin users, for example, may use Suboxone throughout the week in order to hold up a job and maintain appearances, only to come off the drug so they can get high over the weekend.
Suboxone, then, isn’t helping them get clean but rather is supporting their drug habit in general.
– And finally, users can also take multiple doses of buprenorphine at once, though the maximum effect of doing so is hindered by the drug’s ceiling effect. However, users with a particularly low opioid tolerance can in fact achieve some degree of sedation and euphoria before this ceiling is actually reached.
How Can You Tell If Someone Is Abusing Suboxone?
Just like any other opioid or substance of abuse, misusing Suboxone can lead to the development of a variety of damaging health effects and even a crippling addiction if left untreated. That’s why it’s so important to know how to spot the signs of Suboxone abuse.
Whether it’s a family member, a close friend, or even just an associate, sometimes the only thing holding a person back from getting the help they need is simply someone else pointing out that they know there’s a problem.
The signs below will help you spot Suboxone abuse before it’s too late.
Signs of being high on Suboxone include:
- Extreme drowsiness (e.g. nodding off during conversations)
- Poor memory (e.g. losing track of a what they were just saying)
- Poor coordination (e.g. tripping over furniture)
- Elated mood
- Small pupils
- Slurred speech
- Nausea or vomiting
Whether it’s a significant increase in sick days at work, numerous missed classes, or simply the fact that they’re not really around as much as they used to be, if your friend or family member has a lot of time left unaccounted for, it could be that it’s being spent getting high on Suboxone.
As strange as it sounds, a substance abuse problem takes dedication. It requires an enormous amount of time seeking out the drug and even more to take it and recover from its effects. As such, substance abusers will often sacrifice other aspects of their lives to devote more time to their drug habit. As a result, they may have worse personal hygiene, a dramatically different weight, and they might even put less stake into how they dress as well.
A drug habit is also expensive. And given the numerous financial problems a Suboxone abuser is likely to encounter thanks to their drug use, they might resort to stealing either money or personal possessions from their friends and loved ones. So, be on the lookout.
These are just a few of the signs of a Suboxone abuse problem (and there are more). If you notice these signs and your gut is telling you that something simply isn’t right, it may be time to get them to see professional help.
When dealing with Suboxone abuse, whether it’s on a personal level or involving friends or loved ones, it’s important to realize that misusing this prescription drug can have a number of pretty severe short- and long-term effects.
According to Drugs.com, the most notable short-term effects of using and abusing Suboxone include:
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Lack of strength
- Nausea
- Pain
- Insomnia
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Sneezing
- Fever or chills
- Flushing skin
- Sweating
- Headache
- Dizziness
In the long-term, Suboxone can also have a number of other physical effects as well. As with most opioids, continued Suboxone abuse can cause a variety of gastrointestinal issues like recurring constipation, nausea, and vomiting. This is because the GI tract is one area of the body with an especially high number of opioid receptors that Suboxone ends up binding to.
Frequent Suboxone abuse may also lead to what’s known as Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia, also known as OIH. This condition is marked by a counterintuitive increase in pain sensitivity after using opioids for a period of time. Studies are still being conducted on how exactly this process works but researchers believe it has something to do with glutamate receptors in the brain.
It should be noted that buprenorphine in particular has far less of a risk of causing OIH but has been shown to occur in some studies.
The effects of Suboxone abuse aren’t only physical either. In fact, continued opioid abuse has been linked with a decrease in the brain’s white matter. As a result, frequent Suboxone use could lead to problems with decision-making, behavior control, and responses to stressful situations.
And finally, continued Suboxone abuse also increases the chances of developing an addiction to the drug, the consequences of which can be especially life-altering and devastating.
One of the most devastating consequences of continued Suboxone abuse is an increased risk of overdosing on this dangerous substance. The most common cause of a Suboxone overdose comes from mixing it with other substances like alcohol, benzodiazepines, or illicit substances like marijuana or cocaine.
This danger is especially prevalent when combined with other CNS depressants as doing so can lead to dangerously low levels of respiration.
Also, while buprenorphine naturally has a ceiling effect, taking too much Suboxone alone can also result in a deadly overdose for patients who do not have a high opioid tolerance. For them, a deadly level of buprenorphine can be much lower than this ceiling effect. Suboxone, then, should not be used in patients with a relatively recent or mild abuse problem.
In short then, while buprenorphine is touted as being incredibly safe, abusing this powerful drug can in fact be quite dangerous.
Knowing what to do in case of a Suboxone overdose can end up saving a life. That’s why being able to spot the signs is so important, especially as Suboxone becomes an increasingly popular addiction treatment.
If you think someone is going through a Suboxone overdose, call the Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) or call 911 if the individual has collapsed or is not breathing.
Signs of a Suboxone overdose according to MedlinePlus include:
- Pinpoint pupils
- Extreme drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Slowed breathing
Medscape, an online point-of-care drug and disease information resource for physicians, also points out that additional symptoms may include:
- Lethargy
- Vomiting
- Agitation
- Coma
When severe, the depressed respiration common with Suboxone overdose can lead to death. As such, it’s incredibly important that you contact emergency services as soon as possible. Every second counts when it comes to treating an overdose on Suboxone.
Suboxone Addiction
Suboxone abuse is associated with a host of detrimental health effects to be sure, but one of the worst is the development of an actual addiction to this opioid medication.
Affecting individuals on both a physical and psychological level, a Suboxone addiction can dramatically change the course of an individual’s life – so much so that they may alienate friends and family in the process while also abandoning a hard-earned career as well.
That’s why it’s so important to know precisely what’s involved in a Suboxone addiction as well as some of the signs of its development. This knowledge will not only help you avoid falling down the rabbit hole of dependency but will also aid in determining when it’s time for you to actually get professional help.
As an opioid agonist, Suboxone use and abuse does carry with it the risk of developing an actual addiction. Over time, the body and mind both become physically altered in such a way that normal functioning is impossible without the continual presence of Suboxone.
What’s more, a Suboxone addiction leads to the formation and reinforcement of drug-seeking behaviors which an addict simply can’t control.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse describes the condition as a “chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.”
As you can see, addiction is considered to be an actual disease. This point can be a bit hard to swallow for some people. They argue that addiction is simply a choice – a moral failing that results from a lack of willpower, respect for others, and even a lack of respect for themselves.
But the truth is numerous agencies around the world know that addiction is far more than just a culmination of a series of bad choices. These agencies include:
- The World Health Organization
- The National Institutes on Mental Health
- The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- The United Nations
And while “the initial decision to take drugs is typically voluntary,” writes NIDA, “with continued use, a person’s ability to exert self-control can become seriously impaired.”
It continues, “Brain imaging studies of people with addiction show physical changes in areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decision making, learning and memory, and behavior control.”
One common misconception about addiction is that it is synonymous with physical dependence. And while there is undoubtedly a physical aspect to addiction on a biological level, these two terms are actually describing separate conditions.
To explain, physical dependence develops when the body gets so used to a drug like Suboxone being consistently present that it actually begins to adapt on a physical level. For opioids like Suboxone in particular, that means that your body and mind may start to downregulate (i.e. kill off) some of your opioid receptors, making it harder to achieve a high.
As a result, you start to build up a tolerance to the drug, meaning you must take higher amounts of Suboxone to get the same feeling as before.
When the drug is removed from an addicted system’s use patterns though, it can’t function normally for a period and must adapt by reversing these physical changes. The result of this process is often an onslaught of especially uncomfortable physical and mental symptoms.
These are what are known as symptoms of drug withdrawal.
Experiencing tolerance and withdrawals are the two main criteria for a physical dependency.
Addiction, on the other hand, is more about a pattern of compulsive, drug-seeking behaviors. Physical dependence isn’t always necessary for an addiction, but it is incredibly common among addicts.
For instance, though chronic pain is highly associated with addiction, a patient taking prescription opioids can be physically dependent on painkillers if they experience tolerance and withdrawal. But unless they exhibit compulsive, drug-seeking behaviors, they wouldn’t be considered addicted.
Three Core Components of Addiction
There are three main qualities that characterize an addiction rather than just a physical dependency.
An inability to control one’s own behaviors is one of the hallmarks of addiction. Through continued stimulation of key decision-making pathways in the brain, an addict is compulsivelydriven to seek out drugs, whether they like it or not. Repeated failed attempts at quitting, a desire and inability to slow down, and a lack of self-control when it comes to overusing are just a few examples of this component of addiction.
Though this aspect is not necessarily required in order for a condition to be considered addiction, the two quite frequently go hand-in-hand. A rising tolerance to a drug often leads individuals to seek out more and more of the addictive substance. And if this behavior isn’t curbed early on, it can often lead to the development of the other conditions that characterize addiction.
Not to be confused with just intoxication, impairment in this sense means that an addict will continue their abuse despite knowing the negative consequences that abuse will bring. This could mean alienating friends and family, frequently missing work or school, or putting themselves in physically dangerous situations (e.g. unprotected sex, driving under the influence), all because of their substance abuse.
Developing an addiction to Suboxone can drastically change your life for the worse. And while most people recognize that fact on a fundamental level, they may not truly realize the harm that an addiction can cause.
So, what’s really at stake if you’ve developed an addiction to Suboxone?
- Persistent & Dangerous Health Effects – One of the most commonly cited reasons for avoiding addiction, your physical and mental health are two areas where you likely stand to lose the most. Not only does a Suboxone addiction mean you’ll probably undergo a host of short-term side effects, you may even suffer permanent brain damage as a result.
- Social Alienation – The impact an addiction can have on friends and family can be staggering. It be incredibly hard to rebuild the trust that the constant lying and manipulation of addiction can lay waste to. And if you’re like many addicts, you won’t learn that fact until after it’s too late.
- Financial Ruin – An addiction to Suboxone can be pricey, especially when you take into account the impact it can have on your job. Beyond that, addiction also tends to push aside other obligations as well. Consequently, you may end up defaulting on credit cards, mortgages, and other financial duties.
- A Permanent Legal Record – There is a strong correlation between addiction and crime. Whether you’re getting your hands on Suboxone illegally, are putting yourself in legally questionable situations, or are getting behind the wheel under the influence, an addiction to Suboxone increases the likelihood that you’ll have run ins with the law. And that could mean trouble for your criminal record.
- Loss of Self – Last but not least, an addiction fundamentally changes how you think and act on a fundamental level. Your mood, ability to reason, personality, and even morality can all change dramatically once you’ve developed an addiction to Suboxone. And that might mean you’ll lose sight of who you were before it.
Suboxone and its past producer, Reckitt Benckiser, has been embroiled in a bit of controversy recently.
Today, the sublingual tablet version of Suboxone has been removed from the market due to what Reckitt Benckiser claims are concerns over exposure of these pills to children. However, the pharmaceutical company has since been sued by 35 U.S states who argue that Reckitt Benckiser was engaged in a multi-pronged profiteering scheme that sought to control the market by eliminating generic competition.
After being the sole producer of products containing a buprenorphine and naloxone combination for seven years (awarded to them based on their research and development of the powerful combo), Reckitt Benckiser allegedly increased their tablet prices to manipulate patients into switching over to the sublingual film form. This all happened, of course, right before their exclusive rights to the compound were set to expire.
Once the majority of patients had switched over, they then brought a case to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claiming that the pill version of this compound was unsafe for children. The aim here was to deem pill versions of generic Suboxone as unsafe and, thus, solidify Reckitt Benckiser’s hold on the market.
The FDA did not rule in Reckitt Benckiser’s favor, however, but by then, the damage was done, and most patients had already converted to the sublingual film version. Reckitt Benckiser has since sold off Suboxone manufacturing to another company and in 2017, the case against the manufacturer brought up by 35 states was ultimately dismissed.
The takeaway from all of this isn’t cut and dry. The allegations against Reckitt Benckiser were never verified in a court of law and in the end, there was no proven wrongdoing.
However, it just goes to show that even though these medications are helping countless recovering addicts stay off of life-threatening drugs like heroin, pharmaceutical giants from all sides of the opioid epidemic just might be profiting from this nationwide health crisis.
One of the biggest barriers to getting treated for an addiction is the continuous and persistent denial that so often comes with substance abuse.
This probably isn’t much of a surprise to you. After all, who hasn’t seen the old trope of an intoxicated drug addict insisting that they don’t have a problem? But the true extent of how much of a problem denial poses for treatment might be a bit more dramatic than you think.
According to data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) conducted by SAMHSA, a whopping 20.2 million Americans were classified as needing substance use treatment but did not receive it. Of those 20.2 million in need of treatment, only 4.5% of them thought they had an actual problem.
That’s about 19.3 million people who didn’t receive treatment because they couldn’t admit to themselves that they were addicted.
Denial and addiction, then, tend to go hand in hand.
Part of the reason for this shockingly strong association is the fact that addiction fundamentally alters the way we think, both about ourselves and about the world around us. Drug-seeking behaviors become much more highly prioritized than others because they end up flooding the brain with more dopamine.
And when those behaviors are called into question and ultimately threatened by acknowledging the addiction, your brain has been conditioned to deny that reality.
Developing an addiction leads to a kind of vicious cycle then – the more an individual becomes addicted to a substance, the more they’re predisposed to denying they have a problem at all.
Spotting the Signs of Your Suboxone Addiction
Given just how difficult it can be to admit that you’re struggling with an addiction to Suboxone, it’s critical to your health and safety to learn how to recognize the signs of a Suboxone use disorder early on. Because as you know, the more addicted you become, the less likely you’ll be to admit you have a problem.
This is easier said than done though.
One of the best ways to do so is by objectively evaluating your specific behaviors rather than relying on a gut feeling. This tactic can be instrumental in helping you circumvent the inherent bias for denial that your addiction has likely created.
There are four main methods of doing so.
The first method is by taking a quick online addiction quiz to get a solid idea of whether you exhibit the signs of a Suboxone use disorder. It doesn’t take long to complete, and it might be just the push you need to start looking for professional help.
You can also take advantage of the numerous self-assessment tools provided by NIDA. These tools vary in complexity from just a few questions all the way to multi-tiered result pathways that cover numerous substances of abuse. The majority of these tools are free to use but there are also paid options as well.
For an even more in-depth self-assessment, you can also use the clinical guidelines set out by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th Edition). These 11 scenarios are used by licensed physicians and psychiatrists across the country to diagnose a substance use disorder. If a patient confirms that they’ve experienced at least two of the scenarios in a 12-month period, they likely have a problematic pattern of Suboxone use. You can take a look at these guidelines through the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s page.
And finally, you can also reach out to an expert addiction center for a free phone assessment. These phone calls only take about 20 to 30 minutes and are conducted by a professional and supportive addiction specialist. They’re 100% confidential, zero-obligation, and are one of the best ways to get answers tailored specifically to you.
Suboxone Crime & Punishment
While Suboxone is in fact a 100% legal drug when used according to a doctor’s prescription, abusing Suboxone and other buprenorphine drugs as well as using them to facilitate criminal activity can carry some pretty harsh legal penalties.
Before getting into the maximum federal penalties for Suboxone-related crimes like possession, trafficking, and more, it’s important to understand why Suboxone and prescription drugs in particular have a much different relationship with the law compared to illicit drugs.