Opiate addiction is a serious medical condition that can affect virtually all areas of a patients life. They may have significant problems with personal relationships, health problems, difficulty on the job, legal problems or commonly, all of the above. One only need to turn on the news to hear Ohio is in the midst of an opiate abuse epidemic. Unfortunately opiate addiction can ruin lives and can be fatal. Opiates are medications frequently prescribed for pain but can be abused. Oxycontin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, demerol, codeine are all examples of opiates. Heroin is also an opiate but is not used medically. It will require a medical professional to formally diagnose you with opiate addiction but some common features include:Tolerance: needing increasing amounts of drug. Withdrawal: Physical symptoms relieved by taking more Persistent desire to use despite bad consequences much time, money, activity to obtain the substance. Decreased participation in family/social/recreational activites repeated unsuccessful efforts to quit. If opiate use is ruining your life and you are unable to quit you may have opiate addiction and you might be a candidate for Suboxone therapy. Treatment with Suboxone or Suboxone like products is called medication-assisted opiate therapy. Suboxone is a combination of the medications Buprenorphine and naloxone. The active ingredient is the buprenorphine and it helps with the physical components of withdrawal and cravings and allows the patient a relatively quick reintegration with daily life. This is essential as opiate addiction can impact many areas in a patients life. Buprenorphine is also aderived from opiates and is addictive. The implications of this will be discussed at your visit to see if you are a candidate for this treatment. Medication assisted opiate treatment is undertaken on an outpatient basis and does not typically require a lengthy inpatient stay. Suboxone does not “cure” your opiate addiction. It may help control certain aspects of addiction. In order to get the optimal benefit from treatment, you will need to participate in mental health counseling with you are on Suboxone. Opiate addiction is currently being treated like other chronic diseases such as diabetes or hypertension. These disease cannot be cured but with adequate medical therapy they can be managed so patients can live a full healthy life. You will need to speak with your physician to determine how Suboxone can best be fitted into a treatment plan that is right for you.