Suboxone: 16 Practical Tips for Successful Buprenorphine Treatment

Buprenorphine, often better known by the brand name Suboxone®, is currently the preferred drug for helping people recover from opiate addiction. But how is the drug best used? Is it something that should be used on a short-term or long-term basis? Can patients really taper off the drug, and if so, how do they go about it with a minimal amount of problems? And what other things should Suboxone patients be doing to ensure they have a positive experience with the drug? In this compelling book, Sebastian Enfield lays it all on the line, and explains how doctors and patients should approach buprenorphine therapy to maximize the chances of successful treatment and recovery. Author Sebastian Enfield had it all. A loving family, an up-and-coming career at a Fortune 500 company, good friends and an active social life. He was living the proverbial American dream. Until, that is, his life was sidetracked when he became addicted to painkillers. It all started with far-too-easy online purchases of narcotic pills, and eventually Sebastian “graduated” to heroin. As with most addicts, as his opiate habit developed his life began to unravel. Family, friends and career became less and less important. Maintaining his expensive addiction became the most important priority each day. But when a winter blizzard came one December and “his guy” stopped returning his phone calls, Sebastian knew another kind of storm was heading his way. Withdrawal. He suffered in bed for a few days before his dealer finally returned his calls and delivered the goods. But this was the final turning point. After all he had gone through, Sebastian knew things couldn’t continue like this. So he made arrangements to visit a Suboxone-prescribing doctor, and very shortly thereafter, he was finally on the long road to recovery. But while being treated with Suboxone, Sebastian had some anxieties and a lot of questions. “How long should I really be on this stuff? Should I try to taper off or not? And if so, how do you do it so as to minimize any discomfort? What other things should I be doing to aid in my recovery?” He looked to the Internet for answers, but what he found was a lot of contradictory information, posts from people claiming that “this stuff is even worse than what I was on before!”, and even disagreement among doctors and other health professionals with regard to Suboxone treatment protocols. Sebastian suspected that if he found all this confusing, there were probably many others in the same boat. And so, he set out to investigate all of this, and to write a book that explained his findings in clear and simple terms. Sebastian spoke with various doctors, Suboxone patients and therapists, and synthesized their views and opinions, along with his own experiences, into a book of tips and suggestions that would help doctors and patients best approach buprenorphine treatment. Sebastian begins with his own compelling story, where he details the life journey that ultimately led to drug addiction. He then presents several suggestions and tips that cover a wide range of questions he knew Suboxone patients had. The book covers a variety of topics, such as how to best select a doctor, how to approach counseling (and whether you really need counseling), how to taper off the medication with minimal discomfort (and whether you even should taper off the medication), resources that may help with paying for treatment, and a variety of “lifestyle hacks” Sebastian found to be useful while being treated. Sebastian lays all of this out clearly, and provides a positive and motivating read that will help patients understand that treatment with buprenorphine need not be a scary and uncertain thing. On the contrary, it can be a constructive part of recovery from opiate addiction. As he put it, “This is the book I wish I had when I began buprenorphine treatment.”