Summary: An Efficacious Approach To Heroin Abuse
Harm Reduction, Maintenance Treatment and Counselling
An Efficacious Approach to Heroin Abuse
Harm Reduction, Maintenance Treatment and Counselling
An Efficacious Approach to Heroin Abuse
In the film Through a Blue Lens, the relapse of heroin addicts was a prominent issue, one that is the greatest obstacle to overcome. In order to mitigate both physical and psychological damage, harm reduction, counselling, and the availability of various maintenance treatments such as methadone and naltrexone are vital. Without a harmonized strategy against heroin addiction society will continue to face the growing problems that come with the disease.
Arguably the most important step of dealing with the …show more content…
issues that arise out of heroin addiction is harm reduction. Due to the nature of addictive drugs, prevention at its best does little but exacerbate the problem because there is an imperative need for the user to combat the effects of withdrawal. Through needle exchange programs, the provision of clean syringes, sterile water, turnacits, and rubbing alcohol ensure that drug users can get what they need while significantly reducing rates of HIV (World Health Organization, 2004). While it may seem on the surface to enable the use of drugs, the provision of clean paraphernalia instead provides a way for a need to be satisfied while providing the first step towards treatment.
Furthermore, a harm reduction approach deals with the problem of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV. While it is argued that users such as prostitutes avoid the use of condoms or clean equipment due to personal cost (Bellis, David J. 1990), the provision of free methadone treatment helped reduce the rate of infection significantly (Bellis, David J. 1993). This reveals that a next necessary step is to provide free help for those suffering, due to the extreme financial burden created by dependence on drugs such as heroin.
Maintenance treatments such as methadone and, in more recent years, naltrexone have provided an avenue from which an addict can break free from their addiction without suffering the full effects of withdrawal. Without them, heroin users would be forced to relapse again and again with no hope for recovering; however, these kinds of treatments cannot efficacious provided on their own.
What needs to be provided in addition to maintenance treatment is counselling, because psychological health is vital in overcoming addiction.
Like alcohol, heroin lets the user forget their life problems; overlooking these issues is a significant contribution to the high relapse rate that plagues all addiction programmes. However, the effects of heroin are severe in the way that while they may think they will gain control of their life through use of the drug, they soon dictate the user’s lifestyle. It is a lifestyle that is impossible to maintain with psychological integrity, which is why the support of others is necessary.
Another important variable that alters the efficacy of harm reduction treatment is the stigma attached to heroin addiction. Many users report losing the trust of friends, family, and other loved ones which only weaken the social bonds needed to overcome the psychological dependence on the drug. Social perception of an addict is one that is homeless, unemployed, and an otherwise non-contributor to society which is a fallacy; upper-class and otherwise hard-working individuals suffer the same consequences of heroin use. It is a slippery slope that can result in the same fate as those of a lower socioeconomic
standard.
Harm reduction methods to date have exemplified the most efficacious way to combat the negative physical and psychological effects of heroin addiction. Without the combined efforts of counselling and maintenance treatment, it is impossible to make a significant impact in the fight against addiction. A change is needed in the way that society views addicts. There must be acceptance in the fact that there will be drug abuse, and thus choose to support their trials rather than stigmatize them; only then will the path to recovery be clear.
References
Bellis, D. J. (1990). Fear of AIDS and risk reduction among heroin-addicted female street prostitutes: Personal interviews with 72 southern California subjects. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, 35(3), 26-37. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.qa.proquest.com/docview/617770010?accountid=14771.
Bellis, D. J. (1993). Reduction of AIDS risk among 41 heroin addicted female street prostitutes: Effects of free methadone maintenance. Journal of Addictive Diseases, 12(1), 7-23. doi:10.1300/J069v12n01_02.
Mannix, V. (Director). (1999). Through a Blue Lens [Motion Picture]. Canada: National Film Board of Canada.
World Health Organization, (2004). Effectiveness of sterile needle and syringe programming in reducing HIV/AIDS among IDUs. Retrieved from website: http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/idu/e4a-needle/en/index.html
An Efficacious Approach to Heroin Abuse
Harm Reduction, Maintenance Treatment and Counselling
An Efficacious Approach to Heroin Abuse
In the film Through a Blue Lens, the relapse of heroin addicts was a prominent issue, one that is the greatest obstacle to overcome. In order to mitigate both physical and psychological damage, harm reduction, counselling, and the availability of various maintenance treatments such as methadone and naltrexone are vital. Without a harmonized strategy against heroin addiction society will continue to face the growing problems that come with the disease.
Arguably the most important step of dealing with the …show more content…
issues that arise out of heroin addiction is harm reduction. Due to the nature of addictive drugs, prevention at its best does little but exacerbate the problem because there is an imperative need for the user to combat the effects of withdrawal. Through needle exchange programs, the provision of clean syringes, sterile water, turnacits, and rubbing alcohol ensure that drug users can get what they need while significantly reducing rates of HIV (World Health Organization, 2004). While it may seem on the surface to enable the use of drugs, the provision of clean paraphernalia instead provides a way for a need to be satisfied while providing the first step towards treatment.
Furthermore, a harm reduction approach deals with the problem of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV. While it is argued that users such as prostitutes avoid the use of condoms or clean equipment due to personal cost (Bellis, David J. 1990), the provision of free methadone treatment helped reduce the rate of infection significantly (Bellis, David J. 1993). This reveals that a next necessary step is to provide free help for those suffering, due to the extreme financial burden created by dependence on drugs such as heroin.
Maintenance treatments such as methadone and, in more recent years, naltrexone have provided an avenue from which an addict can break free from their addiction without suffering the full effects of withdrawal. Without them, heroin users would be forced to relapse again and again with no hope for recovering; however, these kinds of treatments cannot efficacious provided on their own.
What needs to be provided in addition to maintenance treatment is counselling, because psychological health is vital in overcoming addiction.
Like alcohol, heroin lets the user forget their life problems; overlooking these issues is a significant contribution to the high relapse rate that plagues all addiction programmes. However, the effects of heroin are severe in the way that while they may think they will gain control of their life through use of the drug, they soon dictate the user’s lifestyle. It is a lifestyle that is impossible to maintain with psychological integrity, which is why the support of others is necessary.
Another important variable that alters the efficacy of harm reduction treatment is the stigma attached to heroin addiction. Many users report losing the trust of friends, family, and other loved ones which only weaken the social bonds needed to overcome the psychological dependence on the drug. Social perception of an addict is one that is homeless, unemployed, and an otherwise non-contributor to society which is a fallacy; upper-class and otherwise hard-working individuals suffer the same consequences of heroin use. It is a slippery slope that can result in the same fate as those of a lower socioeconomic
standard.
Harm reduction methods to date have exemplified the most efficacious way to combat the negative physical and psychological effects of heroin addiction. Without the combined efforts of counselling and maintenance treatment, it is impossible to make a significant impact in the fight against addiction. A change is needed in the way that society views addicts. There must be acceptance in the fact that there will be drug abuse, and thus choose to support their trials rather than stigmatize them; only then will the path to recovery be clear.
References
Bellis, D. J. (1990). Fear of AIDS and risk reduction among heroin-addicted female street prostitutes: Personal interviews with 72 southern California subjects. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, 35(3), 26-37. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.qa.proquest.com/docview/617770010?accountid=14771.
Bellis, D. J. (1993). Reduction of AIDS risk among 41 heroin addicted female street prostitutes: Effects of free methadone maintenance. Journal of Addictive Diseases, 12(1), 7-23. doi:10.1300/J069v12n01_02.
Mannix, V. (Director). (1999). Through a Blue Lens [Motion Picture]. Canada: National Film Board of Canada.
World Health Organization, (2004). Effectiveness of sterile needle and syringe programming in reducing HIV/AIDS among IDUs. Retrieved from website: http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/idu/e4a-needle/en/index.html