The statistics surrounding addiction in America are staggering. Over 20 million people over the age of 12 have an addiction that is not tobacco, over 90% of people with addictions started drinking or using illicit drugs before the age of 18, and 2.6 million people living with addictions are addicted to both alcohol and illicit drugs.
The problem is reaching new heights and the pharmaceutical industry in America is in many ways contributing to the problem. Consider the case of OxyContin, a painkiller whose sales benefited Purdue Pharma. In its first year on the market, OxyContin brought in $45 million dollars in revenue. Five years later, the number was over $1.1 billion, which is an increase of over 2000% in a little over four years.
Incredible growth of a product within its market, with a little aid from dubious advertising. In 2007, Purdue Pharma pled guilty to branding the drug with intent to defraud and mislead the public. They paid $635 million in penalties.
While that may seem like vindication for some, to those addicted to painkillers or other substances, the pains of physical, mental, and emotional dependence on alcohol or illicit drugs must be met with treatment. It’s a tough road for some–the admittance of a problem, the seeking of help, and the day to day management of an illness.
There are many options for treatments programs in the U.S. and abroad. Detox centers can range from the plush residences in a beautiful part of the country to mental hospitals with a detox wing, where the most stimulating activity is playing cards or watching television. And while painkillers are still the number one cause of addiction in the United States, pharmaceutical drugs are coming up with other options to ease physical dependence such as Antabuse and Naltrexone.
Drug treatment uses a wide range of tools to treat different types of addiction, such as opiate addiction, methamphetamine addiction, alcohol addiction, or OxyCondin addiction. One of the new forms of treatment still not available in the U.S. is through an Ibogaine treatment center.
An Ibogaine treatment center uses a drug called Ibogaine to severely lessen physical dependence on substances like opiates and alcohol. Ibogaine is a psychedelic, taken orally, and is divided into two phases: visionary and introspection. It causes dissociation and a dreamlike state while fully conscious, so that memories and feelings and experiences can be processed.
Ibogaine addiction treatment can be found in several countries. Research with opiate addiction is especially promising. One statistic states that Ibogaine, when used for treatment purposes, can eliminate up to 98% of opiate withdrawal symptoms.
There is little doubt that addiction is reaching a public health crisis level in America, whether in the form of addiction to legal painkillers or addiction to alcohol. Drug treatment, through an Ibogaine treatment center or more traditional route, can help those struggling with addiction recover.
