Treatment for Persons with Heroin Addiction

Heroin addiction is devastating to both the person addicted and to society. Attempts to treat heroin addiction have proved difficult due to the extreme addictive qualities of the drug. Medication-assisted recovery or pharmacotherapy, such as methadone and buprenorphine, are controversial in that it is providing a medication that has similar qualities of heroin itself. Behavioral treatments alone have limited success due to many factors. The literature presented will provide a look at heroin and heroin addiction, as well as a comprehensive study of outpatient treatments that are currently being used. The purpose of this study is to determine the most effective way to treat heroin addiction as the number of overdoses and death are on the rise. ii DEDICATION I dedicate this research paper in the memory of my mother, father, and brother who all left this world this past year. Their support throughout my life will never be forgotten.