Final answer:
Treatments for drug dependence focus on alleviating withdrawal symptoms and tackling both physical and psychological dependence on substances. Methadone is an example of a medication that is used to help treat opioid addiction by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms without creating a high.
Step-by-step explanation:
Treatments for Drug Dependence
Treatments for drug dependence address a wide range of symptoms that are associated with the cessation of drug use, known as withdrawal symptoms. The condition in which stopping the use of a substance, such as a psychoactive drug, produces physical and/or psychological symptoms is known as dependence. Drug withdrawal can include a variety of symptoms that are typically the opposite of the effects of the drug. For instance, withdrawal from sedatives may cause arousal and agitation.
Psychoactive substances may cause physical dependence, which exhibits physical withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, pain, seizures, or insomnia, as well as psychological dependence, leading to psychological withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, depression, and paranoia. Treatments usually involve psychotherapy, medication-assisted therapy, and support from organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.
One of the medications used in the treatment of drug addiction, specifically opioid addiction, is methadone. It works by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms without producing the high associated with drugs like heroin, thereby aiding in the patient's recovery process. Tolerance, which is the need for increased amounts of a drug to achieve the same effect, is also addressed during treatment, to reduce the risks associated with high levels of substance use.