I felt the need to create this hub after hearing the amazing story of one of my friends, whom I'll refer to as "D" for the sake of anonymity. Well, the long and short of it is that he managed to kick a years-long addiction to prescription pain medication. That may not be amazing in and of itself, but what I found to be truly cool was the fact that through the advancement of medicine, my friend was able to fully rehabilitate, get his life back on track, and all with no painful withdrawals or embarrassing stay in a drug rehabilitation facility. How? Well, we'll get to that in a moment.

Let me just illustrate the state my friend's life was in for a moment so that you can fully appreciate the mountain he had to climb to recover from his addiction. D's drug of choice was not a street drug like heroin or marijuana. Instead, he became addicted to Lortab 10/500, which is a combination of 500 milligrams of acetaminophen (Tylenol) and 10 milligrams of hydrocodone, a synthetic analgesic prescription painkiller. Lortab is often prescribed after surgeries, and for some it is extremely addictive. Well, needless to say, it was for "D" as well. He had some pretty extensive back surgery, and just the one prescription he got for the pain turned into a few refills, followed by many shameful raids of other folks' medicine cabinets and other unmentionables I don't even care to relate. Let's just say this: he was a full-blown addict. A junkie who couldn't care about anything in the world as much as knowing where his next "score" was going to come from. D was no longer the same person I used to know when he was going through his addiction. And now that he is on the road to recovery, I see the old D I used to know, a friendly and trustworthy person that wouldn't harm a fly.

The road to recovery was not an easy one, however. Many times, D tried to quit, but the painful withdrawals made it to where he could not function. His body had become so used to the medicine, that when he tried to stop taking it, he would suffer violent illness. He could not go to work, be a good parent and husband to his family when he was going through withdrawals, and so he continued taking the Lortab, even though the pain from the back surgery was long gone. In short, he just couldn't get over the sickness part of kicking his physical addiction to the medicine.

I won't bore you with details of the many times he tried to quit on his own and failed, but I will tell you about an advancement in modern medicine that allowed him to recover from his addiction discretely and successfully, and that modern marvel is a medicine known as Suboxone or Subtex.

The invention of Suboxone is the reason I'm writing this hub. I think that many people can be saved from the humiliating and painful process of kicking drugs if they knew of Suboxone and how it works. In short, it is a prescription medication that takes away the craving for the drugs, prevents withdrawal symptoms, and blocks the receptors in the brain that keep a person from getting a "high" out of the drugs they take. All in all, it's a miracle drug. It allows those who really want to recover, but who are frightened of the sickness and drug rehabilitation, to find a doctor who will prescribe them the medicine (OUTPATIENT) and send them home where they begin to recover. In as little as one day, my friend D, who to be honest seemed a hopeless case, was more like himself than I had seen him in a long time. And a week after he started taking the medication, his body was clean of the Lortab and he was mentally sharp as ever! The old D was back, and his friends and family were happier than ever.

In summary, here's what Suboxone can do for some people, folks who are like D was with prescription painkiller addiction:

• Rehab doesn't have to be terribly hard. In fact, one can now get clean from opiates easily and painlessly with only mild discomfort.
• One doesn't always have to stay in the hospital to get clean (of course this is always up to the doctor). For many, Suboxone treatment is an outpatient procedure that one can do from the comfort of his or her home.
• Many that begin Suboxone treatment feel well enough to go to work the very next day.

I know that you may find D's story hard to believe, but if you happen to be suffering from drug addiction of any kind, don't be afraid to seek help. Many times, it's not as bad as you've built it up to be and it's not going to be as hard as you think it's going to be. In D's case, it was relatively easy, especially when compared to the problems his drug use had caused within his family and among his friends. It's never too late to get your life back on track. Many people, and I was getting there, too, had written D off for good as somebody who was destined to be a drug addict. "He'd never amount to anything," they thought. And they, and yes, myself as well, were gladly proven wrong. D is now working a good job, is a great father to his children and wonderful husband to his family.

I was over at D's house on July 4, and I couldn't get over how good he looked. And keep this in mind: He began recovery only one month ago! I am talking night-and-day difference in D's life in as little as one month! That's awesome! And while you may not be addicted to the same drug D was, there are many new and exciting treatments that are now available, but one must do like D and get up enough courage to seek help first.

The simple truth is that one has to want to get better before he or she can begin the journey of recovery, and even if it's not Suboxone or some other medicine like it that helps you to succeed on your road to recovery, something else out there can help get you back on your feet. So, get off of the Internet and call a doctor. What I'm saying si, "If you need help, don't hesitate!"  Not just for your own sake, but for the sakes of your friends and family. A lot of people are affected by drug addiction, and the majority of those people are not the drug addicts themselves, but rather the folks who care deeply about them.

To reiterate, the medicine that helped D is called Suboxone. There are a few doctors who prescribe it, but if you live in a semi-metropolitan area, you can likely find a doctor who can prescribe it to you. Believe me...it's changed D's life. Seriously!  He's only been clean for a few weeks, but he already looks tons better, and "feels great" as well, he's happy to say over and over.   :-)

To me, Suboxone may very well be the wonder drug for prescription painkiller addicts have been waiting for.  This type of addiction goes way back, but this modern medicine is a new and interesting way of handling this epidemic.  Plus, one of the coolest features of this type of treatment is the fact that it can be prescribed outpatient. This way, a person can bypass an embarrassing trip to a drug rehab facility and begin recovery right in his or her own home.

Just think! If you are addicted to drugs like D, and you feel hopelessly afraid and alone, you can be fast on track to becoming the person you used to be in as little as one day.  However, you must first take action and see a doctor.  You must first admit that you're an addict, and from what I understand, admitting that you have a problem is the hardest part.  But once you've accomplished this first step, and you've come to terms with this painful admission, the next step is to seek help.

It will take courage to seek help, but I hope that this hub can be the very encouragement that some of you need. I know what you might think. We've all seen the movies of the writhing addict in bed, covered in sweat, who is trying to kick his or her addiction. It looks utterly horrible and painful, but according to D, he only suffered "mild discomfort" while on Suboxone.  And he had been abusing prescription painkillers for years!

So please, seek help if you need it. There are medicines and people out there that can help, if and when you decide to own up to your addiction and ask for a helping hand.  Believe me, I'm not trying to preach to you, because I know the world is a difficult place.  And I also know that people cope with things in many different ways; some do so with drugs.  But I think you know if you've read this far that coping with drugs just creates more problems in your life than it helps to numb you to.  Drugs aren't the answer, but modern medicine may very well be!  Just check with your doctor and see.  The first step toward recovery may be making a call or two.  Who knows where your success story will begin, but let it begin today, if you're ready for to make a positive change in your life!

This hub is dedicated to D and to all the people out there who are suffering from an addiction as well.  You are not forsaken, and that's important to remember. If you have a religious faith, use whatever strength you can garner from it and seek help from a doctor. You may just find that taking that first step towards recovery is the hardest, but once you're walking down Recovery Road, victory is always in sight!

May God bless and keep you always on your journey through life, and may you find the courage to walk a straight and narrow path, thereby avoiding the pitfalls of this world and enjoying everything else it has to offer.

Victory awaits, if you want it! Congratulations, D, it's good to have you back, old buddy!