Suboxone is a combination of two different medications that are used to help people successfully defeat an opioid addiction. Buprenorphine is one component of Suboxone, and it's an opioid that can stop opioid withdrawal and reduce cravings while having very few recreational effects. The other compound, naloxone, prevents Suboxone from being abused—it's an opioid receptor blocker that will send someone into immediate withdrawals if they inject Suboxone.

Together, buprenorphine and naloxone can help eliminate withdrawals and reduce cravings, helping you clear your mind and focus on recovery. There are a few different ways you can get Suboxone, and an increasingly popular method is to have it prescribed online by a telehealth doctor. However, this isn't always the best way to get clean—attending a Suboxone treatment center is often the better choice. To learn three reasons why enrolling in a center is usually more helpful than receiving a telehealth prescription for Suboxone, read on.

1. Treatment Centers Require You to Participate Fully in Your Recovery

One of the main benefits of enrolling in a Suboxone treatment center instead of seeking a telehealth prescription for Suboxone is that a treatment program makes you accountable. When you're in a Suboxone treatment center, you'll be expected to participate fully in the program in order to continue receiving your prescription—this isn't always the case with telehealth providers.

For example, a treatment program will normally perform random drug tests to ensure you're not taking any recreational drugs while you're in treatment, and they'll count your Suboxone pills or strips in order to see if you're taking them as prescribed.

Accountability is important when you're trying to break free from addiction. It enforces consequences when you're no longer following the program, which helps you stick to it. While the monitoring may seem like an inconvenience, it's an important part of making sure you're participating fully in treatment.

2. Treatment Centers Provide More Support

Another reason why a Suboxone treatment center is preferable to a telehealth prescription for Suboxone is that a treatment center provides you with more resources to help you stay clean from your opioid addiction.

Suboxone can prevent you from being affected by recreational opioids, and it also helps reduce cravings. However, taking Suboxone alone won't address any of the underlying issues that may have led to you becoming addicted and continuing in your opioid addiction.

Counseling and group therapy sessions offered by a Suboxone treatment center can help you discover the underlying triggers of your addiction, which can help you stay clean by teaching you how to avoid them or successfully cope with them in the future.

3. Treatment Centers Can Help You Eventually Discontinue Suboxone

Finally, a Suboxone treatment center can help you taper off your Suboxone dosage successfully if you ever want to stop taking it. Suboxone can help you live a normal life free from the ups and downs of addiction, but you will still develop a physical dependence on it. You'll start going through withdrawals if you stop taking it.

Some people who go through Suboxone treatment will want to stay on the medication, while others will want to stop taking it eventually due to the risk of going through withdrawals if they can't take their medication. For example, they may forget to take their Suboxone with them when they go on vacation. For those who want to eventually quit taking Suboxone, a treatment center can help them slowly taper down their dose until they're able to quit taking it entirely, eliminating the risk of withdrawals.

Overall, enrolling in a Suboxone treatment center is typically a better choice than seeking out a telehealth prescription if you're trying to get clean from opioids—a treatment center provides more support, and they also offer you a structured program that keeps you accountable. If you're struggling with an opioid addiction and think that Suboxone would help you stop, find a treatment center in your area and ask if they're taking new patients. 

Contact a local treatment center, such as Houston Suboxone MD, to learn more.