My BF went back to detox / rehab and he is thinking of beginning suboxone maintenance. I raised some concerns I have with it to him, but ultimately I told him to go for it. I would love to hear anyone’s experiences with their loved ones being on suboxone.
I know it is not a magic pill, but the rehab said it will help with his cravings and stabilizing him overall.
My husband was clean for 8 years with suboxone being his only treatment. He relapsed and we realized that for his recovery, he needed to also address underlying issues of his addiction and develop coping skills. I have heard stories of suboxone saving lives, and for others it just doesn’t work. Every recovery is different, and suboxone has been really good for my husband when a part of a more complete treatment plan that includes regular counseling. It was extremely helpful when he was detoxing on his own - he did not want to go back to rehab and suboxone helped with withdrawals as he detoxed at home.
Thank you for this and sharing your story. That is amazing your husband was able to have clean time for that long on suboxone! My BF has been out of rehabs, detoxes, and IOPs the past few months. He wants to try suboxone at his current rehab, and they will medically assist him there. Then, once he is done with treatment at this facility, he will be on it medically assisted at one of their other programs.
I am supportive of it only because it is better than him using. I agree that he needs to do other forms of treatment with it too like AA. JW, Where did he get the suboxone from when he didn’t go to rehab?
Keep in mind AA is not for everyone, especially those on MAT. My husband struggled with AA because of their abstinence only thinking - he felt rejected at meetings because he was taking suboxone, which many in the 12-step community see as not being fully clean. It’s actually been really difficult for him to find a group that accepts MAT. Although I believe SMART recovery is another option that he never actually tried. His recovery center has a group that he was going to regularly and now only goes occasionally. Other helpful practices have been picking up healthy hobbies and therapy.
To answer your question - when he detoxed at home, he used the suboxone he had stockpiled from the entire time he was using but still picking up and pretending to take his meds. 
Great question @stayhopeful244 <3 any update on your thinking here?
Lots of members in this community have some experience with suboxone - love to invite @Julie_Smith and @erica to weigh in who I believe have seen their loved one have some success with suboxone and I know it has played a major role in @addictability recovery too.
Here’s a thread on accessing suboxone!
And some conversation on it’s merits in this one.
It’s my understanding that suboxone is the gold standard versus methadone, and it helps by removing the cravings and creates the space to heal.
I think another conversation to be had on this topic is also how to transition off suboxone which started here. I do know a couple of examples of people using it for almost 10 years in recovery.
Hi, my 24-year-old son asked to be put on suboxone a few years ago because he realized he was in trouble. He has had some slips even so, but has been able to keep a job which has helped him stabilize and regain a sense of purpose. I agree it’s best paired with counseling or treatment for other issues. He still has trouble with long-term goals and managing money, and is still socially isolated except for his girlfriend and immediate family.
He’s currently getting the suboxone from a rigorous program that checks his empty med packets and does random drug testing, as well as highly encouraging counseling. The longest they go without seeing him is every 2 weeks so they keep a close eye on him. It’s also been affordable with insurance at $55 per visit.
My fiancé has been on Suboxone since July and I’ve read articles about it to better understand it and how it helps and it is not very easy to abuse(which is great) especially when it’s the dissolvable tabs. I have seen it as a solution to helping him with his recovery and staying sober. However, he is dependent on suboxone and will go through withdrawals if he forgets to take it or is to run out. So eventually it would be a good thing for him to work his way off of this medication.
I think it depends on the individual but I’ve heard years can be the right timeline to taper off - sending 
How’s your loved one doing lately?
My BF is really doing well on it so far! I see a difference between him being completely “sober” and being on the subs. I think the subs are helping reduce the cravings and are aiding him on keeping on track with his current treatment.
@Jane When my BF came home from rehab in Nov 18, he was not on anything. Granted he had relapsed early on from coming home, but I think he was depressed and the transition home was hard. His moods were always low and he was hard to communicate with. He transgressed back to what he was like before the rehab.
On subs, his moods are totally stable and normal! He actually is going to treatment and working on himself. I feel like it’s totally bc he is on the subs. It’s almost like a motivator to get better yet it helps transition from his DOC to being sober. He is sleeping better. He doesn’t seem depressed. He’s communicating with his family and myself. To me, the difference is night and day!
@stayhopeful244 what are the differences like between being on subs and not? Love to learn more
Thanks for this context @stayhopeful244 - I’m going to re-post this separately because I think it’s useful, and so everyone can see it a bit better!
@jane Amazing!!! I think more people and family members should definitely see this as a option for their loved one who suffers from drug abuse. It really makes a notable difference if they are using it with another form of appropriate treatment.
I hope it helps!