Addicts undergoing rapid detoxification are spared the discomfort of withdrawal by proceeding through detoxification under anesthetic or strong sedatives, and the opiate antagonist naltrexone is used to accelerate the detoxification.
Controversial
This method of detoxification allows the addict to detox off
of heroin with minimal pain, but does not teach any coping skills or life
strategies for future drug avoidance. Additionally, after the use of
naltrexone, the opiate tolerance of the addict is severely minimized, and the probability
of overdose with relapse is increased.
