Research Article
The Use of Sobriety Nutritional Therapy in the Treatment of Opioid Addiction
Patrick M Cunningham*
College of Health, School of Social Work, University of Alaska Anchorage, USA
- *Corresponding Author:
- Patrick M Cunningham
Associate Professor, College of Health, School of Social Work
University of Alaska Anchorage, USA
Tel: 9073378690
E-mail: pmcunningham@uaa.alaska.edu
Received date: April 05, 2016; Accepted date: June 06, 2016; Published date: June 13, 2016
Citation: Cunningham PM (2016) The Use of Sobriety Nutritional Therapy in the Treatment of Opioid Addiction. J Addict Res Ther 7:282. doi: 10.4172/2155-6105.1000282
Copyright: © 2016 Cunningham PM. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Background: This paper describes a pilot project research methodology design to be used at a narcotic drug treatment Centre with patients, addicted to opioids, who are enrolled in a Methadone maintenance program.
Materials and method: The research question is, will sobriety nutritional therapy reduce the desire for opioids among patients who are participating in a methadone maintenance program, resulting in improved health, social functioning, and quality of life? An experimental group of 10 patients and control group of 10 patients will be selected from among the 121 patients currently served by the agency. Pre-testing and post-testing will occur with the study lasting for a six month period. The nutritional interventions will be individualized based upon the assessed needs of each participant in the experimental group. Review of the literature responding to the nutritional difficulties experienced by people who abuse opioids and various interventions inform how the study is conducted.
Conclusion: It is believed that the intervention proposed will be successful in improving not only the nutritional levels of patients but also resulting in improved social functioning in their environment.