Mike's Story - Part 3 of 3 Addiction Education

Before becoming addicted himself, Mike thought that addiction was a choice. With an uncontrollable compulsion to take more and more pills, and an inability to 'just stop', he soon realized that addiction is a chronic medical condition. He had to get better. His intense research about the buprenorphine treatment option led him to naabt.org. It was there he found the educational resources to make an informed decision if the treatment was right for him. There Mike also found peer support to ask questions about treatment, and then it was through the same site that he found a certified physician. "I went from taking massive amounts of painkillers one day to putting myself in moderate to mild withdrawals and with less than 12mg of Suboxone, within two to three hours, I felt as if I had never taken a painkiller in my life." Mike did not rely on the medication alone. He found a therapist, both in-person and online peer support, and the loving support of his wife and family as the foundation for his recovery. Mike is an addiction survivor and has not misused opioid painkillers since beginning treatment in 2006.