Opioid Substitution Treatment (OST) is part of the drug detoxification process which could well be a long one.

Over dependence to opiods or addiction to pain killing drugs is certainly a major psychological disorder that is gradually becoming a social menace. This call for immediate opioid substitution treatment (OST) because abuse of opiods leads to alter neurological processes that induce cravings in opiod abusers. Such abusers therefore, need to undergo specific drug detoxification programs because their psychological and physical dependence on such drugs is almost impossible to overcome by themselves. Various drug detoxification programs exist and are implemented by rehabilitation centers the world over to help people overcome their addiction. However, both opioid substitution treatment (OST) and drug detoxification processes should be chosen after taking into consideration several factors as conditions may vary from individual to individual.

The drug detoxification process is often difficult and painful, involving several stages and conditions that drug addicts undergo during detoxification. The first step in the process is analysis where clinicians by way of several tests find out the total amount of drugs or toxins present in the addict's system. Once this is done, the necessary medications are decided upon as also the period for total detoxification. In cases of opioid substitution treatment (OST), it is determined how to wean the patients gradually of such drugs. The patient is usually segregated in a rehabilitation center and kept under close observation with all sources of drug supply cut off. This results in the addict having acute withdrawal symptoms which include vomiting, nausea, cardiac palpitations, severe sweating or even abdominal pain. Additionally, the patient also experiences reduced focus, isolation, panic and depression.

In cases of severe opiate addiction, withdrawal symptoms may also include seizures and strokes. Therefore, opiate blockers are being used as part of the opioid substitution treatment (OST) to quicken the process of detoxification and to prevent or mitigate such disasters. This may require anesthesia also as the process can be quite painful for the patient who is undergoing such severe withdrawal symptoms. Many addicts also experience PAWS or post-acute withdrawal syndrome which may pose to be a severe threat to their long-term recovery. PAWS symptoms include pain, challenged mental abilities, anxiety, followed by chronic depression, which in turn may make the patient continue with his drug abuse once released from the rehabilitation center. It is also seen that certain people are addicted to sniffing super human glue, which is a drug based on the cyanoacrylate chemical. Also called Super Glue, it was used as a medicine to seal off war wounds during the Vietnam War on troops heading for emergency surgery. The glue stemmed bleeding and was responsible for saving many a life. It is reported that in many Latin American countries, children sniff this super human glue to suppress hunger. This again calls for immediate attention by way of planned drug detoxification, particularly in the case of children who are falling prey to this addiction.

Super human glue is also used by athletes and veterinarians to mend small cuts in emergency conditions. Its advantage is that it prevents tissue scarring. However, its side effects include skin irritation, destruction of healthy skin tissue and leads to other problems particularly in the case of deep wounds.