Methadone Treatment
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Methadone is a drug that is given to drug users that want to get off opiates such as heroin. However, people can get a methadone addiction and suffer from methadone withdrawals if they crave the drugs after the treatment for kicking opiates is over. There is methadone treatment for people that want to get off their opiate habit as well as for those that become addicted to methadone itself. Methadone is also a drug that is used to relieve chronic pain.
Uses for Methadone
Methadone has been used for the past few decades to treat addition to opiates and recently it has also been used to relieve chronic pain. If taken at the recommended dose methadone has proven to be a very safe drug that can help people wean themselves off opiates. However, like any other drug, if a person takes too much they can suffer from a methadone addiction. When methadone is taken it can help people that have opiate withdrawals from 24-36 hours.
What methadone does is help curb the craving for opiates such as heroin, as it gets in the way of the high a person feels from the drug. Using methadone does not give the same high as heroin does, but the user still has the dependence issues with the opiate. However, as stated before methadone curbs the craving and it allowed the user to feel normal staying away from behavior that can be detrimental when they are in need of opiates. Methadone withdrawal can be less painful than opiate withdrawals and they can are more manageable and the side effects are not as bad.
Methadone has also been used as a medicine that treats common pain, but this is relatively new. Doctors prescribe methadone and they prefer using it because it last longer than other type of pain relief drugs yet it is still very effective.
Methadone Addiction
The two most common ways that people can become addicted to methadone is from taking it to try to kick their heroin addiction and abusing the drug after taking methadone to relieve chronic pain. In the first case methadone is given to opiate users at methadone clinics. The main drawback of this is the fact that when the methadone treatment is over they may then have a methadone addiction. Methadone is a drug that is both physically and psychologically addictive. Because of this when people do not want to use methadone for their addiction to opiates they may have to go through a detox process in order to get over their methadone addiction. It is in these cases when Methadone treatment should be used.
Much like the addiction to prescription drugs people can become addicted to methadone if they abuse the drug after taking it for chronic pain.
Just like with the abuse of other types of drugs people may suffer methadone withdrawals if they stop taking the drug. This is why it is important the methadone treatment for the use of weaning off opiates should be under medical supervision and the person must take the recommended doses. Some of the methadone withdrawal symptoms can be backaches, excessive sweating, nausea and vomiting, mood swings, and muscle spasms. In extreme cases people can also suffer from seizures and convulsions.
Methadone Treatment
There are two types of methadone treatment, as there is treatment for methadone addiction itself and treatment for the addiction to opiates. When people are addicted to methadone itself the more they are addicted to the drug the more they should look into inpatient methadone treatment. This is especially the case if their addiction is an extreme one, as they will likely have to go through the detoxification process. Much like other types of drug addiction inpatient treatment coupled with behavioral therapy can greatly increase the chance of a person’s recovery and makes it less likely that the person will suffer a relapse. There is methadone treatment in outpatient programs, but they are not as successful as inpatient programs. Many times when a user finishes an inpatient methadone treatment program they will, and should, continue with counseling.
A reputable methadone treatment center will have a medical staff that can help the user kick their habit. They are especially helpful when a user goes through the difficult detox process, as they can administer medication that can make going the withdrawals easier.
If a person is looking to get into a type of methadone treatment they should speak to a drug counselor. By doing this the user can have any questions answered about the drug itself as well as treatment options. The best treatment options are not the same for every person that has a methadone addiction. The treatment that gives the user the best chance to recovery is the one that is tailored best to their individual needs.
The second type of methadone treatment has already been touched on before, as it is given as a maintenance drug to help people with their addiction to opiates. Basically these are methadone clinics where people can safely be administered the drug under medical supervision. A person will visit methadone clinics and take the dose of methadone and it will help them curb their opiate cravings.
How Methadone Clinics and Methadone Treatment Centers help with Opiate Addiction
Methadone clinics and methadone treatment centers are of great help to people that want to deal with their opiate or methadone addiction. Many people will try to get off drugs by themselves by going “cold turkey”, but it is not only harder to do this, but it also increases the chances that the user will relapse. Also, a treatment center can help if a person has to detox their body of methadone.
One of the main reasons that methadone clinics can help is that opiate, especially heroin, users will do anything to get high. Many times this will hurt friends and family of the user and many heroin users will turn to crime to get money to feed their habit. Methadone clinics can make the addiction more manageable and it makes it less likely that a person will act out against friends and family or turn to crime.
