Methadone is a synthetic narcotic pain reliever with effects similar to morphine. Methadone is used to help reduce withdrawal in people with addiction to heroin or other drugs. Daily methadone treatment has benefits and drawbacks for people in recovery. Find out more about this option and whether it may be right for you.
Methadone Treatment
The onset of methadone is slower and lasts longer in the body. Methadone is usually taken orally, rather than by injection. Methadone is still a narcotic and is highly addictive. It is less addicting than heroin or other opioids, but addiction is addiction. Going ‘cold turkey’ from heroin addiction is almost never successful. People with addiction are not able to tolerate severe pain of withdrawal. It is far easier to revert to heroin use.
Using Methadone
Tapering off and reducing the dosage of methadone is one way to kick the heroin habit. ANother use is for daily maintenance. Using it in this way allows a person to try to rebuild parts of their lives that have been damaged by heroin addiction. It is not perfect but it may be helpful for some people. It is not a safe drug. It is a Schedule II narcotic under the Federal drug classifications, requires a special license to dispense, and carries a high risk of dependence. Methadone may simply be a gateway drug for other narcotics. Alcohol and this drug do not go together and impact the central nervous system.
Drawbacks in Recovery
Many people in recovery do not like methadone because it can trigger a cross addiction. Extending addiction puts off the likelihood of a person going into treatment to really deal with their addiction. Approved treatment programs may dispense the drug but also test to ensure they don’t use heroin also while on the drug. Other wide effects may occur and people would not operate machinery or equipment while on this drug.
Finding Help
Treatment programs that support recovery from opiates have other ways of supporting people with addiction. There may be co-occurring issues with drugs and mental health disorders that need to be addressed in a comprehensive, long-range strategy for care.
Arbor Behavioral Healthcare knows that lifetime sobriety, health, and wellness, are completely possible. Each of our treatment programs offer the opportunity for holistic healing utilizing an integrative approach for the recovery of mind, body, and spirit. You can recover. You will recover. Call us today for more information: 844-560-7269