Methadone treatment can be highly effective and is most commonly suggested by doctors to help patients with heroin or other narcotics addictions. Methadone itself is a narcotic, which simulates the effects of heroin or other drugs without giving the user the same “sensations” or “high” that they’re used to.
Methadone treatment can be crudely compared to a nicotine patch, with a similar goal to wean off tobacco, or in the case of methadone, heroin. Methadone, however, comes with a much bigger stigma than something like a nicotine patch would. The simplest explanation for methadone treatment is that it’s a drug being used in place of another drug, and that makes some people think it’s not the best solution, but many doctors believe that methadone is the best way to treat heroin addictions and opiate addicts when administered properly.
The History of Methadone
Methadone came about in the late 1930’s so it has been around for quite some time. It was invented for the same reason it’s used today, as a way to treat dependence. While the laymen description of methadone is a drug being put in place of another, it’s a little more complex than that. One of the reasons I see nothing wrong with using methadone rehabilitation in Maine addiction recovery community, where use of methadone to treat Opiate Addiction is one of the primary options. This is also a preferred method for drug rehab in Louisiana, and coincides with the low numbers of babies born in severe opiate withdrawal in the State according to the Journal of Neurology
The Cons of Methadone Treatment
The cons for methadone treatment are pretty much directed to the side effects. If you are not taking care of yourself during treatment, drinking plenty of fluids, you can be more easily subjected to the common symptoms, which sound like the symptoms of any drug. Vomiting, nausea, headaches, troubled breathing, make up only half of the most commonly listed side effects for methadone use. If you were to compare the pros and cons of methadone to heroin, methadone is still a better choice. Heroin can make you do some very desperate things, including having the will to commit criminal activities just to get a fix.
Addiction to narcotics or drugs of any kind has never been an issue in my own life. I do get intrigued by stories of addiction and roads to recovery. In almost every story and documentary I’ve seen on the topic, there is a common necessity for recovery. The one thing above all the treatments that mattered most in changing a life is a support system.
Many people in treatment end up addicted to methadone. This is where the support matters, as it should be a requirement when taking a dose, right next to “take with food.” Proper oversite of methadone treatment should include doctor supervision, as well as sufficient community support- this is the major factor that makes or breaks the treatment.
Staying hooked on heroin or any narcotics is a sure path to major health issues resulting in death. Any kind of treatment requires you to follow steps, whether is a remedy for a sore throat, stomach flu, or heroin addiction. Methadone rehab is no different, so if followed as intended, it can be an effective method of addiction treatment.
