And Methadone Detox
In addition to being developed as a powerful pain reliever, Methadone has also been promoted as a substitute for heroin. In fact, Methadone is sometimes called synthetic or man-made heroin, and its use as a substitute for heroin in Methadone maintenance programs was intended to curtail the illegal drug trade of real heroin and its impact on society.
While the original intentions of Methadone maintenance programs were good, the reality for those addicts enrolled in them means a life of continued addiction with one drug substituted for another. Once in a Methadone maintenance program, there is very little effort to get heroin addicts clean by way of a Methadone detox program in spite of the fact that the physical side effects of Methadone can be very damaging, not to mention the mental impact of the drug.
A common characteristic of Methadone users (or addicts) is “unfeeling”. Methadone is a very strong narcotic, and its numbing effects last much longer than heroin. While this allows for scheduled dosing in Methadone maintenance programs to be spread apart to days rather than hours, the result is that the Methadone user is still not a fully functioning member of society. To get there, the addict must go through Methadone detox and other addiction treatment and get out of the addictive cycle associated with a Methadone maintenance program.
Because Methadone attacks the bone marrow where red blood cells are produced in a person’s body, continued Methadone use is quite damaging to the Methadone user’s body resulting in calcium deficiencies and reduction of other needed minerals to maintain a body’s health. While the Methadone user is taking Methadone, the pain and damage caused by the drug’s physical effects are not felt because Methadone was originally designed as a pain killer. In Methadone detox, however, the pain relief of Methadone is removed. So the side effects of Methadone use become painfully apparent during Methadone detox.
Methadone detox means safely taking an addict off of Methadone, and therefore heroin, and getting them on the path of a clean and sober lifestyle. Because Methadone withdrawals are usually four times longer and more difficult than a heroin withdrawal, a structured Methadone detox program is almost always required for the addict to get clean and sober.
During Methadone detox the provider treats the mental aspects of the dependency as well as the physical aspects of the drug dependency. The painful physical side effects during Methadone detox are one of the primary reasons most people on Methadone never get clean and sober. Without the aid of a structured Methadone detox program, the addict will just go back to using to avoid the pain of withdrawing.
Methadone detox programs will provide counseling to deal with the mental aspects of the Methadone dependency as well as other treatments to handle the physical side effects of withdrawals. While Methadone detox is considered to be one of the most difficult types of detoxes, Methadone detox can be achieved with the support of the right Methadone detox program where therapeutic treatments, mild sedatives, and over the counter pain relievers are used to safely provide a successful Methadone detox in a supportive environment.
If you or a loved one has a desire to break free of their Methadone maintenance program and seek Methadone detox treatment, contact Pathways Recovery to discuss how our program can get you clean and sober.