Get Drug Free
Methadone is a schedule II opioid that is most frequently associated with Methadone maintenance programs for heroin addicts. It is also used to treat pain and is an appropriate replacement for morphine when patients experience uncomfortable side effects. As with other opiates, tolerance to Methadone increases with usage and there is the possibility of abuse for people who are seeking to use Methadone purely for the “high” it produces.
With Methadone maintenance programs, addicts are provided regular doses of Methadone to decrease the withdrawal symptoms and associated cravings for other opiates like heroin. There has been well documented success in treatment for heroin addiction using Methadone, and the purpose behind these programs are all well intentioned. The basis of the program was that if addicts were provided with regular doses of Methadone, they would need less heroin (or none at all) and be less apt to break the law to get their heroin fix. Also addicts would be less likely to share needles with other heroin users which can cause the spread of infectious diseases like AIDS and HIV.
The problem with Methadone maintenance programs is that they fail to address the problem of addiction and the social impact it can have. Instead of working to get addicts off of drugs completely, Methadone maintenance programs perpetuate the vicious cycle of addiction by replacing one drug with another. Methadone clinics, for the most part, are for profit businesses whose sole purpose is to supply Methadone. So, the people that work at the Methadone clinic and who are there to “help” addicts are really only there to ensure the addicts keep returning and paying for more Methadone. Expecting employees at the Methadone clinics to help get people off of Methadone would be like expecting employees at a burger chain to wean people off of hamburgers.
Another problem with Methadone maintenance programs is that many people who receive specified doses of Methadone to help them with their opiate withdrawals use only a portion of their dose and sell the rest on the street. This contributes to the growing illicit drug trade. And many people in these programs actually see-saw between heroin and Methadone. Since there is usually no counseling associated with this type of maintenance addicts in Methadone maintenance programs have no way out of their heroin/Methadone maintenance program.
While Methadone maintenance programs have had success at getting people to reduce or eliminate their usage of heroin and other opiates like Oxycontin, there are very few affordable programs out there that work to get people off of Methadone. So, addicts desiring to be completely drug free have difficulty finding programs to help them. There is light at the end of the tunnel, however, as more drug treatment programs are offering affordable Methadone detox which is the first step in getting off of Methadone and being completely drug free.