What Are Methadone Clinics and How Can They Help?

If you’re struggling with opiate abuse, you aren’t alone. It’s estimated that over 2 million people in the United States are living with opiate or heroin addiction.

If you’re looking for a way to kick your habit for good, you might be wondering what are methadone clinics? Overcoming addiction with methadone could be the answer to your treatment problems.

Want to learn more about how getting treated at a methadone clinic can help your addiction problems? We’ll tell you everything you need to know.

What Are Methadone Clinics?

Methadone has been used to treat opiate addictions for decades. Methadone treatment programs help people with opiate and opioid addictions under the supervision of medical professionals.

View these clinics as a type of replacement therapy. Instead of taking the drugs you usually would, you’re given methadone, an opioid analgesic, in its place. It can be administered in a pill, wafer, or liquid.

Methadone works by blocking the effects of opiates and opioids. It reduces the usual feelings of euphoria people would typically feel after doing drugs and helps reduce typical cravings.

Benefits Of Methadone Treatment

There are a variety of ways people choose to stop using drugs. Many people use methadone clinics as a supplement to other forms of treatment and opioid detox methods.

Seeing a therapist or attending a support group in addition to going to methadone clinics can be an excellent way to stop using opiates.

There are a variety of benefits to other forms of therapy, but for now, we’re going to focus on the benefits of getting treated at a methadone clinic.

Good For High-Levels Of Addiction

Some people with opiate problems have been struggling with addiction on and off for years. They may be used to taking large amounts of the drug and may worry about the intensity of withdrawal.

Methadone is a very effective drug for easing the physical cravings for opiates. This can help with other symptoms like anxiety, nausea, and body aches.

People at all levels of opiate addiction can benefit from getting treatment at a methadone clinic. But people concerned about the intensity of withdrawals should look into this kind of treatment.

Treatment Flexibility

Some people find that inpatient drug rehab is the best treatment option for themselves. But there are also people that want to stop using drugs but aren’t in a position where they can go for an extended visit inpatient rehab.

You may be the only person with the ability to earn income in your family, and you don’t want to miss work and put them in a bad position.

You can have other important responsibilities that would be disrupted by extended inpatient treatment.

If you get treated at a methadone clinic, you just need to make time to get your daily doses of medication. Many clinics offer flexible hours so people can attend around their daily schedule.

You should still make time to visit doctors and go to therapy on your own, but this can be much easier to manage than being away from work and other responsibilities for a few weeks.

Controlled Treatment

Many people know that methadone can be used to treat opiate addiction, but they make the mistake of assuming they can get the drug on their own and treat their addiction themselves.

This method can be dangerous and could lead to overdoses and other potential problems.

Methadone can be an extremely effective treatment when it’s administered under the supervision of a doctor.

They can help adjust doses of methadone to ensure that you’re only taking as much as you need. They can evaluate your health and see if there are other treatments that may be helpful.

Have Options

When some people think about going to methadone clinics, they worry that they won’t be able to choose where they go.

The availability of methadone treatment has improved over the years, and people will find that they have a variety of options at hand on where to get treatment.

There are both public and private clinics you can choose to get treatment at.

Some public clinics can have long wait lists for new patients, but they tend to be a more affordable option for people. Private clinics tend to have a much shorter wait time, but they can cost more money.

Some methadone clinics can have relationships with other treatment centers and can help recommend other places for you to go.

Be sure to ask about other treatment options you can use while you’re being treated. They may be able to help recommend a good therapist, group therapy meeting, or nutritionist.

Reduce Depression

Some opiate addicts are worried about stopping because they use it to self-medicate their depression.

It’s important to note that you should speak to a doctor if you think you’re suffering from symptoms of depression. They can help properly medicate you and get you the treatment that you need.

There’s research that shows that methadone may be a good treatment option for addicts with co-occurring disorders. Some addicts that choose methadone treatment find that it helps them manage their depression better when they’re detoxing.

Improve Your Quality Of Life

Addictions of all kinds can have negative impacts on peoples lives. Addiction can cause problems with families, marriages, jobs, and personal health.

Being addicted to heroin or a different kind of opiate could put your loved ones, health, and professional life in danger. If your addiction gets out of control you can cause serious damage to yourself and others around you.

People that use methadone to treat their addictions report having a better quality of life. Because they’re able to stop abusing drugs, they start to see other areas of their life improve.

Learn More

Now that you know what methadone clinics are and how they can help treat heroin and opiate addiction, you may want to learn more.

Read our post on evidence-based practices for addiction that show how helpful methadone treatment can really be. After that, check out our collection of statistics on heroin abuse.

If you know someone that’s struggling with addiction, be sure to share our content so you can help someone else in need. If you’re looking to get someone into treatment or seeking more information contact (855) 976-2092.

Sources

American Society of Addiction Medicine. (2016). Opioid Addiction 2016 Facts & Figures. Retrieved From: https://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/advocacy/opioid-addiction-disease-facts-figures.pdf

Clinical Guidelines for Withdrawal Management and Treatment of Drug Dependence in Closed Settings. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2009. 6, Methadone maintenance treatment. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK310658/

Parvaresh, N., Masoudi, A., Majidi-Tabrizi, S., & Mazhari, S. (2012). The Correlation between Methadone Dosage and Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders in Patients on Methadone Maintenance Treatment. Addiction & health, 4(1-2), 1-8. Retrieved From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3905553/