A methadone clinic is a place a person can go to get medication-based treatment for an addiction to opioid-based drugs. These typically include heroin and painkiller addictions, and the methadone becomes a replacement medication, ideally to help a person wean themselves off the opioids.
Of course, methadone is itself an opioid. It’s not uncommon for a methadone clinic to be accused of allowing patients to replace one addiction with another. When methadone was first introduced decades ago as a viable treatment for heroin addiction, there was great promise. Over time, some of the luster has been removed, exposing a few of the treatment’s negative aspects.
Why Is Methadone Used?
For anyone addicted to opioids, there’s a real possibility they will have to eventually face very uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms should they choose to get clean. Often referred to as a replacement therapy, doctors prescribe the use of methadone to help patients slowly navigate their way through withdrawals. Under the right circumstances, methadone will help keep patients stable while they wean themselves off heroin or painkillers. Of course, this is not always the case.
A Couple of Drawbacks to Methadone Clinic Treatment
Today, more drug and alcohol treatment clinicians are viewing heroin addiction treatment with methadone with more skepticism. Even if treatment with this “tapering drug” was the only viable option, there are some negative aspects related to tying patients to a methadone treatment clinic.
- The Continuing the Addiction – As an opioid-based substance, methadone is very addictive. With extended use, a person’s body is still dependent on a drug. The problem lies in the fact that there is still an addiction involved in this treatment. There is no deeper recovery.
- Inconvenience – The task of making frequent visits to a clinic can be very disruptive. The point of recovery is getting the patient back to living a normal life. What’s normal about visiting the clinic every day?
- Drug Testing – Patients with legal issues or looking for a job will soon find out that methadone shows up on drug tests just like it would with any other opioid.
- Confidentiality – Many people like to keep their drug addiction issues secret. The daily trip to a methadone treatment clinic is difficult to hide over a long period.
Why Choose Residential Treatment Over Methadone Clinic
The truth is, methadone clinics can work for a certain amount of the public. Though it seems like a Band-Aid rather than a treatment. Physical addiction is only one part of full addiction recovery. There are far deeper issues that get to why individuals continue to fall into the trap of substance use. For every person, those reasons will vary greatly, but they will all share the need for comprehensive treatment.
Therapies such as CBT and group therapy are vital to helping individuals come to grips with their addiction. Then there are life skills and relapse prevention classes and educational options that vastly improve a person’s ability to manage their disease.
Individualized Treatment
Beyond that, high-quality treatment centers will individualize a residents treatment program so it is more effective specifically to them. Then they go a step further and have experiential options such as outdoor therapy and often even animal-assisted therapy. Using art, exercise, music, and many more approaches to recovery treatment offers individuals a broad palette of programs to help them understand themselves better. This understanding, with professional guidance, helps them take the steps that lead to lasting recovery.
Opioid Addiction Treatment in Fresno County, California
At First Steps Recovery our residential services are designed to offer hope. We are experienced professionals ready to give you the treatment and the tools to find recovery from your opioid addiction. Please call us today, and one of our addiction specialists will answer your questions and help you understand your admission options: 1-844-489-0836.
