Admission to a methadone clinic is initially prompted by an individual's daily struggle with opioid withdrawal symptoms and the desire to avoid being sick. To address this problem, new clients arrive each day to receive their medication. The first 1 – 3 months are referred to as the induction period, and center around increasing a client's methadone dosage until the client's opioid withdrawal is effectively eliminated. Regular daily visits to the clinic are critical to this process.
Being a client in a methadone program requires careful attention to program guidelines and expectations. Clients must dose within a specified time frame, keep appointments for counseling, and provide a urine specimen upon request for random drug testing. There are payments for treatment services, and other considerations like participating in pill counts with the nurse, occasional lab work, and "call backs" for take home accountability, etc.
Some clients find it helpful to keep a personal calendar so as to schedule their activities in advance. Planning ahead & becoming better organized is a highly useful recovery tool. Get into the practice of writing things down. This will lead to more success in meeting daily responsibilities. Not to mention the positive effect of reducing one's stress level.
The addictive lifestyle often breeds a number of "bad habits". A goal of treatment is to gradually replace bad habits with healthy practices! Time management & scheduling are indeed healthy practices that yield great benefits for recovering individuals. Getting by with minimal effort is a common bad habit that often becomes characteristic of an addictive lifestyle and an addictive mindset. This will need to change … sooner or later.
The old cliche suggests "we get out of it what we put into it." Think about this a bit. Maybe keeping a personal calendar is a good idea for you & a solid investment in managing your recovery. Operating with a schedule in mind doesn't have to be limiting, or a nuisance. It's about being conscious of what's important in your new drug-free life. And being sure you don't shortchange yourself by accidentally forgetting important things. Maybe scheduling would be a good topic for your next counseling session.
Not all methadone programs are the same. While regulations do exist that govern the operation of methadone clinics, the standard of quality & care will most definitely vary from one clinic to another. At the core of every reputable, high-level methadone clinic is genuine dedication to the consumer patient.
New York City has the highest concentration of methadone clinics and buprenorphine providers in the country. Not only is New York the most populated city in the United States, but it is also one of the most densely populated areas in the world with 8 million people living in an area just over 300 square miles.
The amount of misinformation that is circulated in regard to methadone is pretty astounding. Methadone is truly one of the most well-researched addiction treatment medications in history, and is widely accepted as the most efficacious opioid addiction treatment ever.
Methadone maintenance offers stability. Clients who have moved to maintenance often report a return of mental clarity, an improved mood, and elimination of withdrawal symptoms. "I feel normal again" is an encouraging statement often heard by treatment staff and it represents the ability of an individual to become employed again, return to school, reconnect with family, and ascend to a higher plateau.
