Category Archives: Methadone Clinics

Methadone Program Profile – Alcohol and Drug Services (ADS)

Posted on January 30, 2014 | Comments Off on Methadone Program Profile – Alcohol and Drug Services (ADS)

ads-methadone-treatment2There are many hundreds of methadone clinics in operation across the entire United States. Wherever there is addiction, there are suffering addicts and concerned friends and family in search of answers … and treatment.

Methadone.US would like to profile a highly regarded opioid treatment program located in Greensboro, North Carolina. This program is part of a non-profit substance abuse services agency known as Alcohol and Drug Services (ADS).

ADS has been helping the Guilford County and surrounding Triad community for over 40 years. While ADS offers a range of addiction treatment and drug prevention programs, they excel in the area of treating opioid addiction through a combined use of opioid replacement medication (methadone) and structured counseling.

ADS has achieved CARF accreditation, is licensed by the State of North Carolina’s Division of Health and Human Services, and is an approved Medicaid and multi-MCO authorized provider. But ADS’ most outstanding accomplishment is the depth and quality of their opioid program services and the professionalism of their compassionate & committed staff.

Methadone medication offers safe & effective relief from opioid withdrawal symptoms when properly administered through a quality, structured program. Unfortunately, some methadone clinics are too lite on their counseling and case support components, which are key ingredients in any comprehensive opioid treatment program.

ADS has a longstanding history of helping clients gain a thorough knowledge of their addictive illness and in helping clients to develop valuable coping skills for managing their lives and achieving personal goals. ADS treats indigent and low income patients who might otherwise be unable to pay for methadone services out-of-pocket. The ADS Methadone Program offers psychiatric services, limited medical services, free HIV testing, and substantial case support assistance to help with major issues like housing placement.

Alcohol and Drug Services’ methadone program in Greensboro, NC is comparatively small in relation to some of the local private, for-profit methadone clinics. ADS typically serve between 180-200 active clients.

The organization recently launched a new website to inform the community of their various programs. The website is: www.ADSyes.org. The agency gratefully accepts charitable donations of any amount through their website.

Visit the ADS Blog and the ADS Google + Page

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Posted in Addiction Counseling, Drug Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Programs, Methadone Treatment, North Carolina Methadone Clinics, Recovery, Suboxone

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Methadone Treatment Requires Strong Commitment

Posted on December 15, 2013 | Comments Off on Methadone Treatment Requires Strong Commitment

methadone-treatmentThe decision to utilize methadone dosing to manage opioid withdrawal is a choice that will require considerable personal commitment. As methadone dispensing for opiate addiction occurs within the structure of a methadone clinic, each patient must travel to the clinic daily to check-in and receive their medication in person under supervision.

In addition to the daily commute, one must also make arrangements for payment of their methadone program fee. A majority of methadone programs across the country are private, self-pay programs. Many of them offer a variety of pay plans with a fair number of patients opting to pay their program fee each day when they arrive. That fee generally ranges from $8.00 to $15.00 per day.

There are a considerable number of State and Federally subsidized methadone programs that are funded though medicaid or state dollars earmarked for mental health & substance abuse services. These programs usually have very low fees and some of them actually have no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. As one might imagine, state supported programs usually have a finite number of available openings whereas medicaid generally does not operate with the same caps and can accommodate many more patients. However, qualifying for medicaid is not necessarily easy with healthy adult males typically not meeting eligibility requirements.

While methadone dosing provides effective relief from withdrawal sickness, it’s the counseling component of methadone programs that helps patients develop improved skills and a realistic plan for long term recovery from addiction.

When committing to methadone treatment, patients are most excited about the benefits of methadone medication and its usefulness in eliminating the sickness of opioid withdrawal. But, it’s the participation in group and individual counseling that make the greatest difference in developing a new & improved view of one’s future and the possibilities that lie ahead. Opiate replacement medications like suboxone and methadone are an important piece of the recovery puzzle, but learning to cope with one’s feelings, thoughts, and life circumstances comes from the unique benefits of the counseling experience.

Commitment to counseling and learning new skills are key elements in your pursuit of a drug free, improved life. Methadone and suboxone help to remove the huge obstacle of daily withdrawal sickness. Once that hurdle has been jumped, then one can truly walk the path of recovery and discover the many good things that await along the road of life.

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Posted in Drug Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Treatment, Recovery, Suboxone

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Methadone Programs and Prohibited Medications

Posted on November 15, 2013 | Comments Off on Methadone Programs and Prohibited Medications

rx-medication-abuseMany clients in methadone programs have co-occurring disorders like depression, anxiety, or adult attention deficit disorder (ADD). Historically, clinics have attempted to treat psychiatric symptoms with established, FDA-approved psychotropic medications which have proven useful across many settings in managing symptoms.

In the past decade, it became very apparent that benzodiazepines (commonly prescribed to treat anxiety) had become a popular alternative drug of abuse for individuals with an opioid addiction. “Benzos” are a particularly dangerous medication when used in conjunction with methadone, and the combination of these two contributed to a number of overdose deaths in recent years.

For this reason, many safety-oriented, reputable methadone clinics (and independent physicians) either discontinued or noticeably restricted their use of benzodiazepine medications with patients on methadone. Common benzodiazepines include prescription meds like klonopin, valium, xanax, and ativan. As an alternative to these high risk medications, non-addictive options like Buspar are utilized to help clients better manage their anxiety symptoms as well as cognitive therapies for teaching stress reduction and anxiety management skills.

Stimulant therapy is the use of stimulant-based medications to aid adults struggling with attention deficit disorder. Popular medications in this class include adderall, ritalin, and concerta. Unfortunately, these medicines are also widely abused and often illegally sold by patients thus forcing treatment providers to reconsider the use of these medications in their programs.

Positively, there are several medications which can help ADD and which have a low abuse potential. Some psychotropic medications can also be used off label to help reduce attention deficit problems. Off label means the drug was not designed specifically to treat a symptom, but has been found to have a beneficial effect on reducing that symptom.

In the end, methadone programs must employ the safest protocols to insure that clients receive treatment that genuinely helps them and will not place them at risk. There are instances in which benzodiazepines and stimulant therapies are appropriate and in the best interest of the client. However, medical and clinical staff must utilize a careful sense of discretion and evaluate the merits of a particular high risk medication against its potential for harm.

Clients can help this process by being open, honest, and direct with their treatment staff. Clients should report to management any person who is known to sell prescription medications to other clients. While this type of behavior typically occurs among a minority, it can have an extremely negative impact on other clients and the clinic itself.

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Posted in Benzodiazepine, Drug Rehab Programs, Drug Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Safety, Methadone Treatment, Stimulant Therapy

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Drug Addiction, Methadone, and Suboxone

Posted on November 3, 2013 | Comments Off on Drug Addiction, Methadone, and Suboxone

suboxone-articleAn article was brought to our attention by Dr. Dana Jane Saltzman, a New York City physician who specializes in the treatment of opioid addiction. Dr. Saltzman uses suboxone in her private practice to help those seeking recovery from a severe opioid habit.

The article was posted in The Village Voice and attempted to depict the duality of opioid replacement therapies. This duality stems from the highly therapeutic & legitimate uses of suboxone (buprenorphine) contrasted against the attempts of some addicts to create a black market cottage industry with the medication selling it illegally online via Craigslist, Facebook, and other social media.

In the world of medicine and addiction treatment, selling suboxone is certainly criminal, and also behavior characteristic of someone who is not grounded in recovery. Many medical & clinical treatment professionals across the country have endeavored for decades to provide safe, effective treatment to suffering addicts. When FDA-approved opioid treatment medications are misdirected and sold on the black market, all varieties of abuse and exploitation occur ending in overdoses and a deepening of damaging social stigma about medications such as suboxone and methadone.

The Village Voice article plays it straight up the middle with perhaps some emphasis on the growing underground market for suboxone targeted to those who want to bypass the cost or inconvenience of signing on with a suboxone-approved physician.

Individuals who attempt to treat their own addiction with opioid replacement therapy are going to fail a high percentage of times. First, most  have no medical basis for understanding the complex nature of opioid addiction in the brain, and they can even deepen their addiction through the inappropriate use of opioid replacements. Addicts often go with what feels right opting for their own intuition as opposed to following proven best practice protocols like those employed in structured treatment programs supervised by suboxone-approved doctors.

Addicts who treat themselves with street suboxone or methadone are also completely missing the counseling component of recovery which addresses the underlying psychological factors that drive addiction. Taking street suboxone without counseling is akin to taking diabetes medication while eating doughnuts. In other words, the individual makes their complicated dilemma even worse.

There are some generic equivalents of suboxone in development which may make opioid replacement therapy more accessible to the larger population. Suboxone and methadone have a definite place in addiction treatment. It is critical however that early recovering addicts receive quality counseling so that they can better understand how to cope with relapse patterns and develop the skills necessary to successfully manage the disease of addiction. Addicts treating themselves with medications acquired on the street will remain stuck in a vicious cycle of addiction.

True recovery requires humility and commitment to higher principles. Chasing shortcuts to recovery creates more pain and wastes valuable time that would be better invested in real solutions.

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Posted in Buprenorphine, Drug Treatment, Medication Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Opiate Addiction, Opiate Treatment, Recovery, Suboxone, Suboxone Doctors, Suboxone Physicians

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Choosing To Face Reality

Posted on October 11, 2013 | Comments Off on Choosing To Face Reality

woman-12To be curious is a basic part of human nature. We live each day naturally drawn to things which interest us, which feel good physically or emotionally, or which might incite some curious inclination down inside of us. It is literally wired into the human DNA to be inquisitive and to seek new experiences.

We live in an information age in which most anything one wants to know is available via the internet. We know that drugs are dangerous. Yet, we naturally assume substance problems are something that happens to someone else. We know that addiction is real and can wreck one’s life, but we look past the potential danger and conclude that these risks don’t really apply to us at this time, or in this particular situation.

There is an old saying in recovery circles that no addict started out with the intention to become addicted. This is, of course, true. No one starts out intending to become an addict. So what is it that we tell ourselves when we face the potential dangers of addiction? Do any of these sound familiar?

  • Well, just this one time. One time won’t hurt.
  • I’ll stop before things get out of control.
  • Well, she did it and she doesn’t have a problem.
  • I don’t have to have it. It’s just something I like doing from time to time.
  • I’ve had a terrible day. I deserve a break. It’s not like I’m addicted!

Addiction is a complex problem. Drug use alters brain chemistry. For some people, these neurological changes are rapid and dramatic leaving the individual with an addiction that builds quickly before they are even aware of it. And denial keeps people from facing the truth even longer.

The door to addiction is often wide open and one only needs to take a small step to pass through to that other side where addiction becomes a harsh reality. Facing the truth is always the first step. No one gets well until they admit they are sick. The journey of recovery does not begin until a first step is taken.

If you have an ongoing opioid addiction and have honestly tried to get well, then medication-assisted treatment may be the next step that you take. Addiction progresses. Inevitably, addiction will make your life worse if left untreated. This downhill slide only stops when you make the decision to get into treatment or obtain effective help through some other proven means.

The message is this: Choose to face your own reality! Whatever it is, it can likely be changed. It can likely be improved. But it can only happen with your cooperation and your good intentions. Move in the direction of a solution. Commit yourself to getting help.

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Posted in Addiction Recovery, Drug Rehab Programs, Drug Treatment, Medication Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Treatment, Opiate Addiction, Recovery, Uncategorized

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