Category Archives: Methadone Clinics

Methadone Interest in Metropolitan Cities

Posted on March 6, 2011 | Comments Off on Methadone Interest in Metropolitan Cities

methadone-cities2Methadone.US launched in the first quarter of 2011 and has experienced substantial growth over the last 6 weeks. The website, just since February 1, has been visited by internet users in 1205 different cities who were searching for methadone clinics and opioid treatment services in their general vicinity. The extensive reach of the site has been truly remarkable.

The vast majority of Methadone.US visitors are from the United States. This is a natural result of the site’s .US (United States) web address, location & focus. Of the 1205 different locales, ten American cities emerged as especially noteworthy by producing the greatest number of visitors to the Methadone.US website. These top ten cities are listed below, in order:

  1. New York City
  2. Los Angeles
  3. Chicago
  4. Philadelphia
  5. Denver
  6. Dallas
  7. Seattle
  8. Houston
  9. Atlanta
  10. Albuquerque

With the site having been visited by individuals in hundreds of American cities, it is a safe assumption that people are very interested in learning more about methadone as a potential treatment intervention for their opiate addiction. There are many people in America who have found themselves physically dependent on prescription pain medication. Finding an answer to this dilemma is their chief priority.

The availability of opioid replacement therapy (methadone or suboxone) is improving almost on a daily basis. Science and medicine are continually advancing for the benefit of those who want a healthier life. Fortunately, technology has made it much easier for people to obtain the critical information they need … anywhere and anytime. The internet, and website technology, are at the very center of tomorrow’s information superhighway. The value of bringing important information to millions of people needs no explanation.

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Posted in Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Maintenance, Methadone Programs, Methadone Success, Methadone Treatment, New York Methadone Clinics

Never Give Up On Yourself

Posted on March 2, 2011 | Comments Off on Never Give Up On Yourself

methadone39I had the pleasant good fortune of seeing a former client the other day who had entered methadone treatment for his opiate addiction about 7 years ago. I remember him struggling for the first 2 years with relapses (mostly to cocaine, not opiates) and our clinic offering a variety of different treatments to help him get on track.

Due to a string of drug tests always positive for illicit substances, we were critically close to detoxing him from our methadone program. As you might imagine, he was a daily prisoner in his addiction and the pieces of the recovery puzzle were just not connecting yet in a way that worked for him.

As a last chance run in formal treatment, he attended a Day Treatment program that we offered which provided group and individual counseling, psycho-educational classes, and activity therapy Monday through Friday from 8:00 am – 3:30 pm. It was at this time that he obtained his first clean drug test. This first success led to a second clean test, and then a third.

I remember believing in this person's sincerity. He wanted to change, and he needed the unconditional support of others who were not willing to give up on him … even when he was close to giving up on himself. Toward the end of treatment, there was a noticeable shift in his sense of hope. He had come to believe that recovery was possible for him. And where he used to see only a dead end, he now saw a light on the path just ahead of him getting brighter and brighter with each passing day.

When we sat and talked the other day, he was celebrating 5 uninterrupted years of recovery – no drugs, no probation, no jail, no longer financially destitute. He continues to take methadone and has enjoyed an ever-improving life in which he is meeting personal goals including: employment, home ownership, and the ability to care for his sickly, aging father. This is a great source of pride for the client being able to care for his father. It's a commitment he keeps every single day. Recovery, via methadone assistance and counseling, made this possible.

I am reminded how easy it is to judge addicted people, and to give up on them. But there is a reality that we must never forget. And it is that a suffering addict may be just one step away from turning the corner and passing through that doorway into a new life of recovery. We must not extinguish that dim light, that glimmer of hope, that helps people hold on just one more day. Recovery is always possible. As a counselor, I learned a long time ago that you cannot predict who will make it, or when. Never should we be so presumptuous or jaded.

Never give up! I believe in that. Congratulations to all of those who are still trying. Recovery may be closer than you think.

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Posted in Addiction Recovery, Drug Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Maintenance, Methadone Programs, Methadone Treatment, NIMBY, Opiate Addiction

Portland Methadone Clinics

Posted on March 1, 2011 | Comments Off on Portland Methadone Clinics

portland_methadonePortland is a large pacific northwest city in the state of Oregon with a metro population of about 2.2 million people. To its credit, Portland offers a considerable number of opioid treatment programs that specialize in the use of methadone and suboxone replacement therapy. Consequently, those struggling with opioid addiction have numerous medication-assisted treatment alternatives in the greater Portland area.

Portland became part of the grunge music scene that rose to prominence in the 1990's. During that time, heroin experienced somewhat of a resurgence with a resulting increase in opiate use and opiate addiction.

In addition to the numerous Portland methadone clinics that opened, many suboxone certified physicians came along when suboxone received its approval from the FDA in 2002. There are 45 suboxone physicians currently in practice at last count.

Within a 10 mile radius of Portland are several more methadone clinics located in the nearby towns of Beaverton, Milwaukie, and Vancouver. Portland appears to have responded quite well to a major opioid problem in their region. One can only imagine how Portland would have been negatively impacted had opioid treatment not found a place in the local community.

Portland Methadone Clinics

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Posted in Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Maintenance, Methadone Programs, Methadone Treatment, Portland Methadone Clinics

Take Our Online Methadone Assessment

Posted on February 27, 2011 | Comments Off on Take Our Online Methadone Assessment

methadone36bMethadone.US is now offering a free online methadone assessment. The assessment is meant to help site visitors review treatment interventions that may be appropriate for them based on their self-reported level of opioid dependency.

If you are a family, friend, or professional visiting the site, please feel free to refer those with an opioid addiction, and invite them to complete the assessment online. It takes very little time, is free, and visitors do not have to reveal their identity. The methadone assessment scores users' responses and then offers results & recommendations immediately following completion of the assessment.

Methadone.US aims to connect opioid addicted individuals with local treatment resources that can help them change their lives. Online assessments are useful tools for increasing a person's awareness of options. Choice, in addiction recovery, is a powerful and beneficial component of positive change. Thanks for visiting Methadone.US!

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Posted in Addiction Recovery, Methadone, Methadone Assessment, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Programs, Methadone Treatment

Review Your Methadone Clinic Handbook

Posted on February 24, 2011 | Comments Off on Review Your Methadone Clinic Handbook

methadone32Each methadone program outlines important policies and procedures that their clients need to be familiar with as they enter methadone treatment. By necessity, methadone clinics operate with a considerable number of program rules pertaining to the clinic's operation and their clients' participation. These rules and procedures must be well-organized and readily available to all clients.

Most clinics publish a client handbook that is organized into topics & categories covering the essentials a client should know about program operation, client rights & privileges, important methadone cautions, advancing through the methadone treatment phase system, and numerous other issues.

If you are a new client, please do take time to review any orientation packet or program handbook that your methadone home clinic provides you. Becoming familiar with the procedures for each department (medical, clinical, billing) will help you become more comfortable with treatment and also reduce the chance of any future problems.

For example, new clients sometimes do not understand that arriving late (after dispensing has finished for the day) may likely result in not receiving one's methadone dose. This often results in feelings of worry and anxiety that can interfere with the rest of your day. So be sure to know when dispensing is over and don't wait until the last minute to arrive at your clinic for dosing.

Your counselor, or the dispensing nurse, should be able to get you a copy of the client handbook if you don't have it or have misplaced your original. Having a program handbook nearby is especially helpful when you are at home or don't have immediate access to program staff for answering sudden questions.

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Posted in Addiction Recovery, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Programs, Methadone Treatment