Category Archives: Opiate Addiction

Balanced News on Methadone Treatment Benefits

Posted on March 13, 2011 | Comments Off on Balanced News on Methadone Treatment Benefits

methadone-clinic-4The Kitsap Sun, a newspaper based out of Bremerton Washington, has published an article on the advantages of methadone replacement therapy in dealing with Washington State’s opioid addiction problem. The article reporter is Josh Farley, and he did a nice job of presenting the facts around methadone’s benefits.

Josh interviewed Ron Jackson, the Executive Director of Evergreen Treatment Services, an opioid treatment clinic in Seattle, Washington. In the article (and embedded video), Mr. Jackson describes how methadone treatment incorporates counseling, and is not just medication-assistance alone. The general tone of the article was fair and fact-based, and it recognized the various ways in which methadone treatment participation helps to stabilize addicted individuals’ lives. Articles of this nature are a welcome relief from the fear mongering that some media outlets resort to when referencing methadone.

For the Kitsap Sun report, several methadone clients came forward to share details of their lives & addictions, and to specifically address how utilizing methadone provides needed support in becoming free of illicit drugs. The Kitsap Sun article pointed to an increase in methadone program enrollment in recent years estimating that about 270,000 patients are presently participating in methadone maintenance nationally. Another opioid treatment advocate was quoted as saying there are approximately 1200 methadone clinics operating in the United States.

These growing numbers indicate the value of methadone treatment in America. People with opioid dependencies need interventions that are effective and life-altering. Methadone works. Thanks to the Kitsap Sun for their journalistic integrity, and for their interest in portraying opioid addiction treatment in a fair & balanced light.

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Posted in Medication Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Benefits, Methadone Blog, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Maintenance, Methadone News, Methadone Programs, Methadone Treatment, Opiate Addiction, Opiate Treatment

The Future of Methadone Treatment

Posted on March 7, 2011 | Comments Off on The Future of Methadone Treatment

methadonefutureThe total number of U.S. private and publicly funded methadone clinics has risen substantially just in the last few years. Moreover, opioid addiction treatment is receiving increased attention across the country as organizations like SAMHSA, NIDA, ASAM, and CARF become familiar acronyms to everyone working in the addiction treatment field.

We now have various suboxone formulations with increased availability, in addition to methadone, and new products aimed at treating opioid addiction are being researched and periodically released (such as Vivitrol). A generic version of suboxone is said to be on the horizon too thus becoming a more accessible & affordable option for many. The message is out that opioid addiction is a disease which can be successfully treated & managed using a combination of medication and behavioral health counseling approaches.

Methadone programs received a quality boost in 1999 when the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services identified methadone as a useful “clinical tool” in the treatment of opioid dependency. Provisions were then drafted & implemented which required all methadone programs to become independently accredited in order to establish a clinical standard of care.

Leading medical and educational institutions, such as Duke University, have committed to researching effective addiction treatments and are consequently advancing our knowledge of ways to deal with addictive disease. Organizations like JoinTogether.org are bringing relevant news to America on a daily basis in regard to addiction problems and solutions.

If the last 20 years are any indication, then the future of opioid addiction treatment will only improve. What used to be regarded as a “heroin only” isolated problem contained in the big cities, is in reality a fairly widespread problem affecting many everyday families in every American town regardless of its size.

The good new is that people all around the country are getting well. They have tools available for coping with addiction. The power of the internet is helping people tap into useful addiction recovery resources. The future brings continued promise, and many possibilities.

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Posted in Drug Treatment, Medication Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Maintenance, Methadone Programs, Methadone Treatment, Opiate Addiction, Opiate Treatment, Suboxone

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

Addiction Is A Brain Disease

Posted on February 28, 2011 | Comments Off on Addiction Is A Brain Disease

methadone33Former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Koop, speaks in this short SAMHSA video about the need in America for ready access drug treatment. Many diseases and health conditions, including drug dependency, can be effectively managed through proper medications and best practice treatment interventions.

Drug addiction is a true brain disease. Drug use causes disruption in the brain's normal production of many natural chemicals including neurotransmitters essential to mood stability and emotional regulation.

Opioid addiction is not just about heroin or traditional "hard drugs". There has been a rapid increase in the use, and abuse, of prescription pain killers in America. Government estimates now put prescription pain pill abuse considerably ahead of heroin addiction. For more on this important topic, consider Dr. Jana Burson's book, Pain Pill Addiction: A Prescription for Hope.

Opioid dependency is a treatable illness. Addiction can be effectively managed. Detox, outpatient counseling, inpatient rehab, 12 Step support, and medication assisted treatment (such as methadone or suboxone) can all play a role in helping individuals to establish a healthy, drug-free life. 

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Posted in Addiction Recovery, Drug Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Programs, Methadone Treatment, Opiate Addiction

Opioid Addiction the Unwanted Companion

Posted on February 11, 2011 | Comments Off on Opioid Addiction the Unwanted Companion

methadone91Many decent people have wondered how they ended up in the middle of an opioid addiction. Looking back, they retrace their past wishing they could undo some steps along the way. Facing opioid dependency becomes its own exhausting daily routine. Thinking about the past hurts, and looking forward brings worry. So one sits in the moment feeling a certain pain that just won't go away.

As addiction and its related problems fester, and infiltrate the important aspects of one's life, worry and anxiety become familiar feelings. These painful feelings will deepen addiction for some people as they become paralyzed with indecision and regret. Many fall further into their opioid dependency as they numb the pain with more drug use. This, of course, is not the answer.

If change is to occur, there are decisions which the addicted person must make. Addiction can be a devastating illness, yes. But addiction is also treatable, and this must never be forgotten. The progressive nature of opiate addiction means that the addiction worsens over time (progresses) unless the addicted individual does something to arrest the disease progression.

This is where treatment enters the picture. Many lives have been saved, and futures restored, by simply making the decision to get help. Getting help means accepting responsibility for choosing, and then staying the course. Methadone treatment programs, and other treatment options, are available. Treatment, and recovery, are not easy. But they are definitely worth the effort. Recovery brings light, opens doors, and reconnects one to the things that make life worthwhile again. This is the promise of recovery.

Seeking treatment may require some patience. Do not get discouraged. Sometimes, asking someone to help you find treatment resources can go a long way. Remember, you are worth it. And things can change. Methadone, suboxone, detox, inpatient rehab, and other treatment interventions are available. Step onto a new path.

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Posted in Methadone, Methadone Treatment, Opiate Addiction