Monthly Archives: October 2014

Opioid Treatment Center in Scottsdale Arizona

smc-recovery-3Recently joining Methadone.US is a newly opened methadone treatment program in Scottsdale, Arizona: SMC Recovery. SMC offer methadone for opioid addiction as well as an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for treating all varieties of addictive disorders.

Both modalities of treatment are deemed best practice interventions by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and they are evidence-based treatment models. Evidence-based means that the treatment approaches have been thoroughly researched and shown to be effective in helping patients achieve success with identified treatment goals.

More specifically, SMC Recovery offers medication-assisted treatment, IOP, outpatient, group counseling, family groups, and individual therapy to adults 18 years and older. Prospective patients in the Scottsdale area can reach SMC staff at (480) 998-4673 (HOPE) or via the email address listed on the Scottsdale page of the Methadone.US website.

SMC Recovery’s narcotic treatment program is available to all individuals who meet ASAM criteria for admission to opioid treatment. Priority admission status is provided to pregnant clients.

Recent news: The Methadone.US information portal launched in early 2011 and has since delivered opioid treatment information to more than 662,000 individuals in the United States searching for addiction treatment resources. Thank you for visiting, and for your continued support of Methadone.US!


Methadone Treatment Services

methadone-treatment-resourcesWhen one thinks of methadone treatment, they usually consider the power of methadone to eliminate opiate withdrawal and the value this has to someone fighting off withdrawal sickness.

Methadone treatment actually consists of more than just the “medication assistance” component. Real treatment always addresses the underlying lifestyle, thinking, and behavioral elements that are a significant part of the addictive process. These areas are specifically addressed through counseling. All opioid treatment programs providing methadone in the United States are required to also offer counseling to their patients in order to help them achieve true and lasting success.

Some patients will need more counseling & emotional support than others. But all patients new to the recovery process will need to receive basic education on addiction as an illness, how to build a personal recovery program, and to have an opportunity to develop new coping and relapse prevention skills.

Methadone clinics in the U.S. vary in the ways that they deliver counseling services. Some programs are heavy on individual counseling while some focus more on a group therapy model. Often, programs will provide a blend of the two with optional family or collateral participation available as needed.

There is another important consideration with methadone treatment pertaining to the need to also treat “co-occurring disorders”. Co-occurring disorders consist of other psychiatric symptoms that merit special interventions and additional care. For example, many individuals dealing with an opioid addiction may also have struggled with chronic depression or anxiety. Unless these disorders are treated effectively, they can become stumbling blocks on the road to recovery, and can undermine a person’s sobriety success.

A number of methadone programs have in-house psychiatric services to address co-occurring disorders and to provide additional medications and/or therapy if required. Opioid treatment programs that do not have psyc services will typically refer a patient out to the local mental health center or a private provider who specializes in psychiatric care.

Methadone treatment has at times been presented as a harm reduction approach to dealing with severe addiction. In other words, reducing a person’s risk of overdose or exposure to other illnesses is a worthwhile goal. However, “harm reduction” alone does not represent all that recovery truly offers. There are many people who have found life long recovery through their introduction to methadone treatment. After becoming drug free, they went on to have families, start businesses, develop new careers, and enjoy a full life in the best sense.

The possibilities are limitless in recovery. Addiction is treatable. Methadone can be an important piece of the recovery journey. For many thousands of patients, it was the new start that they had hoped for.

Suboxone Facilitates Safety and Recovery

suboxone-doctorSuboxone is a leading medication in the treatment of opioid dependence and has been available since 2002 when the FDA approved Subutex (buprenorphine hydrochloride) and Suboxone tablets (buprenorphine hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride).

Suboxone tablets have since been replaced by the thin sublingual suboxone film that is also dissolved under the tongue. While methadone has been highly successful for several decades, suboxone has expanded the range of options for those suffering with opioid withdrawal.

Fighting off opioid withdrawal is at the core of opioid addiction and is chiefly responsible for the stress that addicted individuals feel as they try to function normally each day. Suboxone not only helps patients eliminate opioid withdrawal sickness and associated cravings, but it also brings the opportunity to function again as an employee, a parent, or a spouse.

Many patients report not only feeling relief from the welcomed absence of withdrawal sickness, but recapturing the focus necessary to make strides in other important areas of their lives. This illustrates the profound advantage that some patients derive from opioid replacement therapy.

There are an increasing number of physicians now providing opioid addiction treatment services and utilizing suboxone due to its effectiveness and patient convenience. Additionally, some traditional methadone clinics are adopting buprenorphine (suboxone) as a second option for their patients.

Suboxone therapy ultimately increases safety for opioid addicted patients since they are less prone to secure opiates illicitly. It may also save them from having to rely on heroin or other potentially high-risk medications (like benzodiazepines) in order to “get by”. Patients are better able to cut ties with those that have provided them opiates illicitly and this is extremely helpful to the recovery process.

Originally, Sildenafil was intended for the treatment of angina or chest pain caused by decreased blood flow to the heart. But then followed the trials, as the drug didn’t provide stated effect. But volunteers’ studies showed an interesting side effect- stable and strong erection which is described at . Other studies conducted around the same time showed that the molecular structure of Sildenafil can play a great role in erection, which encouraged the new studies of the drug for men with erectile dysfunction.

If choosing suboxone, it is important that individuals go the proper route and enroll in therapy with a buprenorphine-approved physician. This cannot be overstated. A doctor specializing in the administration of buprenorphine (suboxone) can provide the necessary assistance to make suboxone therapy effective and to help patients taper down successfully should they decide to discontinue suboxone therapy.

For more on this topic, visit our Suboxone Doctors information page.

You can also perform a comprehensive search of Suboxone Doctors by clicking view the complete list on our Search Clinics By State page.