Interest in methadone as an opioid addiction treatment is continuing to grow. Many of the phone calls that clinics receive are based on direct word-of-mouth recommendations from current clients & former clients. I often perform telephone and walk-in triage for clients seeking methadone treatment at one of our local clinics. A majority of these individuals report prior efforts to address their addiction through traditional detox and/or intensive outpatient counseling. Some report multiple rounds of inpatient rehab.
I am often impressed with the readiness of callers to try something new. And it's clear that many feel they are running out of options and wondering if any treatment will ever work for them. In discussing methadone as an option, it is important to inform prospective clients that methadone is a powerful opioid replacement therapy, but that it may take several years before one can realistically attempt to taper off of methadone successfully. As treatment professionals, it is important to help educate on both the negative and positive characteristics of treatment choices.
Methadone.US aims to be a high-quality information resource on methadone treatment. There are several other very useful sites online which we recommend:
- Dr. Jana Burson's Blog (a knowledgeable physician who writes about opioid treatment)
- National Methadone Clinic Search (SAMHSA – Dept of Health & Human Services)
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