The Downside Of Methadone Maintenance Programs

In addition to being produced as a highly effective pain reliever, Methadone is also promoted as an alternative for heroin.  Quite honestly, Methadone is often called man-made or synthetic heroin, and its use as a substitute for heroin in Methadone maintenance programs was designed to to reduce the illegal drug trade of actual heroin and its negative impact on society. 

While the initial intentions of Methadone maintenance programs were good, the reality for addicts participating in them means a life of continued addiction with one drug taking the place of another.  Once in a Methadone maintenance program, there can be very little if any work to get heroin addicts sober through a methadone detox program in spite of the truth that the physical side effects of Methadone are very harmful, while not mentioning the mental impact of the drug.

A common trait of Methadone users (or addicts) is “unfeeling”.  Methadone is a very powerful narcotic, and its numbing effects last much longer than heroin.  While this enables for dosages schedules in Methadone maintenance programs to be spread apart to days rather than hours, the results are that the Methadone user is not a fully functioning member of society.  To get there, the addict has to undertake methadone detox and additional addiction programs and exit the addictive cycle that goes along with with a methadone maintenance program. 

Because Methadone invades the bone marrow where red blood cells are made in a person’s body, continual Methadone use is harmful to the Methadone user’s body resulting in calcium deficiencies and loss of other essential minerals to maintain a body’s health.  During the time the Methadone user is ingesting Methadone, the pain and damage caused by the drug’s physical side effects are not felt because Methadone was initially designed as a pain killer.  In Methadone detox, however, the pain relieving effect of Methadone is taken away.   As a result the side effects of Methadone use become painfully apparent during Methadone detox.

Methadone detox is meant to be safely taking an addict off of Methadone, and therefore heroin, and getting them on the road of a clean and sober lifestyle.  Because Methadone withdrawals are almost always 4 times the length of heroin withdrawals and more complicated than a heroin withdrawal, a structured Methadone detox program is always needed for the addict to get clean and sober.

During Methadone detox the provider treats the mental aspects of the dependency as well as the physical aspects of the drug dependency.  The painful physical side effects during Methadone detox are one of the main reasons many people on Methadone never get clean and sober.  Lacking the aid of a structured Methadone detox program, the addict will only go back to using to prevent the pain of withdrawing.
Methadone detox programs can provide counseling to deal with the mental effects of the Methadone dependency as well as other treatments to take care of the physical side effects of withdrawals.  While

Methadone detox is considered to be one of the most difficult kinds of detoxes, Methadone detox can be attained with the aid of the correct Methadone detox program in which mild sedatives, therapeutic treatments, and over the counter pain relievers are applied to safely cause a successful Methadone detox in a supportive and safe place.