subject: Methadone Treatment [print this page] The lives of millions of Americans are affected each year by an opiate addiction. It is considered a chronic disease by the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, and many other groups. The Centers for Disease Control calls opiate addiction a major individual and public health problem. Opiate users are commonly addicted to heroin and morphine. Sadly, thousands of these addict die each year.
Withdrawal from opiates i.e. going cold turkey is a strong reason why so many addicts find it hard to kick their habit. Withdrawal symptoms include:
Nausea and vomiting
Diarrhea
Muscle aches
Tremors
Insomnia
Fatigue
Profuse sweating
Loss of appetite
Extreme anxiety
Chills
Depression
Methadone Treatment is often used to treat someone who has developed an opiate addiction. Methadone was developed in Germany in 1937, and methadone treatment programs began in the U.S. in the 1960s. The method is widely used today, with strict medical rules regulating the programs.
Methadone is a synthetic, man-made formula. It is a central nervous system depressant which helps to relieve the symptoms of withdrawal from opiates and the craving for them. It is technically an opiate that tricks the brain into believing it is getting the same opiates it craves. It also blocks the euphoric affects that occur with opiates so that if a person ingests a street opiate, he will not have the usual euphoric affect, which makes it less appealing to do. Methadone becomes a substitute that the body and person is able to accept on a regular basis.
Methadone Treatment is widely considered the best form of treatment for an opiate addict. While it is not without its detractors, the benefits of it are numerous. Methadone helps regulate a persons physical self, including getting better sleep and restoring the appetite. It is legal, removing the risk of trying to obtain drugs through a dangerous, underground world. This also keeps a person from the risk of going to jail. A person who normally injects their drugs is no longer at risk of diseases transmitted via dirty needles, such as HIV and hepatitis.
Besides the physical benefits of using a methadone treatment program, a person taking methadone properly can begin to assimilate back into life, including working, socializing, planning for the future and putting back together a life full of promise.
Methadone treatment must be administered and monitored by health professionals. A persons past and current health issues, current drug use, weight, breathing and sleep issues, blood pressure, mental illness and other conditions must be assessed by a medical professional who can then come up with a plan for treatment. Usage of methadone is monitored, and often a step-down program is employed over time. Methadone is taken daily in either a liquid or tablet form. In conjunction with the use of methadone, a clinic can offer options for counseling, which can add a strong element to help with a persons entire recovery.
by: methadonec
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