Methadone Drug Treatment

Methadone is a synthetic opioid pain medication typically used to treat those with an addiction to heroin or other opiates. While it does not have the characteristic "high" of an opiate, it otherwise acts in the same way and so relieves cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

While treatment including methadone has been very successful, it is not without its critics. Those who oppose methadone treatment make the point that an addict is simply trading one addictive drug for another; the problem is that methadone is, in fact, addictive.

Methadone addicts may feel they cannot go through their day without the drug, and may continue to take it even years after leaving their heroin addiction behind. Though it does not provide the same level of pleasurable effects as heroin, they may continue to take methadone to avoid withdrawal symptoms, just as they did while addicted to heroin.

Treatment for methadone addiction must begin with detoxification, which can be either a gradual decrease in the amount of the drug used, or rapid detox in a hospital setting, in which the patient is unconscious while medication (such as Suboxone or buprenorphine) is administered to combat withdrawal symptoms.

Once the drug is out of the body, standard treatments can begin, including individual and group counseling sessions, a 12-step program such as Narcotics Anonymous, and individual psychotherapy.