The current opioid epidemic in the United States is reaching unprecedented levels. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 115 people die every day in the United States from an opioid overdose. In efforts to combat the opioid epidemic, many states are prescribing methadone. You may be asking yourself, “What is methadone? What are the risks involved with taking it?”
For those concerned about the addictive qualities of methadone, these are important questions. Unfortunately, many people wind up seeking further addiction treatment to methadone once they begin taking it.
What is Methadone?
Methadone is a narcotic medication, and its original purpose was to help treat people with moderate to severe pain. It’s a synthetic analgesic medication that has similar effects to medications like morphine. When used correctly, methadone can assist in recovery from seriously addictive drugs, such as heroin and other narcotics.
The problem is that many people can develop an addiction as well as a dependency to this drug. Yet, there are still many people who believe methadone is the answer to the opioid epidemic. So, what is methadone maintenance?
The goal of methadone maintenance is to provide people with a controlled alternative to get off drugs like heroin. The primary issue is that your dependency can make it hard to get off because you develop the following symptoms:
- Aches and pains
- Nausea
- Anxiety
- Flu-like symptoms
- Depression
What is Methadone Detox and Treatment?
While methadone may have helped you get off of a drug like heroin or prescription opioids, it can cause your life to become chaotic. If this sounds like something you’re struggling with, a methadone addiction treatment can help you recover.
The first step in this process is doing a safe medical detox to help you through the symptoms of withdrawal. You’ll have medical staff with you at all times to make you as safe and comfortable as possible.
One of the issues with methadone maintenance is that you’re just switching from one drug to another. Through various forms of therapy, you’ll start to see that recovery is possible, and you can live a better life. This is done with the help of licensed therapists as well as the support you receive from your peers in treatment.
Getting the Help You Need at Steps to Recovery
Steps to Recovery is located in Levittown, PA, and we’re a drug and alcohol treatment facility that wants to help. No matter what your situation is or how low your addiction has taken you, we can help you live a new life. Our passionate and dedicated staff has one goal, and that is to provide you with the hope that life can get better. We help treat our clients through some of the following methods and more:
- Alcohol drug education
- Family therapy
- Psychotherapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Intensive outpatient program
- Partial hospitalization program
- Services catered for the LGBTQ+ community
Getting hooked and addicted to methadone can be easy when you’re still wondering “What is methadone?” However, with Steps to Recovery, you can enter the treatment you need to get clean. If you’re ready to start this new journey, call us today at 267.209.7312.
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