The United Nations 53rd annual meeting on global drug policy was held in Vienna recently. According to the news reports the United States has changed it’s position somewhat regarding the treatment of addicts. There was a shift was to soften its position on “Harm Reduction” – activities which reduce the harmful societal side effects from drug abuse. For example needle exchanges which has reduced the spread of AIDs and HIV in other countries. Also the new view is more inclined to look for treatment of the addicted person as a patient not as a criminal. Although I don’t agree with many of things the proponents of Harm Reduction propose. I do support the idea that the ultimate handling for the drug problem is to address the individual. There needs to a humane system to handle the physical dependency on the drug through medical detox and then effective support programs that fully rehabilitate body and soul from the residual effects of drugs. Methadone is a Harm Reduction solution but is not the final solution. The final solution is for you to be drug free. If you want help in finding that solution give us a call or email.
Check out this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hCL217xjoA
Harm Reduction
March 18th, 2010Whose side are you on ?
December 30th, 2009I was just reading through news articles on Methadone for the past few days and it is funny to see the different views regarding methadone. Some people praise it for it’s social value in getting heroin users back to a normal life style. I can agree with that.
Some people praise it for being a longer acting pain medication that is cheaper and effective in handling pain. To a certain extent, I can agree with that too.
On the other side of the coin, you have city councils rejecting methadone clinics opening up in their cities because they don’t want the drug user traffic and associated risks involved in their neighborhoods. I can agree with that.
Others want it legislated because since it is being used in pain management more deaths from Methadone Overdose have been occurring. I can really agree with that!
So what is the real deal with Methadone? In my opinion methadone is a Band-Aid. It is not a long term solution. It is a solution that becomes the next problem if it is used too long. I think what is wrong with all the methadone programs is that they stop at getting the person onto the drug; A complete program would be getting the person onto the methadone program to handle the immediate problem but then solve the problem. Just like a medical detox is just a step in handling an addiction which should include a dug rehab too, getting someone off heroin onto methadone is getting him back into more social environment where he can function normally.
But you still now have to get him through a medical detox and a rehab. Here is an article on the difference between detox and rehab – click here.
To me leaving someone on a methadone program with out getting him through a methadone detox and possibly drug rehab is like giving you crutches to walk with a broken ankle. You can now get around but if the bones aren’t set and rehab isn’t done so it is strong again you are going to be limping for the rest of your life.
Dramatic vs Important
December 15th, 2009I was reading an article the other day and even though it wasn’t about methadone detox per se, I thought that it was very applicable to the current scene. The article mentioned that what sells newspapers is the dramatic. By stressing the dramatic we often overlook the important.
Thus we have in the news about methadone – This person died from methadone overdose, this infant was born addicted to methadone, this methadone clinic closed. This is all very dramatic but what about all the thousands of users caught in the trap of having to go to the clinic every day of their lives to prevent painful methadone withdrawal, that worry about their boss finding out they are using, that can’t get pregnant because they don’t want their baby born addicted to methadone.
What about all the money that the government pays for “treating” people with methadone instead of paying for a detox! I think that’s more important. I’d like to focus on that. If we could make some headway helping people get off methadone I am sure the newspapers could find something else dramatic to fill in the space! Do you agree?
What causes Methadone Withdrawal Pain?
December 7th, 2009Endorphins are the natural pain relievers and feel good chemicals your body produces and allows you to carry on normal activities. When you think about it, your body takes a fair amount of abuse every day: Walking jogging, bumping into things, picking up heavy items. Without some sort of natural pain relief you wouldn’t be able to do normal every day chores or exercise to keep your body in shape.
Methadone artificially does the same thing as endorphins. After a while taking it your body shuts down it’s natural production of endorphins. Why produce something you don’t need! So what happens when you stop taking methadone?
Exactly!
There are no endorphins in your system and you experience extreme discomfort and pain and generally feel awful!
Secondly, methadone users generally have vitamin and mineral deficiencies and are very dehydrated.
This lead to even more problems if you stop taking methadone because the vital organs of the body are not operating properly and this leads to the body having more trouble starting its own endorphin production and the pain lasts even longer.
Here is a great article on the solution for all this. Click here
Methadone Controversy
November 18th, 2009A high school student just emailed me looking for data about methadone. She said, “All I can find in student databases are articles trying to prove how great methadone is and how much addicts can benefit from methadone.” It was very difficult for her to find anything that mentioned the dangers of the drug.
Interesting. What are our schools teaching students?
Having been associated with drug detox for a while now, I can tell you many of the side effects of the drug and the pain, both emotional and physical, that is related to the drug. But then you probably already know them or you wouldn’t be reading this blog.
The reality hit home that most of the information available on the net and in research papers is why it is OK to be on the drug. Where is all the research and help on how to get off! Many people are out there who are stuck on methadone would love to get off but can’t find a program that a) is effective or b) they can afford. Sure there are some social benefits touted for the methadone program, but what about the user who is now sentenced to a lifelong term in the Methadone prison?
Treatment for addiction should be a curing for addiction, not just providing the addict with a legal supply of drugs.
Methadone Use in Russia
November 11th, 2009I thought it was interesting to see that Russia, despite the fact that they have a huge problem with the spread of HIV from sharing heroin needles, will NOT use methadone as a solution. One of the reasons given was that they think it is just a way for drug companies to make money. The reason I thought this was interesting is that in the debate they were calling the use of methadone a treatment for heroin addiction. Reminds me of an article I recently read that described the difference between treat and cure. To quote from the article:
“The Encarta Dictionary defines “treat” as:”…give medical aid to somebody” and also as: “…apply medical techniques to a disease or symptom in order to provide a cure.”
What is the definition of cure? The Encarta Dictionary defines “cure” as: “to restore a sick person or animal to health.” The sentence used to illustrate this definition is, “Six months later she was completely cured.” Another definition is: “to bring an end to an illness, disorder, or injury by medical treatment.” The sentence used to illustrate this definition is, “Diseases like this are not easily cured.”
As you can see there is a difference. Treatment does not necessarily result in a cure. Methadone treatment is not a cure for heroin addiction; it is just a trade of one addictive drug for another. The cure would be to go to a medical detox center and handle the physical dependency on the drug and then a rehab, if need be, to handle the reasons that a person got on the drug in the first place
Check out the article here.
Methadone as a Pain Killer
November 4th, 2009Many people these days who are seeking to get off methadone originally got on opiods because of an issue with pain. Some were up to such a high dose of Oxycontin that their pain management Doctor switched them to methadone and others were simply abandoned by their pain management Doctors. However it happened it has led to an interesting trend – more methadone deaths. Government stats show this as I reported a few weeks ago. I keep up with the daily news stories on Methadone and it appears that there are more and more children who are getting a hold of their parent’s medication and dying of overdoses. I’d be very interesting in seeing the stats on this. I wonder if anyone is keeping track?
IF you have children and are on methadone don’t you think it would be a good thing for you to get off methadone? It may not only save your life but the life of your child.
If you are on methadone for pain check out this link.
Can you make it through a home Detox?
October 28th, 2009As a drug counselor I often speak to people who are trying to go through a detox from Methadone at home. Although not impossible, it certainly is not the best way to. Most people fail. Not because they didn’t want to get off the drugs, mainly because they could not! Methadone creates vitamin and mineral deficiencies in the body. Compounding the physical pain of the drug withdrawal is the fact that your body is craving vitamins and minerals. In layman’s terms, the body needs to start producing endoprphins again so you can feel better. This often doesn’t happen right away because the body is depleted of the needed vitamins and minerals. I watched an interesting video on you tube where an ex-addict talks about the treatment he got. You should check it out by clicking here
Anna Nicole Smith – Failed Detox
October 20th, 2009Anna Nicole Smith’s psychiatrist says she left a detox 10 months before she died.
According to the news reports she checked herself into a clinic early in her pregnancy but failed to complete the detox and as we all know, later succumbed to the drug. In fact, it appears that she was getting methadone and other drugs smuggled to her while supposedly detoxing!
Failing to complete a detox is an all too common story. A person is determined to get off the drug, goes to a detox but because the detox does not “work for them’ they leave and now feel that detox is “not for them”. That’s why it is important to research these detox centers fully before you go.
My personal suggestion is to pick an in-patient clinic which gives a high degree of personal care. If you don’t have a knowledgeable staff to help you through the rough spots the tendency is just to leave. I’d also recommend finding a medical detox that not only does drug tapers but also builds up the body with nutrition and vitamin and mineral supplements so that the withdrawal symptoms are lessened and the time shortened. There are places like this around. If you need one let me know.