Are Methadone Treatment Plans Really Necessary?

Methadone’s use as an opiate addiction treatment offers much needed relief from drug cravings and the overall feeling of malaise that chronic opiate addiction leaves behind. The change in demeanor and well being can be so profound that a person may well consider him- or herself “cured” of addiction.

While methadone does a good job at alleviating physical discomforts, addiction’s hold extends well beyond the obvious. Opiate addiction most impacts a person’s thinking and behaviors, driving compulsive drug use without a person’s even knowing it.

Methadone treatment plans become necessary in the sense that addiction recovery requires a plan or else the mind’s “need” for the drug will quickly lead a person down the wrong path. In this respect, understanding how methadone treatment plans work can actually help you take a more active role in your recovery process.

Methadone Treatment

Methadone treatment plans help patients replace drug-using behaviors with healthier habits.

According to the Alabama Department of Mental Health, methadone treatment addresses opiate addiction by restoring a normal chemical balance in the brain using methadone, while equipping recovering addicts with the coping skills needed to maintain long-term abstinence through behavioral treatment interventions.

In effect, the behavioral component reinforces methadone’s therapeutic effects by replacing the destructive thinking patterns that drive compulsive-drug use with healthy habits and behaviors for managing daily life.

The methadone treatment plan acts as a type of road map for developing drug-free habits and behaviors while following through on methadone dosing schedules.

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Methadone Treatment Plan Components

A methadone treatment plan identifies a person’s strengths, needs, preferences and abilities to develop short-term objectives and long-term goals in recovery. Objectives are behavior-based, as well as measurable, with each objective addressing a particular treatment need.

For example, an plan objective for someone who struggles with avoiding old drug-using friends and places would be to attend a minimum of three support group meetings a week. By doing so, he or she can develop friendships with like-minded individuals while at the same finding new hangouts that don’t threaten his or her recovery efforts.

According to Cornell University Law School, methadone treatment plans also set goals for helping a person meet his or her daily living needs, such as getting a job, finding housing or going back to school.

How to Make the Most of Methadone Maintenance Treatment

Chronic opiate addictions leave a lasting imprint on a person’s life, making it incredibly difficult to maintain abstinence in recovery for any length of time. Methadone, a drug with an extensive history as an opiate addiction treatment, addresses the two biggest obstacles addicts experience in recovery: withdrawal effects and drug cravings. Methadone maintenance treatment encompasses ….

The Initial Assessment Interview

The objectives and goals listed in a methadone treatment plan are based on information gathered during the initial assessment interview, which takes place as soon as a person starts methadone treatment. The assessment interview covers a range of life areas, with heavy emphasis placed on areas that drive drug abuse or are impacted by drug abuse.

Life areas addressed include:

Drug abuse history
Drug treatment history
Mental health history
Medical history
Family medical/mental health history
Motivation for treatment
Support system resources

Considerations

The methadone treatment plan is something you and your counselor put together so your input is expected in terms of what you hope to get out of the treatment process. Ultimately, the ability to track and measure progress made during the course of treatment can go a long way towards motivating a person to get well and stay well.

If you or someone you know are considering methadone treatment and need help finding a program that meets your needs, please feel free to call our toll-free helpline at 800-678-5931(Paid Advertiser) to speak with one of our addiction specialists.