Can I Still Live My Life While on Methadone?

One of the best parts about methadone maintenance is that many individuals on this treatment are able to live their lives normally as they recover from addiction. Methadone maintenance was created for just this purpose: to maintain recovering addicts while they put their lives back together and work toward a stronger, happier existence, free from opioid abuse.

Methadone Maintenance Clinics and How They Work

Methadone helps people recover from opiate addiction without disrupting their everyday lives.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “In the United States, there are about 1,400 methadone maintenance programs serving over 254,000 patients, according to a 2006 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.” Most of these clinics are outpatient-based, which means that patients visit the clinic daily and receive their medication as well as attend other treatments like group and individual therapy, drug testing medical services, drug education, support group meetings, etc. Usually, an individual only has to visit the clinic for thirty minutes or so if they are only receiving their medication and for an hour or two if they are participating in another treatment option.

This means individuals can come and go as they please, as long as they show up for their scheduled times, and receive their medication as necessary as well as their other treatments. Because the program is so well rounded and also provides patients with many other options besides their medication, it creates a strong foundation for recovery but does not require that patients stay all day or night. Once a person has been going to a methadone clinic for some time, they will likely have a routine that gets them in and out of the facility quickly while still allowing them to receive a full treatment program.

Methadone: Free From Euphoric Effects

Many individuals worry that, when they are on methadone, they will feel high, drowsy, or experience the other side effects they are accustomed to feeling when on opioids. However, according to the NIDA, “Properly prescribed, methadone is not intoxicating or sedating and does not interfere with ordinary activities like driving a car.” It does not cause the kinds of euphoria and other effects drug users are accustomed to in order to avoid relapse and to allow people to live their lives.

The medication is also dispensed only through the clinic itself, especially for the first few months, in order to avoid abuse. Therefore, methadone can be taken daily and suppress withdrawal symptoms and cravings, block the effects of other opioids, and not cause the dangerous effects that would lead a person to relapse.

How to Go on Methadone Maintenance and Still Be a Parent

Being on methadone maintenance while being a parent of a young child can be difficult. However, just try to remember that you are taking a positive step by attending treatment and that this decision is partly for your children so they can grow up in a more stable environment without opioid abuse and addiction. MMT ….

Recover from Addiction While You Live Your Life

Outpatient clinics, as stated by the NIDA, are “suitable for people with jobs or extensive social supports,” and most methadone clinics are outpatient-based. Though some individuals can receive methadone during inpatient treatment, maintenance is usually a long-term solution for individuals who want to recover from opioid addiction, avoid further drug abuse, and still live their lives. If you are interested in attending methadone maintenance at a clinic near you, call 800-678-5931(Paid Advertiser) .