What Types of Services Do Methadone Clinics in Baltimore Offer?
People recovering from chronic opiate addiction often require more than a standard rehab program can provide. Once addiction severity reaches a certain point, treating the physical aftereffects of opiate abuse becomes just as important as treating the psychological effects of addiction.
Chronic opiate addiction rates have reached all-time highs within the past decade, with overdose fatality rates increasing accordingly. According to the Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, rates of opiate-related fatality increased by 76 percent between the years 2010 and 2014.
Methadone treatment takes a comprehensive approach to helping recovering addicts overcome the damaging effects of addiction in their daily lives. Likewise, methadone clinics in Baltimore offer a range of treatment services that work to undo addiction’s effects in different areas of a person’s life.
For more information on methadone clinic treatment, call our helpline at 800-678-5931(Paid Advertiser) .
Opiate Addiction’s Aftereffects
According to the Journal of Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, opiates have a cumulative effect on the brain and body, gradually changing the brain’s chemical makeup over time. In cases of chronic addiction, opiate effects have become essential to normal brain functioning. Under these conditions, stopping drug use leaves a person helpless to maintain continued abstinence for any length of time.
In effect, the brain’s state of imbalance coupled with the compulsive drug-using behaviors that develop along the way require a specialized, comprehensive treatment approach. Methadone clinics in Baltimore provide both medical and behavioral treatment services that work to address addiction’s aftereffects on both a physical and psychological level.
Services Offered by Methadone Clinics in Baltimore
Methadone Medication Therapy
Methadone’s use as a long-term medication therapy makes up a big part of the methadone treatment approach. In effect, methadone interacts with the same areas of the brain as addictive opiates, supporting damaged brain functions and restoring a normal chemical balance. In the process, a person experiences considerable relief from persistent withdrawal and drug craving effects.
Behavioral Treatments
Methadone clinics in Baltimore combine methadone’s therapeutic benefits with a series of behavioral treatment interventions. Behavioral treatments help a person overcome the psychological effects of addiction and develop healthy ways of coping with daily life stress and responsibility.
Behavioral treatment interventions used include:
- One-on-one psychotherapy
- Group therapy
- Support groups
- Relapse prevention strategies
- Family therapy
Health Care Services
People recovering from long-term addiction often develop co-occurring health problems due to the damaging effects of opiates on the body’s systems. Chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, HIV and tuberculosis can quickly compromise a person’s recovery efforts when left untreated.
In order to address these issues, methadone clinics in Baltimore require patients to undergo a physical exam and evaluation at the start of the treatment process. From there, patients receive referrals for ongoing treatment from community-based health care providers.
Mental Health Services
Along with chronic medical problems, mental health disorders can also develop during the course of drug abuse. Psychological problems, such as depression, bipolar and anxiety-based disorders only work to aggravate an addiction problem so it’s essential that these conditions be treated as well.
Methadone clinics in Baltimore have ample experience in treating mental health issues using medications (when needed) coupled with ongoing behavior-based treatments.
If you or someone you know are considering methadone treatment and need help finding a methadone clinic program, call our helpline at 800-678-5931(Paid Advertiser) .