Will I Be Able to Hold Down a Job While in Methadone Treatment?

The opiate addiction recovery process entails developing a new lifestyle that’s completely different from the lifestyle addiction breeds. Anyone recovering from opiate addiction well knows how challenging this process can be. Maintaining or resuming employment makes up a big part of the drug-free lifestyle so being able to do so is essential to creating a new life. For help finding effective treatment call 800-678-5931(Paid Advertiser) .

Methadone treatment, one of a handful of medication-based opiate addiction treatments, has been around since the 1960s, offering a safe and effective approach to overcoming the effects of chronic opiate addiction. Methadone offers a range of therapeutic benefits, one of which being the ability to hold down a job while in treatment. Understanding how methadone treatment works can help you make an informed decision as to whether this approach can help you meet your goals in recovery.

How Chronic Opiate Addiction Interferes with Brain Functioning

Methadone helps you feel normal again, making it possible to succeed at a job.

More than anything else, the aftereffects of chronic opiate addiction account for why recovering addicts face an ongoing risk of relapse in recovery. With frequent, continued opiate abuse, the brain undergoes marked changes that continue to compromise a person’s ability to abstain from drug use, even after months or even years of ongoing abstinence.

As of day one of using opiates, the drug alters brain chemical processes forcing the release of large amounts of neurotransmitter chemicals. According to Indiana University School of Medicine, over time, these effects work to restructure brain chemical pathways and essentially change the way the brain works.

For help finding treatment that meets your needs call toll-free at 800-678-5931(Paid Advertiser) .

These changes impact the way a person thinks as well as his or her motivations and daily priorities. Once the effects of addiction start to dictate a person’s thinking and behaviors, this diseased state inevitably carries over into the recovery process and can persist for months or years at a time.

How Methadone Treatment Works

Much of the difficult addicts face in recovery stems from the overall state of “dis-ease” that chronic opiate addiction leaves behind. According to the Journal of Addiction Biology, feelings of depression, lethargy and an overall inability to experience joy or contentment make it difficult to follow-through on treatment goals, let alone maintain abstinence from day-to-day. This condition is directly related to the brain’s state of chemical imbalance.

Methadone treatment uses methadone, a synthetic opiate drug, to restore a normal chemical balance in the brain. In essence, methadone helps to undo the damage done by addictive opiates without posing a high risk for abuse or addiction. In the process, feelings of fatigue and depression subside, allowing a person to function effectively in daily life. These effects can go a long way towards helping you hold down a job.

Methadone Maintenance Treatment & Employment: What Are My Rights?

For over 50 years, methadone maintenance treatment has remained the treatment standard for helping recovering addicts overcome the effects of chronic opiate addiction. Methadone maintenance treatment, also known as MMT, offers addicts considerable relief from the residual effects of opiate addiction on the body. MMT also includes a behavioral component that works to address the ….

Considerations

While methadone treatment works wonders at helping stabilize damaged brain functions, it also incorporates a behavioral treatment component that’s just as important as the drug itself. The behavioral treatment component helps a person develop the types of behaviors that support continued abstinence, which works hand-in-hand with methadone’s therapeutic effects. Ultimately, following through on the behavioral component provides you with the type of mindset needed to hold down a job on an ongoing basis.

If you or someone you know is considering methadone treatment and have more questions, please don’t hesitate to call toll-free at 800-678-5931(Paid Advertiser) to learn more about treatment options.