Methadone confuses many people, as you hear about it used in recovery. But then, you also hear about methadone addiction. So is methadone a good drug or a bad one when it comes to life-changing recovery? What is methadone, and how can it help me?
What is methadone?
When you seek recovery from your opioid addiction, such as through an outpatient treatment program Palm Springs CA, you possibly run across methadone or hear that it works. This contrasts with knowing someone who suffers addiction to the same medication or abuses it regularly. So how do you know whether methadone is helpful or risky? What is methadone?
Methadone is a prescription opioid medication from the same drug family as commonly abused opioids, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and heroin. But this opioid helps people get through opioid-related cravings and withdrawal symptoms for recovery. It makes the process of coming off of your drugs easier if a doctor believes the method is right for you. Studies prove it works when used properly and under a treatment center’s guidance.
The downside of methadone is its potential for abuse. This abuse sometimes leads to its own dependency or addiction. But when you enter a methadone treatment program in Palm Springs, you face less risk of the potential addiction. Under the support and care of trained therapists and other professionals, you safely use it to build long-term recovery.
Four Phases of Methadone Treatment
For methadone treatment, there are four primary phases. These include initial dosing, the steady state, stabilization, and maintenance phase. Initial dosing is the time when you start, depending on your opioid history and tolerance. Your provider adjusts your dosing according to your withdrawal symptoms and how you feel during the treatment.
In the steady state, you have several days of methadone therapy behind you. So you have constant levels of the drug in your system. You continue dosing to take in the same amount that leaves your body in the course of your day. During this period, you do not feel withdrawal symptoms.
In stabilization, you no longer crave your drugs or show drug-seeking behaviors. The methadone is consistent in your bloodstream. So your treatment providers determine how much of the medication you still need to avoid feeling withdrawal symptoms for 24 hours at a time. This is the phase when you start your individual counseling and group therapy to learn how to stay sober in recovery.
The last phase, maintenance, is the time when your methadone no longer must prevent withdrawal. Instead, you stay on a maintenance amount just to keep you from suffering a relapse in the early days of recovery. Other people use it throughout the rest of their lives, to prevent relapse after a long-term or serious opioid addiction. If you do not need lifetime dosing, you taper off your methadone over some time.
Therapies You Need with Treatment
Along with your methadone treatment, you need therapies and other evidence-based practices. This care takes place in a quality rehab treatment center. Some approaches to recovery include:
- Residential, PHP, IOP and OP rehab programs
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Trauma-informed care
- Equine therapy
- Neurofeedback therapy and biofeedback therapy
- Job placement assistance
- Recreation and fitness facilities
For your best chance for successful opioid recovery, call Phoenix Rising in Palm Springs, CA at 8552328211. Ask caring counselors what is methadone, and how can it help my recovery? They answer your questions and help you understand your treatment options.
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