4 Reasons to Use Methadone as Treatment for Heroin Addicts
Methadone is one of the oldest treatments for heroin addicts that we have. Thousands of people use it every day to end their heroin dependence. There are a number of reasons why you might want to consider methadone as a heroin addiction treatment.
1.Methadone is Safe and Effective
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, methadone is one of the safest, most effective treatments for heroin addicts there is. It is safe and there is almost no chance of relapse when taken in the correct prescribed dosage. Most people can stay on methadone for years if they need it.
2.You do not have to Carry Something Illegal
Carrying heroin is illegal and will eventually lead to arrest and incarceration. You do not keep methadone on you. You go to the clinic and take the dose there. You never have a controlled substance on you. When you use heroin you are taking a serious legal risk, there is almost no legal risk when you are on methadone.
3.Methadone is One of the Least Expensive Heron Treatment Options
Since methadone is one of the oldest heroin abuse treatments, it may be found in both brand name and generic form. This makes it less expensive than newer treatments that are currently available. You can usually pay per dose or pay for a specific number of doses. Many of the modern insurance plans also cover it.
4.You will not be at Risk for the Health Effects Associated with Heroin
Many health effects are specifically associated with heroin. Most of these effects are due to the way heroin is used or the lifestyle of the person using it. The effects are:
- HIV
- Hepatitis (all forms)
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Collapsed veins
- Abscesses
- Secondary infections
Avoiding these health effects are one of the best reasons to take methadone to treat your heroin addiction.
1. Harm Reduction Treatment for Heroin Addicts
With heroin addiction growing in the United States, it is important to understand that there is more than one way to treat it. Many clinics and other treatment centers believe that abstinence rather than medication or harm reduction. Harm reduction is relatively new in treatment for heroin addicts.
Harm reduction is the process of reducing the harm that heroin does to the user, according to the Cabinet for Health and Human Services in Kentucky. If focuses on the harm that heroin does rather than the stopping the heroin addiction itself.
Principles of Harm Reduction for Heroin Addicts
Harm reduction strategies for the treatment of heroin addicts involves several principles. These principles fall under the heading of compassionate pragmatism.
These principles are:
Heroin addiction is a health problem and not a moral one. Your addiction is not a moral failing and is not evil.
Harm reduction does not focus on judging you, it focuses on reducing the amount of harm that your drug use does to you and your family. It views heroin use as a choice but does not pass judgment on you for your continuing use.
If you do not stop using heroin, they do not view you as immoral or deviant. You will not be punished for failing to quit completely.
Reducing the negative consequences to using heroin and treats your addiction as a symptom of a greater disease rather than a disease itself. It seeks to treat the greater cause in hopes that the addiction will resolve.
Why does Harm Reduction Work?
Harm reduction works because it seeks to reduce the harm that heroin addiction does to you and your family. It also helps you by reducing suffering and keeping you alive. By focusing less on the actual addiction and more on correcting the greater problem, it can help you to stop using heroin and make the decision to seek treatment on your own.
1. Why People Relapse After Treatment for Heroin Addicts
Heroin addiction is one of the worst addictions to try and break. Drug relapse is a fact of heroin addiction treatment but heroin has a higher rate than most other drugs. Normally, you have about the same chance of relapsing into drug addiction as you do any other chronic disease. Heroin relapse is considerably higher. It is important to understand why people relapse after treatment for heroin addicts so you can avoid the obvious pitfalls.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, relapse is the return to drug use after stopping or treatment. Most people relapse at least once if they do not know why relapses happen. If you know you can avoid these common causes of relapse.
Stress
Stress is one of the number one causes of relapse. This can be stress at work, school, or even with family. When stress is what caused your heroin addiction originally than chances are stress is a strong trigger for relapse. In order to prevent this, you will need to develop some stress coping techniques such as yoga or meditation.
Triggers
Running into your triggers when you are not prepared is another cause of relapse. A trigger is something that causes intense cravings. In the case of heroin addiction, that craving would be for heroin. Some common triggers are:
- Places where you used to use heroin
- People you used with
- Things that you used to use with or paraphernalia
- Smells associated with your heroin use
- Tastes and memories of your use
There are many more triggers that you might run into but these are the most common ones.
Romanticizing your Addiction
When you start remembering how much fun you have while you were on heroin, you run the risk of romanticizing your addiction. If you do this there is a good chance you will forget why you sought treatment for heroin addicts in the first place.