Substance use disorders are never easy to recover from, with or without help. Sometimes, medical detoxification, or detox, is necessary to help a patient safely withdraw from a drug. Other times a residential or long-term rehab program is the best route to take, and often a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) helps a person to find their way in recovery. Methadone treatment is a MAT option for individuals struggling with addiction to opioids such as heroin or prescription painkillers and is offered at clinics and hospitals around the country. If you are looking for a methadone clinic in South Florida, Evoke Wellness may have the resources to help.
How Does Methadone Treatment Work?
Methadone is a synthetic opioid medication that helps to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms and can make it easier for individuals to focus on other aspects of their recovery. Also prescribed to help to reduce pain in patients who cannot take other medications, one can ingest it in a pill, liquid, or wafer form. It does hold the potential for addiction, so it is usually administered by a health professional on a regular schedule, often daily.
Florida has been hurt particularly severely by the opioid crisis, some think, because of the availability of pain management clinics in the state. ¹ Methadone works by mimicking the effects of opioids to reduce the symptoms that people suffer when trying to overcome and withdraw from opioid addiction. It is considered an opiate analgesic and temporarily changes how the brain and body respond to pain. Perhaps the most critical aspect of methadone is that it blocks the euphoria produced by opioids, making it an essential part of opioid use disorder treatment and a crucial stepping stone for some patients looking to recover.
Methadone treatment is typically provided through specialized treatment centers or clinics, which might offer other services to supplement recovery. Sometimes individual or group counseling is available, as well as medical personnel.
Benefits of Methadone MAT
One of the main benefits of methadone treatment is that it can help to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, making it easier for individuals in recovery to focus on other aspects of their treatment. It can also help to reduce the risk of overdose, as it will block the effects of other opioids if taken in combination. Although some controversy surrounds using methadone MAT for opioid use disorder, studies have shown that it dramatically reduces the risks of using opioids illegally. Because methadone is administered by professionals and only prescribed by doctors in a rehabilitation environment, it is one of the safest ways to withdraw from opioids over time. Some of the other benefits of Methadone MAT are as follows:
- Lower risk of disease spread by intravenous drug use
- Reduced risk of death or injury by overdose
- It can only be administered in a supervisory setting
- Safer than using opioids
- Reduced discomfort from withdrawal symptoms
It’s important to note that methadone treatment is usually not the sole solution for opioid addiction recovery. It is most effective when used as part of a comprehensive treatment program that includes therapy and support from a recovery community. It’s also essential to follow the prescribed dosage and treatment plan, as misuse or abuse of methadone can lead to negative consequences.
Evoke Wellness Offers Methadone MAT in South Florida
Methadone treatment can be a very effective treatment option for individuals struggling with opioid addiction. It can be challenging to overcome an addiction, and one of the most critical aspects of early recovery is to focus as much time and energy as possible on learning how to get and stay sober. Methadone MAT can do just that and give individuals a real chance at a better life. If you or someone you love think you might need a methadone treatment program, contact us at 866.931.9312 or visit us at 3600 Red Road in Miramar, Florida, to learn how Evoke Wellness can help.
¹Florida Controlled Substance Prescribing – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf
