9 Benefits to Methadone Treatment for Heroin Addiction

 

Addiction is a real problem for millions of people around the globe. In the United States, it has been estimated that about 6,000 adolescents suffered from an addiction to heroin in 2014. Experts in treatments for heroin addiction say that in 2015, an estimated 21,000 young people had tried the drug. Nearly 90% of people who use heroin started with prescription pain medications. One form of treatment for heroin addiction is a methadone treatment program. Here are some of the benefits to this:

1. It works. Unlike other kinds of treatment for addiction, methadone treatment programs work. Research into addiction has shown that nothing has been found to be more effective at treating these addictions than the use of methadone. At the end of the day, this is the most important reason to go with this kind of treatment for addiction.
2. It is cost-effective. Once a person has gotten to the maintenance part of the methadone treatment program, it is the most cost-effective way to keep them off of heroin out there. It is cheaper than using illegal drugs.
3. It encourages better health. People who use this kind of treatment to stop using heroin become more healthy. One of the side effects of doing heroin is that people let their general health go. They do not eat well and never work out. When people get off of heroin with the help of one of the methadone treatment centers, they start to get healthy again. Their diet improves and their overall health gets better.
4. It prevents the transmission of disease. When people are on heroin, they are often not all that particular about where they get their needles. Many will share them with other users. This leads directly to the transmission of hepatitis, HIV, and other infectious diseases.
5. It is legal. Unlike heroin, methadone treatments are totally legal. That means using this to treat a heroin addiction will not lead a person to be arrested or go to jail or prison. Because the methadone treatment programs are affordable, people are not put in the position to break the law to pay for it.
6. It helps people get their lives back. Unlike heroin, methadone does not get people high. When they are taking it as prescribed by the methadone treatment program, people can do all of the things they need to do in their life. They can hold down a job, take care of their kids, or go to school. None of these things can be done when a person is taking heroin.
7. The staff of the program is available every day. People never feel like they are going about their recovery on their own. People who are enrolled in a methadone treatment program have support from the staff of the program. Many people who are new to a methadone treatment program say they find the structure that is given by the program is very helpful to them. People have to go in every day to get their dose, this is not something people are given to take at home.
8. It is much better for women who are pregnant. Stopping heroin cold turkey does more than makes people miserable. For pregnant women and their babies, this can be a recipe for disaster. When they are put into a methadone clinic or enrolled in a program, the methadone can make it possible to keep the mother and baby healthy. This lets women who are pregnant get off of heroin without putting their child in harm’s way.
9. It saves lives. There is no doubt that an addiction to heroin can lead to people’s death. Using any prescription drugs or heroin can lead to death for a large number of reasons. It has been estimated that about 175 people die every day from the misuse of opiate drugs. People who are enrolled in a methadone treatment program can reduce their chances of dying by a factor of three.

Addiction to heroin and other opioids is a major problem in the United States and around the world. The good news for people who suffer from these kinds of addictions is that there is help available. Getting into a methadone treatment program can make all the difference for these people.