A flurry of articles appeared in the news today about a clinic in Indiana’s practice of giving addicts ‘take-home’ methadone doses. Apparently, lawmakers in Indiana have complained because the clinic draws heroin, morphine, OxyContin and other opiate addicts from other states – Kentucky and Ohio, for example – into Indiana. An Indiana county coroner also protested the practice: he’s already seen nine methadone overdose deaths in his county this year, and five of them involved methadone from clinics. The coroner also says that long-term doses give addicts and clinics little incentive to wean off the drugs – something that may require methadone detox and drug rehab.
The vp of operations for the company that owns the clinic says addicts aren’t drawn to the clinic from other states because of the long-term doses, rather it’s because other states have a two to three year waiting list to get into a methadone treatment. That certainly gives you an idea of the severity of the drug addiction problem. He also says the average patient stays on methadone for ‘only 18 months’. That may not seem like a long time him but for the addicts who came to his clinic for help, it means they now have a methadone addiction.
These clinics obviously have lines miles long of addicts needing drug detox and drug rehab. Instead of ensuring that more treatment centers are opened to get them off drugs, we start an entirely new industry – methadone clinics. The original idea with methadone was to ease the pain of withdrawal and then, in short order, wean the addicts off the methadone so they can be drug free. “Drug free’ should be the goal of methadone clinics, not ‘ever-increasing numbers of addicts who’ve switched to methadone instead of the drug they came in on’. As it is, owners/operators/employees of methadone clinics get rewarded for keeping people addicted. In fact, they’d lose their jobs and their livelihood if they actually accomplished their purpose. How’s that for a catch 22?”
Don’t fall for methadone treatment. If you or someone you care about wants to get off drugs, go to a drug detox or drug rehab center that doesn’t have a vested interest in keeping you hooked. And if you or someone you care about already has a methadone addiction, get them into methadone detox and on the road to recovery.
Hi and i truly thank you for this gracious opportunity!
I have been searching for a methadone detox that is legitimate and not a sham. So far, I have found very frightening (and some are fairly new) techniques that promise the soft landing for detox..hahah. I don’t even know if there is any gov’t agency that can recommend or assist in finding honest and caring detox or rehab! I thought I could ween from pain meds with methadone. Instead 6 mos. later I realize I have horrible panic attacks sometimes lasting 2 days. This in turn makes me use a tranquilizer which is also addictive, thank God I know it’s dangers or I could die easily enough!!
My body is now dependent on methadone and I’ve added tranquilizers to the mess! I am very frightened and need detox (real detox) in the very near future. I am sure there are many of us trying to find the way but will die before help is found. This is a serious problem!
My life is now a mess and my poor husband – I can only say I am sorry and fix myself, but how. I’ve searched hard for months. I’m 55 and afraid physically to just Stop on my own. I need some sort of come down with pharmaceutical assistance and knowledgeable medical personnel.
I also realize I did this to my self but I am willing to pay however I can for a real detox and my life. I did not know, however, what a hell narcotics were! Now trapped on methadone and tranquilizers. I didn’t realize that the discs in my neck and lower back would send me to this place …..but here I am. I will keep searching. And, like you said the folks that work the clinics have good reason to keep patients on maintenance!
Methadone once had a place and fits somewhere but not in maintenance.
MY COMMENT—-HELP AND WHERE DO YOU GO???
MS. MARLIE and I surely needed to read your works!!
Comment by Miss Marlie (Marlene) — September 23, 2007 @ 6:19 pm
Addicts are scum – at least that is what I used to think. My brother was an addict. Why didn’t he just stop, I used to think? I had no idea what his life on methadone was like until we found this writing after he went missing:
http://mereggie.com/reg/methadone.html
Unfortunately, people will find them in situations that are very difficult to get out of. I hope that those struggling with this addiction, can find the strength to quit using drugs completely.
Comment by Mike MacDonald — November 1, 2007 @ 6:02 am
Hi Mike…I’m a 25 year old mother of two and I read the writing your brother wrote and I understand both sides (yours and his) I have no record, I live my life for my children and I used to work 60 hours a week. I have been married for 6 years to a wonderful supportive husband. Let me start by saying I believe your brother is a lot like me, I have not so much as had a speeding ticket or anything on my record, I do not lie or cheat or steal. I have been addicted to painkillers for the past 2 years and they have ruined many days of mine, so I feel for your brother I know exactly how he felt, just for him living in that small town they made him feel like an outcast as well, staying at home thinking about it makes it worst for me and I’m sure people looking at him different depressed him. I do want to assure you, these horrible addicting things seek the people out that take them and I know methadone is not always good, but your brother’s story is inspiring..he took them the correct way and weaned down, if you have will power you can stay clean and he did, it is the hardest thing in life to get over I swear to you and I’m so sorry this happened so close to you, you said he went missing, has he ever returned? Please keep your head up and know that he did try his hardest from the way it sounds and he will always be an inspiration to me to get help. Thank you for your post
Comment by Stephanie — February 15, 2008 @ 10:40 am