By Jason Moses
Drug use and addiction is one of the leading causes of the ever increasing numbers of the prison population in the United States. It is a very serious problem that has affected the US both socially and economically as is clearly portrayed in the many broken families, high cost of running drug rehab programmes and the many people who are unable to work.
One of the measures that have been taken in dealing with this social menace has been the use of Methadone, which a synthetic opioid that was developed in Germany in the 1950s for the treatment of pain but was discontinued due the dosing challenges it posed to patients. Although after further research a safe dosing and usage procedure was developed.
Methadone maintenance treatment is a program that gives measured doses of methadone to recovering addicts over a period of time. This is in an effort to help them conquer their addiction and have a normal life once again.
The reason why methadone is used in this program is because of the way it works in the human brain. When methadone enters the brain it occupies the same areas that are affected by illicit drugs and thereby diminishing the cravings and the chances going back to drugs.
While this is a good effort that has been somewhat successful it has not been without problems such as the fact that some addicts end up becoming addicted to the methadone that is supposed to help them in the first place, while others divert for other uses or sell it.
One of the reasons for this happening is the fact that methadone is a very powerful drug with very strong side effects. One of these side effects is the severe methadone withdrawal symptoms experienced when one tries to stop using the drug. The withdrawal causes both physical and mental suffering whose duration may be a few weeks or months.
As a result addicts on the program will chose to continue with it so they have a regular supply of the drug and not so that they get better or overcome their addiction problem. To them this is easier than having to suffer through withdrawal. So they now get a more hygienic source of drugs than on the street.
While treating addicts with methadone is a noble idea that has helped many out of addiction many others have fallen through the cracks in the program and continue to struggle in with the addiction it causes.
One of the measures that have been taken in dealing with this social menace has been the use of Methadone, which a synthetic opioid that was developed in Germany in the 1950s for the treatment of pain but was discontinued due the dosing challenges it posed to patients. Although after further research a safe dosing and usage procedure was developed.
Methadone maintenance treatment is a program that gives measured doses of methadone to recovering addicts over a period of time. This is in an effort to help them conquer their addiction and have a normal life once again.
The reason why methadone is used in this program is because of the way it works in the human brain. When methadone enters the brain it occupies the same areas that are affected by illicit drugs and thereby diminishing the cravings and the chances going back to drugs.
While this is a good effort that has been somewhat successful it has not been without problems such as the fact that some addicts end up becoming addicted to the methadone that is supposed to help them in the first place, while others divert for other uses or sell it.
One of the reasons for this happening is the fact that methadone is a very powerful drug with very strong side effects. One of these side effects is the severe methadone withdrawal symptoms experienced when one tries to stop using the drug. The withdrawal causes both physical and mental suffering whose duration may be a few weeks or months.
As a result addicts on the program will chose to continue with it so they have a regular supply of the drug and not so that they get better or overcome their addiction problem. To them this is easier than having to suffer through withdrawal. So they now get a more hygienic source of drugs than on the street.
While treating addicts with methadone is a noble idea that has helped many out of addiction many others have fallen through the cracks in the program and continue to struggle in with the addiction it causes.
