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Essay On Methadone

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Is the policy of giving methadone to drug addicts a good one? There are many conflicting opinions about this topic. Methadone Maintenance Treatment is a very controversial topic that arises many different attitudes toward the program. Some people believe that Methadone maintenance treatment is a good thing and that it does truly help addicts get over their addictions. Others are against Methadone Maintenance treatment because they believe it is an unnecessary and a waste of money. I personally am against the use of methadone because it does not stop addicts from continuing to do drugs while going through methadone treatment and it lacks the evidence of it actually working. Firstly, I am going to explain what methadone treatment is. Secondly, …show more content…

Being in the methadone program requires multiple doctor visits every week. Methadone patients need to go to the methadone clinic almost everyday to get their treatment plus multiple urine tests and other doctor visits as well. All these appointments make it nearly impossible for patients to find or keep employment. Most people that require methadone treatment are already in poverty and some patients don't have their own homes to live in. Methadone has been described as “liquid handcuffs” by critics because it requires so many check ups and clinic visits a week. Discrimination against recovering addicts is occurring because of the use of methadone treatment. Some people believe that methadone treatment is unnecessary and that addicts should have to get over their addiction themselves rather than use other drugs to help. People can get addicted to methadone even though it does not produce an eutrophic high and some people say that withdrawing from methadone is worse than withdrawals from heroin. Methadone is a very dangerous drug and the doses have to be monitored carefully to prevent overdose and also to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Many people undergoing methadone treatment turn to crime to get what they want and need in life. Many women in methadone treatment admit to being involved in prostitution to earn some extra money. Also many people on methadone treatment continue to do drugs and drink alcohol which could be fatal when mixed with methadone. Methadone increases the chances of depression and anxiety. Methadone treatment also affects unborn babies if the mother is on methadone treatment. Methadone can cause babies to have withdrawal symptoms after birth such as weight gain or weight loss, being overactive, or having seizures. A woman nursing a baby can also pass methadone along to the baby in her breast milk which can cause the baby to have side effects such as vomiting, poor

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Third, Suboxone is used for short-term treatment, however, Methadone is used for long-term treatment. In short, the key drug of choice is Suboxone because its an controlled substance

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Methadone Maintenance Treatment The Methadone Maintenance Treatment (Camh) helps patients overcome an addiction of opioid dependence. The treatment uses methadone as a replacement for the opioid. Methadone is a narcotic drug that helps suppress opioid withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings for opioids, not induce intoxication (e.g., sedation or euphoria) and reduce the euphoric effects of other opioids, such as heroin (Camh). MMT is beneficial to the patient in many reasons.

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The opioid crisis in the United States has become the headline of every newspaper across the country. According to the Center for Disease Control, seven thousand people are admitted to emergency services for misusing prescription opioids (Understanding the Epidemic, 2015). Additionally, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 435,000 people in the U.S. report being daily heroin users (Opioids, 2015). Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programs are long term recovery options used for people meeting criteria for opioid use disorder into treatment and living a recovery lifestyle. MMT programs are long term recovery options.

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There has been an astounding increase in the use of illegal drugs during pregnancy, therefore increasing the number of babies born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. Just a few short years ago, the babies who suffered through Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome were treated with drug therapy with medications such as Methadone, Morphine, or Clonidine in the neonatal intensive care unit. However, the prevalence of drug use in pregnancy and in turn neonatal abstinence syndrome has caused the newborn nursery to turn into a drug rehabilitation center for these babies. Several issues arise with the obstetrical healthcare team when taking care of these patients, such as a negative personal bias resulting from the negative stigma of drug use especially during

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It can also be deadly for individuals abusing it. It 's important that this drug does also come with side effects, such as shortness of breath, vomiting, or even overdosing.   It can also be troublesome for the addict to get to the clinic every day for a dosage of methadone. "If individuals taking methadone develop a physical dependence on the drug and they stop taking it or decrease their dose they will begin to experience methadone withdrawal"(Methadone Statistics). Methadone withdrawal is far more painful and burdensome than other forms of opiate withdrawal and can last up to 5 or 6 weeks.

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