Methadone Addiction Rehab Treatment

Methadone is a synthetic Class A opioid analgesic, used for the treatment of severe pain and prescribed as a substitute treatment for heroin addiction. Methadone is illegal to possess without a valid prescription and is extremely addictive.

As a strong depressant drug, methadone can severely limit your ability to function at what would be considered “normal” levels. This means that it is not safe to drive or operate heavy machinery whilst using it.

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How Methadone Works

Methadone works by attaching to the body and brains opioid receptors and changing the way we feel pain. As a substitute for Heroin, it prevents the onset of heroin withdrawal symptoms.

As well as drastically reducing pain, methadone also floods the brain with excess dopamine; this produces the euphoric high and the reward in drug addiction.

Methadone’s pharmaceutical effects can last for up to 24-hours at optimum effect. This means that once titration is reached and the individual no longer craves additional opiates, they only need to take it once a day.

Can Methadone Be Abused?

Just like any other opiate drug, methadone can be abused. Usually, it is abused by taking additional opiates or sedatives on top to increase its effects. This makes it very harmful. Abusing this drug can lead to methadone overdose and death.

Methadone Withdrawal

If you withdraw from methadone too quickly or suddenly, you can expect to suffer from the following methadone withdrawal symptoms:

  • Increased tearing and runny nose

  • Restlessness

  • Irritability

  • Anxiety

  • Joint and muscle pain

  • Abdominal cramps

  • Diarrhoea

  • Vomiting

  • Dilated pupils

  • Sweating

  • Yawning

  • Chills

  • Insomnia

  • Loss of appetite

  • Depression

  • Risk of psychosis and suicidal ideation.

The higher the dosage of methadone that you are addicted to and the longer you have been methadone dependent, the more severe the withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal effects can be reduced by tapering off methadone or undergoing an inpatient methadone detox.

Here at the Perry Clayman Project, we offer medically assisted methadone detox services as part of our rehab treatment. We will explore this in greater depth shortly.

How Long Does Methadone Withdrawal Last?

How long your individual methadone withdrawal will last for will depend on:

  • The dosage you are dependent on

  • Length of time you have been addicted

  • Any substance dependencies

  • The rate at which you reduce.

Out of all the opiates, methadone has the longest withdrawal. Going “cold turkey”, (abruptly stopping) will cause withdrawal symptoms that last for approximately 30-days.

There is also a risk of developing PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome). PAWS can last for up to 1-year after stopping.

This is why many people who are addicted to methadone can feel hopeless. While 30-days might not seem all that bad to someone who has never suffered from addiction, for an addict, it can feel like a towering impossibility.

Rest assured that our team of Doctors, Nurses and Support Workers can help ease this transition, while monitoring your vital signs and ensuring that you have round-the-clock care from certified medical professionals.

Once you are out of the water, we can work towards ensuring that you do not relapse and fall back into the grasp of methadone once more.

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Methadone Detox

Methadone withdrawal can be reduced in time and severity by undergoing a full medical detox at one of our CQC registered methadone detox clinics.

Again, while these severe withdrawal symptoms might seem impossible to overcome, when you have constant care and support from certified healthcare professionals and mental heath experts, it will be far less challenging.

Many people have been through our detoxification process before, and many still are living a fulfilling life free and clear of methadone addiction.

If this is something that you dream about but fear you may not be able to achieve, rest assured that we will do everything in our power to ensure that you get to where you need to be.

Methadone Prescription

If you have an addiction to heroin and want to stop, you may be weighing up the pros and cons of a methadone prescription.

Methadone is available on prescription as a heroin substitute and is part of the government’s harm reduction strategy, which aims to reduce:

  • Opiate mortality rates

  • NHS health expenditure

  • Prison overcrowding

  • HIV statistics

  • Government benefit expenditure

  • Cost of addiction treatment.

If you want to quit heroin or any other opiate-based drug, the safest, quickest and most successful way is to admit to a residential rehab centre.

PCP has a number of CQC registered, affordable rehab clinics in the UK, that provide medical detoxification from opiates and comprehensive individualised addiction treatment programmes.

No matter how hopeless you may feel, there are support systems out there that are designed to help individuals like you take back control of your life once more.

Methadone Side Effects

One of the government’s goals in putting heroin addicts on prescriptions was that this would enable them to re-engage in the workplace. However, methadone side effects include:

  • Drowsiness

  • Sleepiness

  • Weakness

  • Impaired cognitive ability

  • Depression

  • Lack of motivation.

Hardly helpful to someone who wants to live any kind of “normal” life.

As such, if you are suffering from an opiate addiction and you think that methadone treatment may be the best option for you in order to get back to work and return to normality, we urge you to contact us today and explore our opiate rehabilitation options.

The UK's Methadone Harm Reduction Strategy

In 2010 the UK government brought into effect an abstinence-focused drug strategy. This meant that those who have been stabilised on methadone were forced to engage in an abstinence-focused reduction regime. This lead to only what can be described as an “opioid crisis” in the UK.

The UK’s most vulnerable opiate addicts had their methadone prescriptions stopped or reduced, leading many back to illicit opiate use and injecting.

As a result, opiate overdoses rose dramatically. With 2,038 opiate-related deaths (including heroin and methadone) being recorded in England and Wales in 2016, the highest number recorded since the substance abuse research began in 1993.

In addition to the devastating rise in morphine and Heroin-related deaths, there has also been a tragic recent outbreak of HIV in Glasgow.

If you think that methadone is the answer to a Heroin addiction, we hope that these statistics urge you to think again.

Benefits of Methadone

If you take methadone and do not abuse it, it can be very beneficial – if you take it exactly as prescribed. The benefits of methadone treatment include:

  • It is prescribed, so no need to commit a crime

  • It is a powerful painkiller

  • It cuts the risk of blood-borne virus contamination

  • Its effects are long lasting

  • It prevents opiate withdrawal symptoms

  • It can be reduced through a prescribed reduction regime

  • Prescribed methadone is clean, cutting the risk of contaminated drugs.

 

All that being said, we believe that the risks are too great for individuals with a history of substance abuse. Unless closely monitored, it can be all too easy for addicted individuals to slip up, abuse their dosage, and trade one opiate addiction for methadone dependence.

Again, we believe that the safest and most effective alternative is to seek medically assisted detoxification, rehabilitation treatment, group therapy sessions, and individual counselling.

The Negatives of Methadone

Methadone does carry negatives as does any powerful opiate. For a start, whilst you are taking methadone, even if you are taking it as prescribed, you are still opiate dependent.

Other negatives of methadone include:

  • Tooth decay

  • Feeling tired, lethargic, unmotivated

  • You can still crave heroin

  • Withdrawal is very uncomfortable

  • Methadone can be abused

  • It is addictive

  • Methadone does not treat the psychological aspect of addiction.

  • You will still see old using associates and dealers

  • You may still be unable to work due to its effects.

How Can I Tell if a Friend or Loved One is Abusing Methadone?

Whether someone you care about is taking methadone as part of their prescribed medications or not, there are some red flags that you can look out for. Here are some signs that they might potentially be addicted to and abusing methadone:

  • They are taking more than usual: again, just because their methadone may be prescribed, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t necessarily abusing it. One fairly tell tale sign is higher tolerance. If they are adjusting to the drug and appear to be chasing the original effects, they might up their dosage or take the drug more frequently – often without even realising it.

  • They experience withdrawal symptoms: another fairly clear sign that someone is abusing a substance is when they become noticeably dependent on it. Although the half-life of methadone is quite long – and it can take days before the signs of withdrawal are present – if your loved one experiences sore muscles, cramping, chills, nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, fatigue, insomnia, and/or restlessness, then it could be a sign that they are becoming dependent and thus might be abusing their prescription.

  • Loss of self-control: particularly for someone who is illegally abusing methadone, after a long period of use, they may begin losing their sense of self-control and start going to great lengths to secure their fix. If you suspect that a loved one might be taking part in illegal activities to obtain methadone, then we strongly urge you to contact us today to discuss next steps.

  • An obsession with the drug: when someone becomes addicted to a drug, they will put much of their time and effort into obtaining it. This ties in closely with the loss of self-control and increasing their attempts at either securing prescriptions from multiple doctors or obtaining it illegally.

  • Hoarding: another very clear sign of addiction is stockpiling. As methadone is highly regulated, addicted individuals may go out of their way to hoard the drug and skip scheduled doses in order to take larger amounts in one hit.

Other red flags include:

  • Increasing dosage against advice

  • Hiding drug use

  • Exaggerating symptoms to obtain more

  • Illegal purchasing

  • Signs of emotional attachment

  • Combining methadone with other substances.

How to Broach the Subject of Seeking Methadone Addiction Treatment?

If you are growing increasingly concerned about a love one and can see that their metal and physical symptoms are deteriorating, broaching the subject of exploring treatment options can be very difficult. Here are some tips for speaking to a loved one about the prospect of seeking rehabilitation and recovery:

  • Wait for the appropriate moment: the first and most important step of all when broaching the subject and discussing treatment options for methadone addiction is by waiting for the right moment. Ideally, you want them to be clear headed.

  • Be open and honest: discussing a loved ones drug abuse is a tricky subject, so it’s important that you are open and honest. We recommend that you start by airing your feelings first.

  • Allow them time to respond: this discussion should be largely one-sided, in their favour. You must listen more than you talk and allow them plenty of time to respond. Drug addictions are often a source of much shame and anxiety for people – not to mention the plethora of mental health issues that methadone users may be experiencing. So, be patient, and listen to what they have to say.

  • Educate yourself: take the time to research addiction, drug cravings, residential treatment, and all of the other information necessary to approach the subject from a position of compassion. Know that addiction is a disease and not a character flaw. The more you learn about it, the better positioned you will be to help your loved one move toward a successful recovery.

The important thing is that you don’t blame yourself. Whatever the circumstances, your loved one has ended up in a situation where they abuse methadone and that is not your sole responsibility – but theirs.

This is something that they will be able to explore in rehab; taking ownership of their situation, learning more about what may have led them to their decision making, and helping them to stay clean and take control of their lives once and for all.

Methadone Free, Treatment Options

If you are addicted to methadone, or abusing methadone and want help, our residential rehab programme can help you to become drug and methadone free and stay that way.

We understand all too well the damaging and life-threatening effects of methadone addiction and how it needs to be treated in order to prevent relapse. We offer a number of treatment options including:

  • Full methadone detox

  • Inpatient and day care programmes

  • Short term and long term programmes

  • Rehab in a variety of locations including London

  • Comprehensive rehabilitation and relapse prevention

  • Free rehab aftercare

  • Sober living accommodation and relocation.

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Private Methadone Rehab UK (Methadone Inpatient Rehab)

We are true advocates of recovery from addiction. We believe that it is never too late to start your life again. We can help you to build the life that you have always dreamed of – drug-free!

Contact us today for a free assessment so we can advise you on which of our UK methadone rehab programmes would best suit your individual treatment needs.

How the Methadone Inpatient Process Works

Inpatient treatment is recommended for individuals with severe methadone addictions.

If you are interested in exploring methadone inpatient treatment further, we will walk you through the typical process at one of our methadone addiction treatment centres:

  • Intake: the first step in the inpatient treatment process is intake. This is where you sit down with our certified addiction recovery specialists and discuss your current situation. You will have a physical and mental health assessment and we will work towards identifying what level of care and attention you will require. Once we have gathered all of the information we need, we will put together a tailored substance abuse and addiction recovery programme especially for you. This programme may vary depending on the severity of your dependence and the treatment centre in question.

  • Detoxification: once you have successfully completed the intake process, you will begin detoxification. This is a medically assisted procedure designed to effectively flush all of the drugs and alcohol out of your system. The detox process can be painful as it is accompanied with a number of painful withdrawal symptoms. However, you will be monitored closely by our medical staff and will receive all of the care and support necessary to get you through it in once piece.

  • Rehabilitation: after having completed the detox process, you will be ready to settle into your rehabilitation treatment programme. You will be introduced to a number of other inpatients who will be suffering from drug and alcohol addictions as well. The nature of your rehab programme will vary, however, in most cases you will be required to take part in group support sessions. This is where you can discuss your feelings with other people who have shared similar experiences. You will also be required to undertake private drug rehab counselling sessions. The purpose of these sessions will be to speak with a professional counsellor in order to unearth the psychological triggers that may have led to your addiction in the first place. By better understanding your mind and any trauma that may have contributed to your decline, you will be far better positioned to achieve successful rehabilitation from methadone.

  • Aftercare: once you have finished your rehab programme, you will then be ready to return home to your friends and family and start working on building a new life for yourself. Rest assured that the team at Rehab Today by PCP will put together an extensive aftercare programme for you. This may involve further private counselling and additional group support meetings in order to ensure that you are settling back into life comfortably. We will be here to support you for as long as is necessary.

 

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Methadone Outpatient Addiction Treatment

Outpatient treatment for methadone and opioid addiction works differently from inpatient. This service is better suited to individuals whose substance abuse and dependence is not as severe.

Perhaps you’ve had a few casual encounters with methadone and worry that you may be starting to become addicted – or feel as though you are tempted to try it again. Or perhaps you have been using on and off for a few months and you want to explore your treatment options before it gets worse.

Whatever the case, outpatient rehab treatment allows you to attend group meetings and obtain information and support on your own terms.

Rather than step away from career or familial obligations, you can sleep in your own bed and go about your typical day to day, with outpatient treatment in the evenings and/or weekends.

If you find that your outpatient treatment doesn’t seem to be helping and you are slipping into more frequent methadone use, please do not hesitate to contact us today and we can look into getting you onto an inpatient programme before your situation deteriorates any further.

Contact us Today for More Information on Methadone Rehabilitation in the UK

Whether you or a loved one is struggling with methadone abuse, we urge you to reach out and contact us today. One of our friendly and knowledgably advisors will happily provide you with a confidential and judgement-free discussion where we can talk you through your options and work toward a positive solution for all.

We understand how frightening taking the first step is, but we promise that many people in situations just like yours have taken the step and gone on to live happy, healthy, sober, and fulfilling lives.

Are you ready to take back control?

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