Methadone is a medication that is used in the treatment of opiate addiction. Methadone is a long-acting opiate that is designed to stay in the system for 24-48 hours, making it possible for addicts to only take the medication once a day, as opposed to a short-acting opiate like heroin, which many addicts use every few hours in order to avoid symptoms of withdrawal. Methadone works very similar to other painkillers such as Vicodin and Oxycontin, and can be prescribed as part of an ongoing pain management regimen, and researchers have found that it’s a very effective form of treatment when used to treat opiate addiction.

When a person is prescribed methadone to treat addiction, the person comes to a methadone clinic once a day to get a dose of methadone that is taken in front of a nurse. Methadone is usually dispensed as a liquid, although also comes in pill and wafer form. Addicts are closely monitored by a doctor to make sure they are not taking too much methadone and that there is no interaction with other medications. Addicts also provide random urine specimens on a regular basis in order to be monitored for illicit drug use. As part of treatment, addicts are also expected to attend individual and group therapy in order to address some of the issues that may have led to initial drug use.

Benefits of Methodone

There are several benefits to using methadone as a way to treat opiate addiction:

• When a person is on the correct dose of methadone, the medication allows them to feel normal, and not “high.” Methadone allows the addict to avoid symptoms of withdrawal while performing activities of daily living such as raising a family and going to work.
• Methadone only has to be taken once a day, as opposed to other opiates that need to be taken several times a day to avoid withdrawal. Addicts do not have to worry about trying to get their next “fix” and, therefore, the amount of crime and illegal activity associated with active drug use drops dramatically.
• Methadone is often times much cheaper for the addict to take, as addicts often times spend hundreds of dollars a day on street drugs.
• Methadone is regulated by the FDA and is, therefore, much safer for the addict to take than street drugs, which can be laced or cut with chemicals or poisons.
• The incidence of contracting or spreading diseases such as hepatitis C and HIV is also reduced, as addicts do not use or share needles to take methadone.
• Finally, methadone that is taken by pregnant women helps to reduce the chance of miscarriage and risky behavior while pregnant, and the fetus will not be going into withdrawal. Women also have a greater chance of seeking out healthcare and seeing an OB regularly if they are able to be on a stable dose of methadone.

Many people that subscribe to an abstinence based model of treatment believe that because methadone is still a drug, people taking methadone are not really clean and sober. When viewed from a risk-reduction model of treatment, methadone can be seen as a medication that helps opiate dependent individuals lead healthier, productive lives.

Jessica Parks is a certified alcohol and drug counselor in the state of Illinois and has her M.A. in art therapy counseling.

Art therapy, as defined by the American Art Therapy Association, is “a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages.” Art therapy can be implemented in a variety of mental health and substance abuse settings, with many different kinds of people. It has helped individuals work through past trauma, process emotions in a healthy way, and allowed for safe nonverbal communication with others. While art therapy can be used in many different ways, it is especially helpful for people who are in recovering from abusing drugs and alcohol.

Skills Learned
There are several skills that are vital to recovery that can be improved through the use of art therapy. People can not only learn how to communicate feelings and conflicts by sharing and discussing their art, but also learn that sharing feelings can be safe instead of scary. For many, issues with trust are worked through by sharing artwork. Making art can also lead to an increase in self-respect and confidence, and enhance levels of patience and tolerance. Art therapy can also be used to address shame and strengthen self-efficacy.

Making art can also help a person to obtain an identification and acceptance of self. Many people new to recovery have no sense of who they really are, and making art can help a recovering addict gain a true sense of self. Art therapy can also help a person in recovery to explore the concept of a higher power, as there are many connections between art and spirituality. Some people have even said that they feel a natural “high” as a result of engaging in the creative process.

Therapeutic Aspects of Art
Art therapy can also be used to promote a sense of relaxation and well being for people in recovery. Some people find that just the process of creating art is soothing, and they are able to enter a meditative state of being when fully engaged in this process. Addicts live a life of chaos while in active addiction – worrying about where or how to get the next fix, lying, stealing, hurting those that mean the most to them. In recovery, an addict has the opportunity to use art to calm the mind and free themselves from the chaotic life they were living.

One of the ways art therapy is most helpful to someone in recovery is by serving as a visual journal of the journey that person has taken in recovery. Art is a way of marking a period of time in a person’s life, and looking back at art that has been created in the past can help a person in recovery to realize how much progress he has made. Art made in early recovery is bound to look much different than art produced after years of sobriety.

The connections between art and drug use has been seen in legends like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison. These artists struggled with addictions and used art to help them escape the difficulties that came as a result of living their everyday lives. Art therapy aims to help those in recovery not to escape, but to participate in something life-affirming. Recovery can be found, enhanced, and maintained through the use of art therapy as a part of treatment.

Jessica Parks is a certified alcohol and drug counselor in the state of Illinois and has her M.A. in art therapy counseling.

There are thousands of addiction treatment centers across the country. Each one has its own unique way of approaching addiction. It is important that as you are looking at centers you take into consideration some of the best practices that have evolved over the decades of addiction treatment.

There are several elements that comprise addiction treatment. The first is detox. Before an addict (alcoholic or drug abuser) can be treated for addiction, the patient must go through alcohol detox or drug detox. Why? While the body is in the grips of addiction, rational thought and behavior are not possible. Alcohol and drugs distort a person’s brain function, bodily function, emotional function, and intellectual function. In a phrase, addiction impacts the brain, the body, and the mind.

A medically based detox, which is considered a best practice, can ease the difficult, uncomfortable, physical and psychological experience of detox. Not only will it ease the discomfort of alcohol or drug detox, it can ensure that the process is safe as it can be dangerous to simply quit alcohol or drugs cold turkey.

It is important to understand a treatment center’s approach to detox and to their philosophy of utilization of medicines during this period. Best practices demonstrate that prescribing drugs to help a patient move through detox is fine, though there is debate about keeping a person on a drug after the detox process has been completed. A quality drug rehab program will not just substitute one addiction for another. Medication will be used to ease the detox process and the patient will be weaned off all medication, except those for mental health disorders.

Following detox, a formal addiction treatment program is needed to address the underlying reasons for the development of the addiction. This process includes addiction education, group therapy, individual therapy, individualized treatment programs, regular evaluations, multidisciplinary teams, life skills training, nutrition and exercise education, relapse prevention, individualized aftercare plans, and dual diagnosis treatment when needed.

Providing all of these elements requires trained medical and therapeutic staff. Check to see whether the treatment center you are considering has addiction certified physicians or Master’s level therapists, psychiatric nurses and clinicians. Despite the growing number of people who suffer from a mental health disorder and substance abuse, many treatment programs cannot handle the needs of the dually diagnosed. Best practices are based upon decades of research. Today’s researchers understand far more about addiction and brain function than thirty years ago.

It is beneficial to anyone seeking treatment to ask questions related to the elements of treatment programs. Breaking through addictive behavior and thinking takes skill and education. If given the proper tools based upon best practices, addiction treatment works.

This article was contributed by Lakeview Health Systems, a nationally recognized treatment center located in Jacksonville, Florida.

The first step in any drug addiction treatment program is medical detox, and it should be done under proper medical supervision.

No single drug addiction treatment is appropriate for all individuals. Matching treatment settings, interventions, and services to each individual’s particular problems and needs is critical to his or her ultimate success in returning to a productive life.

Effective Drug Addiction Treatment

Effective drug treatment programs will attend to the multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug use. To be effective, drug addiction treatment must address the individual’s drug use and any associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and/or legal problems.

An individual’s drug addiction treatment program must be assessed continually and modified as necessary to ensure that the plan meets the addict’s changing needs. An addict may require varying combinations of treatment components during the course of treatment and recovery. In addition to counseling or psychotherapy, a patient at times may require medication, other medical services, family therapy, parenting instruction, vocational rehabilitation, and social and legal services. It is critical that the treatment approach be appropriate to the individual’s age, sexual preference, gender, ethnicity, and culture.

Drug addiction treatment programs should also provide assessment for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, and provide counseling to help addicts modify or change behaviors that place themselves or others at risk of infection. Counseling can help patients avoid high-risk behavior.