Methadone is a long acting synthetic narcotic analgesic and is a synthetic opioid often prescribed by doctors as a substitute for heroin. It is used to treat pain and in addiction detoxification as the drug helps to reduce the withdrawal symptoms of narcotic drugs without causing the same ecstatic high like other such medicines.
Since the drug does not provide the same euphoric rush as heroin or other drugs, a person’s indulgence for higher doses increases to an alarming level which can be life-threatening at times. Methadone can come as a pill which can be swallowed or dissolved or as a liquid which can be consumed, dilated or injected. Taking too close doses of the drug due to unfamiliarity of its effects, or in a quest for a high, the users are prone to a methadone overdose.
Methadone can cause lethargy and slow down a person’s reactions, causing accidents due to the inability to take quick actions and reactions. Moreover, as the body supply of methadone gets low, a person is prone to mood swings which can range from depression to mania. A methadone overdose can cause difficulty in breathing, nausea, vomiting and also heart problems.
Sometimes, patients who have access to prescriptions can take the drug in conjunction with alcohol or other drugs, increasing the likelihood of fatal abuse. Most people who are trying to withdraw from the drug take more time as compared to other opioids, as the drug stays much longer in the body. Needless to say, a proper detoxification program at a reputed methadone addiction treatment center is essential to flush out the drug residues from the body.
Obtaining professional help from one of the recognized methadone drug rehab centers is critical to treat all the complications cause by methadone abuse. Apart from pharmacological treatments, psychological therapies can prove to be really beneficial to treat a methadone addiction.
Cognitive behavioral therapy, for example, given under supervised conditions at a reputed methadone addiction rehab can help the patient to fight the drug cravings. In fact, group therapies can give a moral support and individualized treatments can foster tailor-made programs depending on a patient’s addictive situation.
It is extremely important to understand that an opioid like methadone which assists in detoxification is also prone to be abused and needs to be detoxified at a state-of-the-art methadone addiction treatment center for long-term recovery. Methadone drug rehab centers offer both psychotherapeutic interventions and intensive medical detox to help patients deal with withdrawal symptoms.