Finding a Methadone Maintenance Treatment Center

Author: Emily Oconnor

Methadone maintenance treatment offers a relatively low-cost, effective means of helping opiate addicts maintain abstinence in recovery. Compared to other types of treatment for opiate addictions, methadone maintenance treatment has a long history of research and program advancements dating back to the 1960s.

Finding a methadone maintenance treatment center has more to do with what to look for in terms of quality care and program offerings than locale and cost. While finding a nearby treatment facility may offer certain convenience benefits, finding a program that sets out to ensure recovering addicts have the best treatment possible gives a person a better chance of beating an opiate addiction.

What to Look For

Anyone battling an opiate addiction well knows how difficult it can be to stave off ongoing drug cravings and withdrawal effects. Even a person who has remained abstinent for a long time may still experience an overall sense of discontent until brain and body processes fully heal. For these reasons, finding an effective methadone maintenance treatment program becomes all the important, as relapse rates are considerably high with opiate addictions.

Quality methadone maintenance treatment centers should meet certain criteria when it comes to professionalism and overall record of accomplishment. A good treatment center will carry the required state licensing and accreditation. Program staff should also have ample experience in the addictions field along with the necessary licensing and credentials.

You can find methadone maintenance to help you overcome an opiate addiction today!

Any methadone maintenance treatment center worth its salt will have some sort of statistics on hand regarding treatment success rates. In general, statistics from an objective outside agency tend to be more reliable than anything the center itself draws up.

As long-term abstinence is the overall goal of methadone maintenance treatment, look for centers that offer a well-run aftercare program to ensure recovering addicts have access to ongoing support and community referrals after completing the program.

Types of Treatment Centers

Methadone maintenance treatments can be administered during different stages of the recovery process, often from different types of treatment centers. Residential treatment centers operate as live-in facilities that provide round-the-clock monitoring and care.

Intensive outpatient programs enable participants to come and go throughout the day according to their work and family schedules. Sober living facilities work in much the same way as residential treatment only on a more long-term basis. These facilities typically cater to people who have nowhere else to go. Sober living facilities also offer rehabilitation services to help recovering addicts get back on their feet.

Considerations

As opiate addiction effects can stay with a person for years after his or her last use, the duration of a treatment program can considerably influence the likelihood of a successful recovery. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, treatment programs lasting a minimum of 12 months show the best success rates in terms of participants maintaining drug-free lifestyles after program completion.

While meeting the necessary accreditation and licensing requirements should take precedence over all when comparing different treatment centers, programs offering long-term treatment and aftercare services are often best equipped to help recovering addicts stay off drugs for the long term.