Methadone Withdrawal Treatment Options for Men

Author: Emily Oconnor

Methadone as a treatment for opiate addiction doesn’t work well for everyone. Because methadone is itself an opiate drug, people taking it as a treatment can still become addicted. Opiate addictions in general tend to have far-reaching effects on different areas of the body, according to the National Academies Press. For this reason, a methadone addiction is no less difficult to break than addictions to more potent opiates, such as heroin and morphine.

Methadone withdrawal treatment objectives can vary from person to person. Men, in particular, are more likely to become addicted to most any alcohol or drug, methadone included. While it’s not uncommon for some treatment programs to use medication replacement therapy as a methadone withdrawal treatment, any medications with an addiction potential may only work to create yet another addiction problem. When considering treatment options, knowing the types of approaches used by each program can help men avoid the headaches involved with counterproductive treatment therapies.

As addiction affects different people in different ways, a methadone withdrawal treatment program should perform a thorough assessment to accurately identify a person’s treatment needs. Opiate addictions not only take control of person’s bodily functions, but also damage a person’s mental capacity and relationship ties. An effective methadone withdrawal treatment approach will address addiction within each of these areas and not just focus on the physical effects.

Inpatient versus Outpatient Treatment Options

There are specialized treatment programs to help men overcome methadone addiction.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, men in drug treatment tend to relapse more frequently than women. Research studies attribute this difference to men being less likely to participate in group counseling treatment approaches. As the likelihood of relapse is unusually high for opiate addictions, men in general may want to seriously consider inpatient methadone withdrawal treatment as opposed to outpatient care.

While both inpatient and outpatient methadone withdrawal treatment programs offer group counseling, inpatient programs provide a more structured and controlled treatment setting. Both types of programs also offer psychotherapy treatment, medical care and 12-step program supports. Inpatient programs require participants to live at the facility for the duration of the program. In this way, recovering addicts can devote all of their energy and attention to the recover process.

Men who still have family and/or work obligations to tend to may require the freedom an outpatient methadone withdrawal treatment program allows. Participants can work around their schedules while still receiving needed treatment care.

Integrated Treatment Approach

As methadone withdrawal effects can be incredibly distressing, some men may have to resort to medication replacement therapies as a part of the methadone withdrawal treatment process. Even when this is the case, the options provided by any one drug rehab program should incorporate an integrated approach to treating methadone addiction.

An integrated treatment approach places as much emphasis on the psychological and behavioral aspects of addiction as it does the physical aspect. This entails offering medication replacement therapy as well as intensive psychotherapy work. Group therapy work and social support groups, such as 12-step programs are also an important part of the recovery process. Without these added components, the likelihood of overcoming a methadone addiction is slim to none.