Anyone looking for help, for themselves or a loved one with an opiate addiction, probably starts with Google. Looking up the treatment options for opiate abuse can bring up a litany of terms and suggestions on how to find freedom from addiction. One of those options is going to be something called a “methadone clinic.”
Again, this typically comes up when you search opiate addiction treatment—including morphine, codeine, oxycodone, heroin, and other semi-synthetic opioids.
What Is a Methadone Clinic?
Methadone clinics are regulated centers where a person with an opiate addiction can receive methadone as a replacement for the opiate they are addicted to. Methadone can block the effects and cravings of opiate medications.
The overall idea is for a client to receive medication-based therapy to try to wean them off their chemical dependence. One drug is traded for the other. This type of therapy is often referred to as “replacement therapy.”
What is Methadone?
Methadone is basically a synthetic opiate. Which means it is an opiate that has been created. It is less powerful than other opiates, but it is still an addictive substance.
With methadone treatment, a person shifts from one opiate addiction to another opiate addiction; however they are now using a drug that is not as strong. The clinic then tries to taper a client off over the progression of a year or two.
How Much Does Methadone Clinic Cost?
There are public methadone clinics, which are largely state funded and there are private ones. According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, methadone costs run around $76.13 per day for residential programs. For walk-in methadone programs, costs run around $17.78 per day.
Some of the general positives about this kind of treatment include, the clinics can help fight the spread infectious disease (often a result of needle-sharing when using heroin), people can find temporary alleviation from opioid cravings, and the government can regulate the use of this particular drug helping offset criminal activity common with illicit options.
Is a Methadone Clinic a Good Solution?
Ultimately methadone clinics are a place where an opiate is used to help clients get off opiates. Methadone is a less-powerful drug, to be sure. But the addiction will still exist, and there will still be a crippling need for methadone in order for a person to function on a day-to-day basis.
The most important thing to remember is that drug and alcohol addiction goes deeper than a single drug. Substance use is the way a person has decided to handle the difficulties of life. True recovery requires the help of experienced professionals guiding a person through a dedicated, evidence-based addiction recovery program.
At SoCal Detox, our experience has proven a few basic steps necessary for opiate addiction recovery.
These include:
- Detox (medically assisted)
- Residential treatment with
- Individual counseling
- Experiential treatment options
- Group therapy
- Nutritional guidance
- Relapse avoidance training
- A proven recovery program
- Quality Aftercare
Again, these are simply the base needs for addiction recovery. In fact, methadone can actually be effective when used to support the more important work of addiction recovery—complementary to the treatment program outlined above. But it should never be seen as an easy replacement. This is often the dangerous mindset of a person making use of a methadone clinic.
Taking the First Step
SoCal Detox offers the first crucial step for addiction recovery. It is not a walk-up clinic, it is a dedicated residential facility with full-time staff and around the clock supervision. Our team is intimately involved in caring for each resident and guiding them through everything from admissions, to detox, to carefully designing a next-step recovery plan for long-term treatment tailored individually for each resident that comes through our doors.
For a person looking for help with a opioid addiction, one benefit a detox-only facility, such as SoCal Detox, is the freedom to go through the sub-acute detox and take advantage of multiple treatment modalities, as well as work with our experienced staff to understand all the recovery options for an individualized plan that makes the most sense.
This is not a disease you want to try to handle on your own. Nor is the plan for recovery. If you are struggling with opiate addiction (or any drug or alcohol addiction) please call us today. Our experienced team will help you with every step of your recovery process: 888-590-0777.
