AHS Views

After writing yesterday’s blog on methadone treatment I received a blog from a woman who was on heroin for 10 years until a methadone treatment clinic opened in her town. From her viewpoint, methadone saved her life. Fair enough. I don’t know what addiction help she tried during those 10 years but, obviously, whatever it was didn’t work for her. So, she’s now a methadone advocate.

By the way, she asked if I’d ever been addicted to heroin. Yes, I have been. And I also tried methadone to get off it. I didn’t like it. I quit methadone, and I quit heroin.  And I know plenty of others who’ve done the same.

The fact is, lots of people have gotten off heroin without methadone treatment. If someone prefers to continue to take an addictive opiate drug - i.e. methadone - that’s up to them. But some people would prefer to be drug free. So, before they make the choice of methadone treatment, they should be informed that being drug free is an option. That there are many people who’ve gotten off heroin and that it can be done with the right addiction help services.

Just because some people didn’t do it doesn’t mean they couldn’t have if they’d gotten the type of addiction help they really needed. And just because some people didn’t get the addiction help they needed, doesn’t mean others should be denied that same help.

If someone else reading this would like to get off methadone or is considering going on it, do yourself a favor and find out about addiction help services that could help you live drug free.