Methadone
Methadone
Not very may people know exactly what methadone is, what it is used for, and why it is necessary. Addiction is an illness, and there are many substances that enable addiction. People who are addicted to opioids are just like anyone else who has an illness, they are sick. People who are ill need medicine, and methadone is a medicine that is used to treat people who are sick with opioid addiction. Methadone has been used for 35 years in the treatment of opioid addiction and has helped millions of recovering addicts (Methadone and You 4:1) Methadone is a effective way to help opiate and heroin addicts control their addiction, return to normal life and become a contributing person of society,
O'Brien, Roberts and Cohen tell us that methadone is an opioid, a synthetic narcotic analgesic. Opioids are chemically and effectively related to natural endorphins found in the body. In fact, the word "endorphin" literally means "the morphine within." We don't understand all there is to know about endorphins, the natural opioids within the body, but there is evidence they are involved with pain control, body temperature, learning, and other functions (Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy Foundation 8). Methadone was first introduced during WWII when it was developed by German Chemists (the brand name Dolophine is a tribute to Adolph Hitler) (167-168). The German Scientists developed methadone as a substitute for morphine. Soon, American companies brought Methadone to the United States for use as a painkiller and, later, to help treat persons going through heroin and other opiate withdrawal (Methadone and You 1: 1). Since the 1960's, methadone has primarily been used for addiction treatment. It is also important to know that methadone is not a single product from a single manufacturer, though the active ingredient is always the same: methadone hydrochloride (Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy Foundation 10). Methadone has a very slow onset compared to other
Not very may people know exactly what methadone is, what it is used for, and why it is necessary. Addiction is an illness, and there are many substances that enable addiction. People who are addicted to opioids are just like anyone else who has an illness, they are sick. People who are ill need medicine, and methadone is a medicine that is used to treat people who are sick with opioid addiction. Methadone has been used for 35 years in the treatment of opioid addiction and has helped millions of recovering addicts (Methadone and You 4:1) Methadone is a effective way to help opiate and heroin addicts control their addiction, return to normal life and become a contributing person of society,
O'Brien, Roberts and Cohen tell us that methadone is an opioid, a synthetic narcotic analgesic. Opioids are chemically and effectively related to natural endorphins found in the body. In fact, the word "endorphin" literally means "the morphine within." We don't understand all there is to know about endorphins, the natural opioids within the body, but there is evidence they are involved with pain control, body temperature, learning, and other functions (Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy Foundation 8). Methadone was first introduced during WWII when it was developed by German Chemists (the brand name Dolophine is a tribute to Adolph Hitler) (167-168). The German Scientists developed methadone as a substitute for morphine. Soon, American companies brought Methadone to the United States for use as a painkiller and, later, to help treat persons going through heroin and other opiate withdrawal (Methadone and You 1: 1). Since the 1960's, methadone has primarily been used for addiction treatment. It is also important to know that methadone is not a single product from a single manufacturer, though the active ingredient is always the same: methadone hydrochloride (Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy Foundation 10). Methadone has a very slow onset compared to other
Bibliography: The Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy Foundation. About Methadone. New York: Herlin Press, 2000. O 'Brien, Robert, Sidney Cohen. Encyclopedia of Drug Abuse. New York: Green Spring, 1984. Incardi, James A., Lana D. Harrison. Heroin in the Age of Crack Cocaine. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 1998