Telling The Untold Methadone Success Stories
-
This Treatment Works “There may be no more effective way to contain
heroin abuse than methadone, a drug that blocks an addict’s craving. Yet
new efforts to expand use of methadone have inspired new attacks on it,
attacks that deny common sense.“ -
Consumers Union Report: Licit and Illicit Drugs “The interesting
thing about methadone treatment is that it permits people to become whatever
they potentially are. Whereas addicts, under the pressure of drug abuse
and drug-seeking look very much the same, when they are freed from this
slavery they d ifferentiate and become part of the spectrum of society.“ -
Reducing The Risk of AIDS Through Methadone Maintenance Treatment
“…we found that this modality of treatment is markedly more effective
in reducing intravenous drug use by heroin addicts. Thus, 71 percent of
an in-treatment sample of 388 patients had stopped IV drug use; most had
refrained completely from IV drug u se for one year or more.“
-The New York Times, April 8, 1990
-W.M. Brecher, Consumer Reports, Little, Brown and Company; Boston
and Toronto, 1972
-J.C. Ball, W. Robert Lange, C. Patrick Myers, and Samuel R. Friedman.
Journal of Health and Social Behavior 29(3); 214-216
The Misconceptions About Methadone
Since its beginning over thirty years ago, methadone maintenance has proven
to be the most effective treatment for heroin addiction, resulting in the
termination of both heroin use and criminal behavior. In spite of this
success, methadone maintenance is often disparaged as a “substitute drug”
by those who ignore the positive benefits it has brought to society. The
media tends to focus on the negatives of methadone and none of the success
stories.
These negative attitudes impair the effectiveness of methadone maintenance
programs. Patients are mistreated, misinformed and stigmatized. They are
victims of discrimination in health care, the job market, education, insurance,
and housing. Even treatm ent professionals feel ashamed to admit they work
in this field.
The National Alliance of Methadone Advocates
At NAMA, we’d like people to focus on the success stories of methadone:
patients who became successful lawyers or construction workers, patients
who rebuilt their families and are now productive members of society.
NAMA is an organization of methadone patients, healthcare professionals,
friends, and associates working together for greater public understanding
and acceptance of methadone treatment.
NAMA’s Goals
- to eliminate discrimination toward methadone patients
- to create a more positive image about methadone maintenance treatment
- to help preserve patients’ dignity and their rights
- to make treatment available on demand to every person who needs it
- to empower methadone patients with a strong public voice
Changing People’s Views With Education and Advocacy
NAMA will
- speak publicly about the productive lives led by methadone patients
- establish contact with elected and appointed officials
- attend community meetings
- prepare and distribute educational material
- participate in media interviews
-
create a unified voice to reach the public on all issues of concern to
methadone patients
In addition to fighting the negative image and low self-esteem
of methadone patients, NAMA provides practical assistance in the everyday
concerns of patients and treatment professionals:
- Drug Treatment
- Treatment on Demand
- Education of Methadone Patients
- AIDS
- Discrimination
Some methadone treatment programs have become huge, cumbersome bureaucracies.
The policies of various agencies often conflict with one another, leaving
the patient frustrated and discouraged. NAMA helps promote improved program
services, development of new approaches, and increased patient participation
in treatment.
Heroin addicts seeking help are daily denied treatment and forced back
to the streets because of long waiting lists at clinics. NAMA can push
for immediate expansion of treatment and provide referral assistance to
those who need help getting into a pro gram.
In many programs, the fundamentals of methadone treatment and addiction
are not even explained to patients. As a result, many believe dangerous
folklore about methadone such as “it gets in your bones” or “it rots your
teeth”. NAMA remedies this situati on with workshops, meetings, the media
and other methods.
Some treatment professionals lack an understanding of the pharmacology
of addiction and how this relates to rehabilitation. NAMA promotes an improved
addiction treatment curriculum in institutions of higher learning.
At present, there is very little information or assistance provided
for methadone patients who are HIV+. And very little information on preventative
healthcare for non-HIV patients. NAMA helps supplement existing AIDS programs.
Discrimination is a major obstacle for anyone who has ever used drugs.
While some legislation has been enacted which protects former addicts and
methadone patients, there still remain many areas where methadone patients
are not protected. NAMA works to inform methadone patients of their rights
and to provide support to those who have been victims of discrimination.
