Methadone Addiction is Very Common in the US Today

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Methadone Addiction is Very Common in the US Today

There is no mystery in the fact that drug and alcohol addiction is becoming a severe and concerning problem in the country. Since the turn of the century, drug and alcohol addiction has grown in concern and gotten more and more concerning with each passing year. Today, addiction to methadone is even a major concern in the United States.

Different organizations have all come together to find the source of these problems and to innovate various ways to address them. However, in spite of the best efforts of the countless organizations, the drug and alcohol addiction problem in this country has continued to grow and become more and more frustrating and concerning for all involved with it.

Prescription Drug Abuse

Years of research have found at least one key factor that seems to have been one of many inception points of the addiction epidemic that we are now experiencing. This factor is that, between the years of 2001 and 2005, American pharmaceutical companies increased the production and distribution of pharmaceutical drugs, mainly opiate-related drugs, (both relievers and antagonists) by over three hundred percent.

Within just four years, the production, distribution, and proliferation of prescription drugs into the hands of the American populace more than tripled. This increase created a very concerning and upsetting substance abuse problem for those involved in these types of issues.

Methadone

One of the drugs, (though it has been around for a long time) whose production and distribution increased is methadone. Methadone has become a prevalent drug used and abused both for medical purposes and recreational purposes. Just like other prescription drugs, the misuse of methadone has also risen. Individuals struggle with addiction to methadone today. This medication was not intended to be a recreational drug, but one to help with other addictions.

What is methadone? What are methadone side effects? Even though a lot of people use this drug, there is surprisingly very little information on it. In truth, methadone is a potent drug that was made with the intention of helping people overcome opiate addiction. However, methadone itself is very addictive, and it has similar, if not worse, side effects than opiates do.

Methadone to Treat Opiate Addiction

When people take methadone on a “maintenance program,” while they experience relief from their chemical addiction to opiate drugs, they biologically and physiologically supplement the methadone for the opiates instead. This is why people take these on maintenance programs and end up staying on them for months, long after their addictions to opiates has gone away. The simple truth, they are hooked on the methadone now.

Developing an Addiction to Methadone

The problem with methadone is that it is essentially legalized heroin. It is an opioid antagonist, which means it is supposed to work against the receptors in the brain and nervous system that crave opiate drugs. They do this, yes, but the very chemicals within methadone then create addictions of their own within the human body. This is what causes people to develop an addiction to methadone and to be so hooked that they simply are not able to overcome the habit.

If you or someone you know is struggling with methadone addiction, the only way to get off of it successfully is with the help of an inpatient treatment center. To get help with a methadone addiction call A Forever Recovery today. This treatment center offers engaging and workable solutions for addressing and getting rid of methadone addiction.

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