Any one else in a methadone program?

[JEdoubleF]

I live in Columbus, Oh.We only have one clinic for a city of about 750,000 people. I've been on methadone for about a year now. I'm interseted to find out any one elses experiences regarding this issue. I'm on 120 mg now and it deffinetly does not satisfy me well enough. I haven't done dope since last July, and pass all my drug tests.But they never let people go above 120, except for medical reasons. The only nice thing is i'm on take homes now, so I only have to go in once a week;instead of every dsay like at the beggining. So if anyone has any experience with this i'd like to hear their feedback.
Thanks alot
J

[ 20 December 2001: Message edited by: JEdoubleF ]

 

[[u.k neuronauticals inc]]

110mg/ml day + 4 or 5 bags a day does me nicely.
Pukka.

 

[PhreeX]

You're only trading one addiction for another, and methadone withdrawl is a LOT worse then heroin withdrawal.. if you can afford it, go for the rapid-detox option...
But yeah, when I lived on the coast we would go to the clinic in the mornings.. the methadone really complimented the smack nicely...

 

[merex]

This is kinda interesting RE rapid detox. I have never seen this drug, Ibogaine, mentioned on BL before, so I thought I would post this link:
http://www.tripzine.com/interviews.asp?id=taub

 

[JEdoubleF]

Trust me I know about juice withdrawal!
My life is a lot more stable. I'm going to college, i'm working; and by the way it's a non profit clinic. I'm on a no fee basis because i'm a student and suporting myself. It does help people, but only if you want it to work.

 

[[u.k neuronauticals inc]]

^sounds like youre trying to convince yourself^

 

[ikarus]

Convincing yourself is a good way to break psychological addictions. If your attitude is "this is never going to work" it probably won't. I know it sounds stupid and smarmy, but BELIEVE IN YOUR FUCKING SELF!
-ikarus

 

[PhreeX]

It's true, if you believe in yourself you can overcome the psychological aspect of the addiction - then a detox program to take care of the physical aspect of it..
I have had 2 friend do the rapid detox thing... you still have to deal with the psychological aspect - ie knowing how good a bag would feel, but physically you don't crave it... for many addicts that the problem, they WANT to stop but the withdralw is so harsh they can't .. both of these people have had limited success - it killed the physical aspect but when one guys girlfriend dumped him he went back on it, the other is still clean (but now addicited to marijuana) ..
The problem with methadone programs is that it's VERY HARD to get off the methadone... of the many people I know that have been on it, when they start to 'taper' the dose down, all these people went back to the smack..
Ultimatly it comes down to WILLPOWER - I know a couple people that were as hooked as you can be, but they decided enough was enough, bucked up, did the withdrawl, and never looked back...

 

[quale]

Why is the fact that methadone is hard to get off of a problem? Why can't you just stay on a constant dose of methadone?

 

[[u.k neuronauticals inc]]

^youre opening up a hole new kettle of fish there^
What youre on about is called maintenance,basically meaning long term or indefinate prescribing of methadone.
In england its generally avoided,but in the states from what ive read and heard,its a lot more common.Probally because so many meth patients are paying customers,as opposed to the non-paying magority of NHS methadone patients in the UK.

 

[*kell*]

In NZ the methadone programe is free & you can be on it for the rest of your life if thats your wish. The councellors recomend that you take a couple of months to get stabilised, then spend the next 2 years trying to get a life together again before you should even consider reducing.
I know well over 20 people on the programe (myself not included)& only 2 have managed to get off, for each of them its been over a year that they've been clean.
Thats really fucked up that you're actually paying for it & it's not enough..

 

[SovietContin]

The councellors recomend that you take a couple of months to get stabilised, then spend the next 2 years trying to get a life together again before you should even consider reducing.
The two to three years thing is just complete fucking utter bullshit. There is no reason why anyone should be on methadone that long if they're trying to go clean.
No, I take that back. There is a reason. Pharmaceutical companies and the people working in methadone programs profit from you being hooked to methadone.
Two of my friends and I started using heroin again about the same time a few months ago. I used WAY more frequently and consumed more in the 3 month period. My friends consulted a program which recommended him being on methadone for 2 to 3 years. I decided to kick myself. I'm off. I didn't require counseling or methadone or anything other than will-power. So explain to me one reason why my friends needed 2 to 3 years of methadone? They don't. Nobody needs that long to ween off. I definantly feel that 2 years of counseling would be great, but being on methadone that entire time is just ridiculous.
For as much as I agree with replacing jail/prison sentences with rehab and counseling, virtually everyone overlooks the fact that the majority of the programs and counselors are in as much need of reform as the punishments.