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Clinic doesn't want me to have a job

Artificial Emotion

Artificial Emotion

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
5,314
Location
UK (Kent)
I've got a new key worker at my Methadone clinic that wants me to start going to groups every week. I've never had to do this in 5years. I already have commitments at the mental health clinic tying me up Wednesday mornings and the whole of Fridays. As well as these commitments I'm meant to be training for a new job so I can't just drop what I'm doing and go to these groups that sound awful anyway. Is there anything I can do to make them see sense? Surely it is obvious that mental health treatment and paid work is more important? If its so important then I don't see why they didn't make me do this right from the start. Also I am stable, on non-supervised prescribing and I just don't need this.
 
Wow sounds like a shitty situation,

Damn wtf you can't do a different day maybe?? Hmm if not ill throw some ideas out for you.

-Talk to the head person at the clinic express to him/her that you've been a patient with them for 5 years or so, that you have been loyal to the program. You are stable and you need this job,and that you have never had to do these meetings before what the hell changed?

-If you have health Insurance some doctors can prescribe suboxone,my doctor does I don't have to go to meetings I just go in there once a month, he see's how im doing and gives me a scipt. Some doctors will require you to get therapy for drug abuse...

Well good luck.
 
Damn. Sometimes people are hard to reason with. No offense, but can't you just manipulate the situation to your benefit? Use those skills!
 
I was astonished at my friend's Alcoholics Anonymous program, which required at least 12 hours of time each week, but often more. It was like having a part time job. And the drug tests-- way more Americans would have jobs right now if we stopped drug testing. There must be many, many people for which the drug intervention programs are less productive than the drugs they are supposed to be addicted to.
 
I would just tell them you need some type of income. It's not too fair for them to expect you to be exclusively in this program when it will leave you broke. That's just nuts. I would ask the "higher ups" if they can accomodate your work situation and find a balance between the two.
 
I can't do a different day unfortunately.

I tried reasoning with her but when I mentioned the fact I wanted to work she just looked at me like I was crazy. As if they they just expect me not to work. Maybe other clients don't want to work but I don't see why I have to sacrifice my rights just to get prescribed a drug I need. I feel as if they are holding me to ransom by threatening to cut me off if I don't cooperate. Fuck those assholes.

I live in the UK btw. NHS pays for it, not insurance. Over here it's pretty much the same with suboxone. There are still the same restrictions. Actually there would be more, because I would lose my unsupervised privileges which is a bunch of BS but that's how it works.

I think I'm going to just tell them to fuck themselves and then see how serious they are. Who knows, she might not actually follow through with her threat but if she does hopefully I'll then get the chance to state my case to someone else.

I think I might contact the methadone alliance.
 
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Artificial Emotion said:
I can't switch clinics, I'm in the UK. There is only one clinic I can go to.

Yes I'm tapering off but it takes time.
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What? Is that really how it works in the UK? You only have one option in terms of clinics?

In the United States there are multiple clinics in a large city like where I live, and each place has its own rules, some are better than others, etc. so you really only have one option?

I didn't realize that it was way different in the UK.
 
Unfortunately that's how it works. There is only one service for a particular area that you can go to and it's like that with a lot of things in the NHS unfortunately. It's one of the drawbacks of having a free service I'm afraid.
 
Artificial Emotion said:
Unfortunately that's how it works. There is only one service for a particular area that you can go to and it's like that with a lot of things in the NHS unfortunately. It's one of the drawbacks of having a free service I'm afraid.
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It's real unfortunate because you shouldn't have to move to get into a new clinic, and if you move far enough away to get into a better clinic, it'd be like you couldn't keep your job regardless.

Best of luck trying to keep your job and stay stabilized man.
 
Too late. Those fucking cunts have ruined any chance I had now.

I'm so pissed off I want to slap her in the face. Part of the reason I'm pissed off is because she started insisting I go to this stupid breakfast group with the other addicts. Now I know I am technically a drug addict myself but I intentionally got addicted to poppy pods because of some bizarre notion that it would cure my anxiety problems, so I never went out stealing to get my fix and didn't really ever have anything to do with the drug lifestyle. I don't want to sound prejudiced but I see the types of people that go in and out of the clinic every day, and they are the same people I see hanging around the town center every day drinking lager and making a nuisance of themselves. I don't blame these people for being the way they are because its a byproduct of prohibition, social deprivation and a cycle of abuse but that doesn't mean I should have to be okay with sitting there socializing and having breakfast with them every week. Before anyone judges me, would you like being forced to spend 6 hours plus traveling to have breakfast with a bunch of chaotic drug users every week just to get your prescription? lol She's making the point that I have to 'cooperate' with their treatment plan but if they think this is somehow going to make more likely to complete my taper successfully then they need their heads looking at. Again, I don't have anything against the service users themselves because they are human beings but what I'm saying is their influence on me is not going to do me any good. And I don't have anything in common with them at all.

I feel like I'm spending far too much time going to appointments. Maybe if I lawyer up it might help?
 
Sounds like she is on a power trip. You could call her bluff dont show for the breakfast. If i undetstand the uk system correctly its very hard to get kicked off the program no?
 
^ I don't think she's on a power trip. Rather she's just a complete idiot. I don't know how hard it is to get kicked off but I think it's similar to the US.
 
Is she the head of the clinic??? I assume she is not, and if not, talk to her higher-ups. It is totally ridiculous to force you to start going to these meetings when you've already been stabile for so long and it threatens your ability to hold a job. BUT be as calm and civil and polite as humanly possible about it, do NOT get upset or angry at them, just try to question them about it and reason with them.

Is this change perhaps due to new regulations set out by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse??

The findings of Professor John Strang's expert group on the role of prescribing represent an important milestone for drug treatment services, and signal an emerging consensus among the substance misuse field.

The group's report sets out practical steps to meet the 2010 Drug Strategy commitment that all those on substitute prescriptions should engage in recovery activities, and therefore will be required reading for all practitioners.
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Find out why there has been this change in policy, if it is in fact even policy, and whether or not it's true that they can kick you off methadone for non-compliance. The best option would be to get them to agree that you don't have to go, rather than just flat out refusing and creating a rift between you and the clinic. No need to go get a lawyer, I feel that will worsen the situation. Start by talking to whoever this woman's higher-ups are.

If it comes down to having to make a complaint, here is info about that: NHS Complaints Procedure
 
Artificial Emotion said:
Too late. Those fucking cunts have ruined any chance I had now.

I'm so pissed off I want to slap her in the face. Part of the reason I'm pissed off is because she started insisting I go to this stupid breakfast group with the other addicts. Now I know I am technically a drug addict myself but I intentionally got addicted to poppy pods because of some bizarre notion that it would cure my anxiety problems, so I never went out stealing to get my fix and didn't really ever have anything to do with the drug lifestyle. I don't want to sound prejudiced but I see the types of people that go in and out of the clinic every day, and they are the same people I see hanging around the town center every day drinking lager and making a nuisance of themselves. I don't blame these people for being the way they are because its a byproduct of prohibition, social deprivation and a cycle of abuse but that doesn't mean I should have to be okay with sitting there socializing and having breakfast with them every week. Before anyone judges me, would you like being forced to spend 6 hours plus traveling to have breakfast with a bunch of chaotic drug users every week just to get your prescription? lol She's making the point that I have to 'cooperate' with their treatment plan but if they think this is somehow going to make more likely to complete my taper successfully then they need their heads looking at. Again, I don't have anything against the service users themselves because they are human beings but what I'm saying is their influence on me is not going to do me any good. And I don't have anything in common with them at all.

I feel like I'm spending far too much time going to appointments. Maybe if I lawyer up it might help?
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Go to a psychiatrist and have them write a report saying that it is not in your best interest to be surrounded by other ex-addicts!

It's generally a good idea to surround yourself with non-drug users so that you can have them be a good example.

It really sounds like she's on a power trip, or is a complete idiot, or a bit of both.

That or you can make up wonderfully convenient excuses as to why you wanted to go to each individual breakfast but was unable to (transportation issues, family emergency, having a cold, going to church, etc etc)
 
Swimmingdancer said:
Is she the head of the clinic??? I assume she is not, and if not, talk to her higher-ups. It is totally ridiculous to force you to start going to these meetings when you've already been stabile for so long and it threatens your ability to hold a job. BUT be as calm and civil and polite as humanly possible about it, do NOT get upset or angry at them, just try to question them about it and reason with them.

Is this change perhaps due to new regulations set out by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse??
Click to expand...

Yes you know I think you're actually right. First the government started saying everyone had to come off their scripts whether they've been on it for 30 years or 6 months regardless of whether the patient consents or not and regardless of whether the doctor thinks it's in their best interest. So the government is making medical decisions on behalf of the patients. Now they're saying everyone needs to take part in activities, whether they work and have a full time job or not.

I am going to go in and ask to speak to the manager with a written statement and will escalate if I don't get anywhere by getting legal advice. I may make a complaint if it comes to that but I think I'll call the methadone alliance hotline first to see if they have any advice.

Captain.Heroin said:
Go to a psychiatrist and have them write a report saying that it is not in your best interest to be surrounded by other ex-addicts!

It's generally a good idea to surround yourself with non-drug users so that you can have them be a good example.

It really sounds like she's on a power trip, or is a complete idiot, or a bit of both.

That or you can make up wonderfully convenient excuses as to why you wanted to go to each individual breakfast but was unable to (transportation issues, family emergency, having a cold, going to church, etc etc)
Click to expand...

I have made an appointment on Friday to see my CPN (community psychiatric nurse) to try and convince him to help me.

I feel they are not appreciating the fact that it takes me at least 3 hours to travel there. And as well as these groups I might add they are also making me attend separate appointments for me to see my keyworker every week to every two weeks. These appointments are the biggest waste of time. They literally tick a load of boxes after asking the same questions and getting the same answers week in week out. Occasionally they saliva test me but (and this is no exaggeration), I have never tested positive for anything other than methadone in 5 years. The only time I did was when I was seeking treatment. So they waste something like £40 on a pointless test. I know there is justification to this but it's still a waste of time for me as an individual. My old keyworker recognized this and eventually stopped testing me for something like 4 or 5 months but they keep changing my keyworker now so there's no continuity.
 
Artificial Emotion said:
I have made an appointment on Friday to see my CPN (community psychiatric nurse) to try and convince him to help me.

I feel they are not appreciating the fact that it takes me at least 3 hours to travel there. And as well as these groups I might add they are also making me attend separate appointments for me to see my keyworker every week to every two weeks. These appointments are the biggest waste of time. They literally tick a load of boxes after asking the same questions and getting the same answers week in week out. Occasionally they saliva test me but (and this is no exaggeration), I have never tested positive for anything other than methadone in 5 years. The only time I did was when I was seeking treatment. So they waste something like £40 on a pointless test. I know there is justification to this but it's still a waste of time for me as an individual. My old keyworker recognized this and eventually stopped testing me for something like 4 or 5 months but they keep changing my keyworker now so there's no continuity.
Click to expand...

Definitely a good idea to see your CPN. Best of luck man. You should ask to start tapering on the methadone in case you get cut off all together just in case. That's what I'd do, just to prepare for the worst. That way the worst case scenario is that you just have tapered a little bit, and can stop tapering if you want to.
 
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