Methadone Rehabilitation and Treatment

This guide was written to provide an overview of the methadone rehabilitation process as well as to offer helpful resources for persons recovering from methadone addiction.

Each individual’s path through methadone rehab is unique, and where your path might begin depends on factors such as your history of drug use, how you became addicted to methadone, and other personal and health circumstances. For example, someone who became dependent on methadone while completing rehab for heroin use might require a different treatment path than someone who became addicted to methadone after taking it as a prescription opioid pain reliever or using it recreationally without other drug involvement.

Regardless of your path, options common to methadone addiction treatment include detoxification, which helps your body rid itself of the drug and work through the withdrawal period, as well as behavioral therapy and social support. During therapy, which can take place in inpatient and outpatient settings, you work with professionals to identify root causes for methadone abuse and develop positive thought processes and coping mechanisms to replace negative ones. Aftercare, which might include individual counseling, group therapy, and regular checkups with your medical professional, typically provides ongoing support for recovery after you’re discharged from any treatment program.

One of the biggest challenges when facing a methadone addiction is that methadone is also a drug used to treat addiction. Methadone is considered an agonist medication, which means it counters the effect of other opioids in your body. Individuals who are taking methadone don’t experience a euphoric high if they take heroin. While it’s considered safe when taken as prescribed, methadone does have sedative effects that can create euphoria if abused, and individuals can become physically dependent. Methadone is also a long-acting opioid, which means it stays in the system longer. It can also create longer-lasting withdrawal periods.

If you become dependent on the medication that hundreds of thousands of programs use to treat opioid addiction, it may seem like your options are limited. Luckily, that’s not true, and if you’re struggling to quit using methadone, talking to your medical provider or a rehab professional can help you understand choices for treatment.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimated that:

• In 2017, around 0.1% of Americans age 12 and older abused methadone within the past year.
• The abuse of opioid pain relievers was highest among individuals age 18 to 25, with around 7.1% of individuals in that age range reporting pain reliever misuse in 2016.
• In 2016, around 8% of individuals age 12 and older in the nation sought treatment for addiction to opiates other than heroin. That includes prescription opioids such as methadone.

Detoxification occurs when you stop using methadone and allow the drug to fully leave your system. If your body has become dependent on methadone because you’ve been taking it for a long time or have been taking more than you were prescribed, withdrawal symptoms may occur during detox. Your body has become used to having methadone in its system and has taken this to be the new normal; withdrawal symptoms are your body’s way of alerting you that the “normal state” is being disrupted.

Withdrawal symptoms for methadone typically start within 12 hours to two days of the last time you used the substance. That’s in contrast to withdrawal symptoms for short-acting opioids, which typically start much sooner. The counter is that methadone withdrawal symptoms can last for several weeks, though they typically peak within the first week or two.

Methadone itself is a detoxification medication, so some treatment approaches look at slowly tapering off methadone use within a controlled inpatient environment. For example, an individual might be transitioned to other detoxification medications, such as buprenorphine. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, if a user can reduce his or her intake of methadone to 30 to 40 mg a day or less via tapering, it may be possible to transition to buprenorphine to continue managing the detox process. If someone is completely withdrawn from methadone, naltrexone may be an option for treatment.

For more information about withdrawal, read our guide on methadone addiction.

Information published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine notes that medication-assisted therapy is a common option for treatment of opioid addiction. It’s meant to provide holistic treatment, tending to the physical, mental, and emotional needs of the addict. While medication can help with withdrawal symptoms and may stave off cravings and make it easier to quit using drugs, behavioral therapies in either an inpatient or outpatient setting help to develop healthier coping mechanisms and understand addiction so you have a greater chance at remaining free of drug use in the future.

Within either an inpatient or outpatient setting, options such as detoxification services, behavioral therapies, and medication-assisted treatments are offered for varying lengths of time.

Inpatient treatment involves living full-time (including overnight) at a treatment facility for a set period of time. Outpatient treatment involves scheduled appointments at a facility in which you are free to come and go. Within each category, there are several distinctions.

Behavioral therapy for substance addiction seeks to identify and manage addictive behaviors that lead to use and prevent relapse. Behavioral therapy is based on the concept that all behavior is learned, and, thus, unhealthy behavior can be changed through learning coping skills and increasing awareness of negative thoughts and beliefs that contribute to substance abuse.

When looking for a rehab center for methadone addiction, consider looking for one that offers a detoxification program. Even if your providers determine that you shouldn’t remain on detox medications such as methadone or buprenorphine long-term, they may be able to offer you assistance in tapering off the drugs. Having clinical professionals on hand also makes it possible for addicts to treat various symptoms of withdrawal, such as nausea, to make the process less uncomfortable.

Rehab centers that combine medical approaches with options such as cognitive behavioral therapy help you address a holistic recovery and develop plans and skills to support your sobriety in the future. Methadone addiction may be treated in either inpatient or outpatient settings, and which one is right for you will depend on individual factors. However, continuing with treatment such as individual therapy or support group meetings after you’re discharged from any rehab can ensure you’re provided with ongoing support during long-term recovery.

Our directory of rehab programs includes a comprehensive list of available treatment centers and programs as provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In the directory, you will find tools to filter the programs by setting, price, and location.