I just was reading thru some of the posts on this site/board, and I have come to the decision that although I will be still posting here(as is my right)- I'm going to have to more cognisant to who and what I post about this medicine ,as not to offend someone who may not be as informed , or open about its use.
That being said >
Their are many knowledgeable and compassionate people posting on this site, but I also noticed their are plenty of those who will never accept any kind of drug therapy. That's OK- but it sometimes its difficult to not to get frustrated when others - supposedly compassionate and understanding recovering addicts, , can take such a negative stance on a therapy that has helped myself, & many other addicts get on with their lives as normal as anyone else- most people cant even tell when we are on our correct dose > working at our jobs ,going to the PTA ,coaching the little league game, or just sitting at the family dinner. All activities that just dont happen while using heroin or whatever opiate brought us to this treatment.
Methadone will always have a stigma attached to it - & that stigma inevitably gets passed on to the patient , no matter how much it changes our lives for the better.
Granted , it is a strong medicine and is abused by plenty- it,s a shame that those who choose to give it a bad rap always win out over those who defend its use and use it with success.
I also notice a lot of misinformation about different aspects of this medicine- from going up, to tapering off, to pregnant mothers, to switching to suboxone(which does,t have a stigma-yet) etc.. etc.. its an easy target for sure.
Uninformed,undereducated & disinterested doctors, underfunded clinics,and outraged communities all contribute- -if this was such a bad therapy why has it been used since the 60,s helping addicts > and more recently,these days, chronic pain patients.
Im certainly not trying to change anyone's mind one way or another- however, I do wish people (not just here) would be more open to different forms of therapy and recovery. This medicine has worked successfully for a long time> to dismiss it as "just a substitute" is silly & a little closed minded in this day & age , in my opinion.
I know their are plenty of methadone friendly sites out there & I may even already be on 1 or 2- however,Ive come to enjoy the people and pace of this one thru the past 5 yrs or so.
I'm definitely not looking for a debate here- I just wanted to get rid of some bottled up feelings-
Thanks and talk to you guys later,
jack
Dear Jack, I am so very grateful that my daughter is on methadone, and not actively seeking out the heroin she was addicted to. She has been able to have a job, and seems to be trying to get her financial life sorted out, although that will take a long time to accomplish since she has so much debt.
sometimes when I see her, (we live in different states, and our visits are not as often as I would like) I find her "nodding" off, and that disturbs me, since it is usually with a cigarette in her hand. Her whole house attests to the fact of her dropping cigarettes all over the place.
She claims it is just tiredness, not anything to do with drugs or the methadome, but I don't know what's true or not. since you have been on it so long and have successfully gotten on with your life, what can the "nodding " be attributed to? I am expecting to have her with me in a couple of weeks for a vacation here in florida, she makes arrangements to have her daily dose at a clinic a few miles from my home.
I hope she can reach the place you have, being back to life in all it's good and bad aspects. and managing her family. she is 52 years old, so you can see I am not a spring chicken, and I pray that I will get to see her happy, healthy and
enjoying her children and maybe even her grandchildren.
rita
sometimes when I see her, (we live in different states, and our visits are not as often as I would like) I find her "nodding" off, and that disturbs me, since it is usually with a cigarette in her hand. Her whole house attests to the fact of her dropping cigarettes all over the place.
She claims it is just tiredness, not anything to do with drugs or the methadome, but I don't know what's true or not. since you have been on it so long and have successfully gotten on with your life, what can the "nodding " be attributed to? I am expecting to have her with me in a couple of weeks for a vacation here in florida, she makes arrangements to have her daily dose at a clinic a few miles from my home.
I hope she can reach the place you have, being back to life in all it's good and bad aspects. and managing her family. she is 52 years old, so you can see I am not a spring chicken, and I pray that I will get to see her happy, healthy and
enjoying her children and maybe even her grandchildren.
rita
JACK!!!!
Don't you dare edit yourself or withhold your experiences with methadone maintenance just to satisfy some misinformed, underinformed, or uninformed others. I don't give a fat rat's @ss what anyone else thinks of your recovery method...good lord, you are a living testament to it's proper use and a real success story. Taking that away from people who may read here would be a true loss. I have learned so much from your story...there was much I didn't know about methadone and everything that goes with it...the clinics, the politics...the whole thing...and I consider myself a better educated person for having read your story and the stories of others who have successfully (or maybe not successfully) used this form of treatment.
Please rethink this and keep doing what you've been doing...it's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it =)
Peace and gratitude for your wisdom ~ M&M
Don't you dare edit yourself or withhold your experiences with methadone maintenance just to satisfy some misinformed, underinformed, or uninformed others. I don't give a fat rat's @ss what anyone else thinks of your recovery method...good lord, you are a living testament to it's proper use and a real success story. Taking that away from people who may read here would be a true loss. I have learned so much from your story...there was much I didn't know about methadone and everything that goes with it...the clinics, the politics...the whole thing...and I consider myself a better educated person for having read your story and the stories of others who have successfully (or maybe not successfully) used this form of treatment.
Please rethink this and keep doing what you've been doing...it's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it =)
Peace and gratitude for your wisdom ~ M&M
lasttoknow
I forgot to mention( maybe conveniently- lol) that a big problem with a lot of people on mdone- is that even though addicts have the best of intentions, benzo,s are often thrown in the mix, but then left out when you read about a methadone horror story.
Doctors deserve some of the blame prescribing so many to many medicaid patients who often sell & use them - you would think that they would show a little more responsibility
Mixing those 2 is common, its dangerous, and yes it is looking to maximize its effects in a negative way- the good news is as addicts on methadone get older, benzo use goes way down.
Maybe bring this up with your daughter if you feel comfortable with the conversation- I'm the same age as she is, and I had this conversation with my son a few years ago. I found he was right- I needed benzo,s like a hole in the head !!
It certainly accounts for the cigarette burns around the house
That I can tell you thru experience*
bestregards
jack
I forgot to mention( maybe conveniently- lol) that a big problem with a lot of people on mdone- is that even though addicts have the best of intentions, benzo,s are often thrown in the mix, but then left out when you read about a methadone horror story.
Doctors deserve some of the blame prescribing so many to many medicaid patients who often sell & use them - you would think that they would show a little more responsibility
Mixing those 2 is common, its dangerous, and yes it is looking to maximize its effects in a negative way- the good news is as addicts on methadone get older, benzo use goes way down.
Maybe bring this up with your daughter if you feel comfortable with the conversation- I'm the same age as she is, and I had this conversation with my son a few years ago. I found he was right- I needed benzo,s like a hole in the head !!
It certainly accounts for the cigarette burns around the house
That I can tell you thru experience*
bestregards
jack
Wow, Jack, thanks for mentioning this. I will bring it up when she is here. we have a pretty good relationship and can talk about things, generally.
rita
rita
Dear Jack,
I hope that it was never me that offended you or anyone. If so, I sincerely apologize. I know that in one of my past postings I said that my BF didn't want to go on the Methadone treatment because he felt that he would be going from one addiction to the next. He just didn't want to depend on taking something EVERY day. He feels that same way about subutex or suboxene? I do know for a fact that there are addicts that choose to not rely on it (my BF included). YES it did take him at least a month to 6 weeks for any sort of normalcy, but you can kick dope without using it. I've witnessed it. I am not an addict, but I am very much in love with one. I do hope that there does come a point in yours or any person life who participates in the Mdone program that you do taper off and not need it anymore. It is a very successful program, but just like anything, it just may not be for everyone. Please forgive me if in fact any of your anger was directed toward me.
You have my upmost respect and much love that you were brave enough to come off the junk and STAY off of it.
Peace,
D
I hope that it was never me that offended you or anyone. If so, I sincerely apologize. I know that in one of my past postings I said that my BF didn't want to go on the Methadone treatment because he felt that he would be going from one addiction to the next. He just didn't want to depend on taking something EVERY day. He feels that same way about subutex or suboxene? I do know for a fact that there are addicts that choose to not rely on it (my BF included). YES it did take him at least a month to 6 weeks for any sort of normalcy, but you can kick dope without using it. I've witnessed it. I am not an addict, but I am very much in love with one. I do hope that there does come a point in yours or any person life who participates in the Mdone program that you do taper off and not need it anymore. It is a very successful program, but just like anything, it just may not be for everyone. Please forgive me if in fact any of your anger was directed toward me.
You have my upmost respect and much love that you were brave enough to come off the junk and STAY off of it.
Peace,
D
Methadone saved my life. I work, go shopping, pay my bills...function better than I have ever been able to...No one would know unless I told them...I get upset too because it gets such a bad rap from a few bad people...I dont abuse it...when my dose is right, I feel right...I lost a close freind because of this same exact thinking about methadone...but she has no problem taking her anti depressants and sleeping aids every day...I look at methadone as a medicine...a treatment that for me has been a miracle in so many ways...Im with you on this one...
Con
Con
Replacement therapy gets such a bad rap...
Even things like antabuse, naltrexone, get s***...
WTF would it matter, ugh....so frustrating the amount of judgment and I wonder how much of that high moral bullsh*t plays along with that word weak...
Some of us, as I wave, are really out there talking about things like this, to educate and remove the stigma...To have people understand that it doesn't matter how a person gets clean, stays clean. To educated that it is the user, not the damn drug, and it always will be.
I hope that you keep sharing Jack, you can send a wonderful message...
Love,
Tina
Even things like antabuse, naltrexone, get s***...
WTF would it matter, ugh....so frustrating the amount of judgment and I wonder how much of that high moral bullsh*t plays along with that word weak...
Some of us, as I wave, are really out there talking about things like this, to educate and remove the stigma...To have people understand that it doesn't matter how a person gets clean, stays clean. To educated that it is the user, not the damn drug, and it always will be.
I hope that you keep sharing Jack, you can send a wonderful message...
Love,
Tina
Hey Misty-
Your definitely one of the good guys . You can always see the positive in a mostly negative situation- a great quality
Every one who responded- thanks ,- education promotes and enhances awareness -
talksoon
jack
Your definitely one of the good guys . You can always see the positive in a mostly negative situation- a great quality
Every one who responded- thanks ,- education promotes and enhances awareness -
talksoon
jack
jack... i am on methadone & have been for 7 years due to a pain pill addiction that i had for 3 yrs. i think that methadone is a great drug & has helped many people, however i don't feel like it was the right choice for me. personally i feel stuck now. i feel that i have a worse addiction now than i did to pills. thats just my personal expeirence, still i can't believe that some people get on this board & start threads that personally i sometimes find offensive. it makes me feel like just because they were able to quit without any kind of replacement therapy that they are better than i am because i'm on methadone. this is a board for addicts & i just figured that people would be a little more understanding & not so quick to judge. i have only been on this board for about 2 weeks & already i can tell that their are some really great people here, i just wish that some weren't so harsh. everyone is entitled to their opinion though & this is just mine.
jessica
jessica
what's up all?
my girl has been a member of this board for some time now. so first off, i would like to say thank you to all of you who kept her sane a able to cope with my addiction. i am a recoverying addict with 90 days clean after a 3 year run. prior to that clean 9 years before my relapse in 2006. you sound like a great group of people as she has shared many different views and has spoke of you people as if she knows you personally...and cares about your well being. that being said, i came in from work tonight to find her a little shaken up about this conversation. i know she meant well. i had a 20 bag a day habit.(needle junkie) and trust me, i was lower than low and ait tryin to pat my self on the back, but i did both kicks with no replacement. it sucked preety bad and took quite some time to feel ok, cause you aint never yerself again after that.(my opinion & experience). so it can be done. i just felt that if i was gonna give up my only enjoyment in life (at that time) i wasent gona jump from the fire to the flame. i wanted free af all substances. methadone was introduced back in the hitler regime. research it.
its an easy way for this country to make money. the government wants you there for your dose eveyday. its all about the money. with the proper diet excersize and meetings on a daily basis,replacment therapy aint necessary. its worth a try. hey it may not be for everybody but like i said, it can be done. again, just my opinion. if u can't get through the day without a dose, than it's just like an addiction period.
peace and hope this don't come across the wrong way cause it comes from the heart and all good intentions.
J
my girl has been a member of this board for some time now. so first off, i would like to say thank you to all of you who kept her sane a able to cope with my addiction. i am a recoverying addict with 90 days clean after a 3 year run. prior to that clean 9 years before my relapse in 2006. you sound like a great group of people as she has shared many different views and has spoke of you people as if she knows you personally...and cares about your well being. that being said, i came in from work tonight to find her a little shaken up about this conversation. i know she meant well. i had a 20 bag a day habit.(needle junkie) and trust me, i was lower than low and ait tryin to pat my self on the back, but i did both kicks with no replacement. it sucked preety bad and took quite some time to feel ok, cause you aint never yerself again after that.(my opinion & experience). so it can be done. i just felt that if i was gonna give up my only enjoyment in life (at that time) i wasent gona jump from the fire to the flame. i wanted free af all substances. methadone was introduced back in the hitler regime. research it.
its an easy way for this country to make money. the government wants you there for your dose eveyday. its all about the money. with the proper diet excersize and meetings on a daily basis,replacment therapy aint necessary. its worth a try. hey it may not be for everybody but like i said, it can be done. again, just my opinion. if u can't get through the day without a dose, than it's just like an addiction period.
peace and hope this don't come across the wrong way cause it comes from the heart and all good intentions.
J
Everyones thoughts and opinions are welcome
-----------------------------------
BTW-
danie,s concern with her situation has been open & sincere , I'm sure I can speak for many when I say her posts have helped and guided many of us
respect,
jack
-----------------------------------
BTW-
danie,s concern with her situation has been open & sincere , I'm sure I can speak for many when I say her posts have helped and guided many of us
respect,
jack
Education promotes and enhances awareness....
Now ain't that the truth....
Definitely one of the good guys yourself, keep talking!
Love,
Tina
Now ain't that the truth....
Definitely one of the good guys yourself, keep talking!
Love,
Tina
Thanks Jack.....You really are the Jack of Hearts! I do care for each and every one of you.....I include you in my prayers always. I just felt bad and asked my BF to share with you guys because I DON'T have any room to talk because thank God I have never experienced what it must be like to be powereless over a substance. i've learned that all kinds of people of all walks of life have this disease. You talk about bad rap? it makes me furiouse when people talk about addicts with disgust in their voices. These are people too, human beings with hearts and feelings......trust me, I adore my BF and i hung in there for the simple fact that i KNEW he was a good, decent, loving person who was sick. When you love someone you will do whatever you can to help them. I guess I was just lucky that he wanted to be clean just as bad as I wanted him too. I've learned alot here and if it weren't for sitting and absorbing all of your posts, good and bad straight from the horses mouth, I WOULDN'T have gotten the education I needed to tolerate / and work through his addiction with him.
xoxoxo
xoxoxo
Hi Jackofhartz,
I agree with you that methadone use gets a bad rap. I have been getting judged for using it while others are praised for using sub. I've heard excuses such as I don't have a doctor that prescribes it or because I'm not in a reccovery program, although I take a much lower dose than what would be prescribed. I choose to ignore those people though, everybody has an oppinion.
Methadone is a miracle drug I believe for those getting off of heroin, but I don't agree with doctors prescribing it for those getting off of pain medications. I think then they are choosing to jump from the frying pan into the fire, "my oppinion". I'm down to 10mg and it isn't interfering with my life in the slightest.
Anyway, there will always be those who will condemn those on methadone even though they have no knowledge about it. Either they never used it themself or they were missed informed, whatever the case I choose to follow my own heart, knowing that my methadone use isn't affecting my judgement in any way at all.
Liz
I agree with you that methadone use gets a bad rap. I have been getting judged for using it while others are praised for using sub. I've heard excuses such as I don't have a doctor that prescribes it or because I'm not in a reccovery program, although I take a much lower dose than what would be prescribed. I choose to ignore those people though, everybody has an oppinion.
Methadone is a miracle drug I believe for those getting off of heroin, but I don't agree with doctors prescribing it for those getting off of pain medications. I think then they are choosing to jump from the frying pan into the fire, "my oppinion". I'm down to 10mg and it isn't interfering with my life in the slightest.
Anyway, there will always be those who will condemn those on methadone even though they have no knowledge about it. Either they never used it themself or they were missed informed, whatever the case I choose to follow my own heart, knowing that my methadone use isn't affecting my judgement in any way at all.
Liz
Interesting thread. Thanks all for sharing. I am a drug addict, but not heroin. I stopped using drugs because of the ongoing set of negative consequences. In na terms (I am a na guy) my life was unmanagable. In every way.
Now if methadone or sub bring some kind of managability back into an addict life, hey I am all for that. Its about getting our lives back isn't it
In na this is a big debate, and mdone and sub users are not clean according to the dominant view.. Well that is the dominant opinion. Fine they can have it.
Being clean for me is about am I able to manage my life. Am I a better person, can I manage relationships, job, money, stay out of jail etc.
Its not academic for many of you hey Constance, Jack, Liz04. Its real. Its life. Its lived. Its better on mdone than off it.
So that is bad how? For you - how?
So some heroin or opiate addicts get clean without. Fantastic. great. Ideal even.
As long as the addict is free from the unmanagable aspects of addiction for me its to be celebrated.
Thanks for a most interesting thread Jack
Now if methadone or sub bring some kind of managability back into an addict life, hey I am all for that. Its about getting our lives back isn't it
In na this is a big debate, and mdone and sub users are not clean according to the dominant view.. Well that is the dominant opinion. Fine they can have it.
Being clean for me is about am I able to manage my life. Am I a better person, can I manage relationships, job, money, stay out of jail etc.
Its not academic for many of you hey Constance, Jack, Liz04. Its real. Its life. Its lived. Its better on mdone than off it.
So that is bad how? For you - how?
So some heroin or opiate addicts get clean without. Fantastic. great. Ideal even.
As long as the addict is free from the unmanagable aspects of addiction for me its to be celebrated.
Thanks for a most interesting thread Jack
Honestly, methadone keeps me from wanting to get high and because of the 10mg of methadone it keeps me from having cravings. That being said, methadone isn't a drug to play with though, it's a dangerous drug if not used correctly. Many people have died from it.
There isn't a cure for addiction, rather than go through the cravings I prefer to use methadone, at only 10mg though.Just enough to take the edge off of depression and cravings.
There isn't a cure for addiction, rather than go through the cravings I prefer to use methadone, at only 10mg though.Just enough to take the edge off of depression and cravings.
..Jack..
..There will always be sceptics and people talking down methadone..just as in everything in life there will be those for and those against..methadone has helped quite a few of my pals get clean..while some have relapsed some have remained clean..i think to many people abuse methadone for whatever reason they choose ?..if used correctly and not abused it can be a godsend for addicts who are trying to get clean..i for one did'nt feel comfortable being on methadone back in the day but that was for my own reasons..but i know for sure that if methadone was'nt there for some of my mates then they may well still be in active addiction..not everyone will feel comfortable being on methadone just the same as they won't feel comfortable being on subs for whatever reason they are on either..i would no way dismiss methadone as a substance that dose'nt help the people who help themselves by using it as directed and not abusing it in anyway..in any walk of life there's always sceptics ready to pounce ?..apart from that mate i hope your getting by ok..peace to ya..Robbie..
..There will always be sceptics and people talking down methadone..just as in everything in life there will be those for and those against..methadone has helped quite a few of my pals get clean..while some have relapsed some have remained clean..i think to many people abuse methadone for whatever reason they choose ?..if used correctly and not abused it can be a godsend for addicts who are trying to get clean..i for one did'nt feel comfortable being on methadone back in the day but that was for my own reasons..but i know for sure that if methadone was'nt there for some of my mates then they may well still be in active addiction..not everyone will feel comfortable being on methadone just the same as they won't feel comfortable being on subs for whatever reason they are on either..i would no way dismiss methadone as a substance that dose'nt help the people who help themselves by using it as directed and not abusing it in anyway..in any walk of life there's always sceptics ready to pounce ?..apart from that mate i hope your getting by ok..peace to ya..Robbie..
Thanks to all > for your opinions and thoughts- - & not judgements
love&respect
jack
love&respect
jack
Got to throw in my two penceworth here.
As Calabash Jack and others have said anything that stops anyone using Street Heroin and stops the chaos has to be a good thing. It's like every other med under the sun, use it wrongly and it's a bad thing. My man was on methadone iv amps for 8 years because of health problems and because his addiction was massive and then some. Now he's on the syrup and will stay on 80mgs for 8 weeks then he's going to drop down 2mg a month which doesn't sound much but it's a plan. Here, GPs, drug workers get slated for not pushing addicts to reduce down and using it only as a maintance program. But in truth they wait until the user is ready and asks to be reduced. This seems to have better long term results than a quick detox. And there are big differences from someone coming off the gear when they've been an addict for 5 years to someone who is coming off after 15yrs or 25 yrs without medication the long long term addicts would never get through anyone who things they can just ride it out has to watch their bodies go into meltdown to have any understanding of how this plays out.
The problem seems to be that many use on top of the meth so it's just another drug on top of the brown. If they stopped the scripts for the ones who turn up every month and can't give a clean urine sample then maybe methadone would get a better press. But who am I to judge maybe if I was on it I'd be using on top as well I don't know because i have never lived through it. i can't even go without sugar in my tea.
Not posting much cuz this took me ages as i've broken my wrist.
so take care everyone.
k x
As Calabash Jack and others have said anything that stops anyone using Street Heroin and stops the chaos has to be a good thing. It's like every other med under the sun, use it wrongly and it's a bad thing. My man was on methadone iv amps for 8 years because of health problems and because his addiction was massive and then some. Now he's on the syrup and will stay on 80mgs for 8 weeks then he's going to drop down 2mg a month which doesn't sound much but it's a plan. Here, GPs, drug workers get slated for not pushing addicts to reduce down and using it only as a maintance program. But in truth they wait until the user is ready and asks to be reduced. This seems to have better long term results than a quick detox. And there are big differences from someone coming off the gear when they've been an addict for 5 years to someone who is coming off after 15yrs or 25 yrs without medication the long long term addicts would never get through anyone who things they can just ride it out has to watch their bodies go into meltdown to have any understanding of how this plays out.
The problem seems to be that many use on top of the meth so it's just another drug on top of the brown. If they stopped the scripts for the ones who turn up every month and can't give a clean urine sample then maybe methadone would get a better press. But who am I to judge maybe if I was on it I'd be using on top as well I don't know because i have never lived through it. i can't even go without sugar in my tea.
Not posting much cuz this took me ages as i've broken my wrist.
so take care everyone.
k x
