Team Approach to Treatment of Addiction

Abstract

The Cleveland Treatment Center, Inc. is a multi-modality center using methadone as a therapeutic tool in the treatment of addiction. There has been much controversy about methadone since it was first used in treatment. Some of the critics say it is detrimental to one’s health because it is an addicting drug. Methadone isn’t the ultimate answer, nor is it a cure-all for heroin addiction, but it is the only drug we have at the present time which helps combat drug addiction. Methadone, however, plays a small part in the overall rehabilitation of an addict. Methadone enables an individual to improve his physical health because it is no longer necessary to shoot adulterated street heroin and thus become subject to an enormous range of health destroying and life threatening hazards. Further, methadone improves one’s legal status in that the addict on the street is subject to arrest or prolonged imprisonment and this constant threat of imprisonment for possession of drugs or drug-taking equipment has a negative effect on his entire life pattern. When one is in treatment and on methadone, he has very little reason to be involved in criminal activity. Methadone also improves his economic status in that an addict in treatment can secure a job and thus satisfy his basic human needs. If he does have a tendency to use “black market” heroin, as some methadone clients do, he will not buy as much as he would if he were solely on street heroin. Methadone also improves employability. An addict is able to obtain and maintain a job, which is one of the main goals of the program’s efforts.