Methadone maintenance is a form of treatment for individuals in Hill who are addicted to heroin or prescription pain killers. This method of treatment has been around for a very long time, and the overall concept is that clients are no longer engaged in the drug abusing activities that was brought on by their addiction because the methadone that they are being administered satiates cravings and prevents withdrawal. Like heroin, methadone is a full opioid agonist and activates the same receptors in the brain as heroin and other powerful pain killers. This is what makes methadone so powerful as a replacement for heroin and other prescription opioids.
Individuals involved in methadone maintenance therapy must take it every day to avoid withdrawal symptoms from the methadone itself. This may be logistically and financially challenging, but some people find it a better choice than a heroin addiction. However, people starting on methadone maintenance therapy should be aware of the fact that methadone detox is considered way more challenging than even heroin detox and withdrawal. Once taking a certain dosage of methadone, there are some detox centers that will not accept methadone maintenance clients since detoxification can be very difficult and rates of relapse are very high.