Methadone maintenance is a form of treatment for people in Orma who are addicted to heroin or prescription opioid medications. This form of treatment has been around for decades now, and the general idea is that individuals are no longer wrapped up in the drug seeking behavior that was caused by their addiction because the methadone that they are being administered satisfies cravings and prevents withdrawal symptoms. Similar to heroin, methadone is a full opioid agonist which activates the same receptors in the brain as heroin. This is what makes methadone so powerful as a replacement for heroin and prescription pain killers.
Clients involved in methadone maintenance must take it every day to avoid withdrawal symptoms from the methadone itself. This can be financially and logistically challenging, but some people feel it is a better choice than a heroin addiction. Nevertheless, those starting on methadone maintenance should know that methadone detox is considered far more challenging than even heroin detoxification and withdrawal. Once taking a certain dosage of methadone, there are many detoxification facilities that won't even accept methadone maintenance clients since detoxification can be very challenging and rates of relapse are very high.