I've just read The Guardian article highlighted on Daily Dose, in which the head of the National Treatment Agency, Paul Hayes, dismisses 'ideologues' who claim his organisation's addiction programmes aren't working. Well I for one agree with him, his organisation's addiction programmes most definitely are working, They've managed to give everyone who walked in to a treatment centre and asked for help to stop using drugs another addiction, methadone. The reasons? It's cheap, it keeps the people on it subdued and they hope it'll lower the crime rate.
Paul also says that the evidence for maintenance prescribing is clear and robust, "There are 130% more people in treatment than when we started [in 2001], rather than half the people dropping out because treatment isn't of good quality."
Clear and robust??? If you were drugged up to the eye balls on 100, 150 or 250ml of methadone a day, would you be able to drop out of treatment? What about your methadone addiction? It is only the methadone that locks people in treatment, most never escape the trap.
Why are the NTA giving this message? The message should be -
"IT IS POSSIBLE TO OVERCOME ADDICTION AND LIVE A PRODUCTIVE, JOY FULL LIFE!!"
Recovery is where it is, not treatment for treatment's sake. The power of community, that's how we're going to sort out the shit-pit, this country's become. The Recovery Movement is gathering pace.
It's time to dust your boots off and get stuck in, before it's too late.
7 comments:
Can't agree with you at all. I am most certainly not "drugged up to the eyeballs" on methadone. I work full time at a responsible job, pay my own bills, care for my family--all things I could not do before treatment. Abstinence based treatment did not work for me--I continued to relapse after every episode--some sooner some later. I could not understand why--I tried with every fiber of my being, but the way I felt when abstinent--even after years--was unbearable. I finally found out that my barin chemistry was permanently disordered by my years of opiate abuse and no longer produced endorphins. So now, methadone replaces these missing endorphins without causing any high, allowing me to go about my day normally.
There is a big difference between "addiction" and physical dependence. Addiction involves a set of dysfunctional behaviors--taking more than prescribed, lying, doctor shopping, manipulating to get more, obsessing over using the drug, lack of care to personal hygeine and other important matters, inability to function normally, etc. My life on methadone is a complete about face from my life on heroin and other opiates, and is the same only in that were I to suddenly stop taking te drug I would feel sick. That is the only common denominator, and physical dependence does not an addict make.
I'm really glad that it's worked for you, it obviously does for some people, but few and far between from my observations though.
I should clarify my position, I'm not against, or for, any particular kind of treatment, but think that the full range should be offered, with explanation of what can be expected from that treatment.
My experience was quite different, any I've spoken to and witnessed lots of people saying that wasn't their experience either. I was given methadone, and lots of it, with 20 minutes every fortnight (if I was lucky) with a 'key worker' - not even a counsellor. It didn't help me.
Methadone on it's own is not very effective, on the other hand, methadone combined with support, counselling and fellowship is more effective.
The choice is down to the individual but they must be shown all the options, not just given methadone on it's own, or any other form of treatment on it's own, for that matter.
The best of luck to you in your future.
Kev
I would love to know where to get my barin chemistry measured.
I have been in recovery for many years. I can't say I have found it unbearable, certainly my physical health is good and I feel fit and healthy, I sleep well etc. All that has been fine since I got over the withdrawls 9 years ago. Emotionally I suspect I am not that different to other human beings highs and lows, trials and tribulations.
What is barin chemistry?
In all my years of recovery I have never come across anyone who suffers with this condition as a result of their using. I have been in recovery with some very hardcore (myself being one of them)drug/opiate users and none of them describe having a condition like this. I agree for some people the emotional realities of life are too painful and unbearable to manage without using chemicals, and that is entirely their choice, they would rather be medicated than be at the mercy of the emotional roller coaster they experience abstinent.
I find it hard sometimes myself - however life is a beautiful thing and the people in my life are wonderful and inspirational, my daughter, my brother, my partner, and friends. When I use drugs I risks loosing the finer details of my emotional life and with that goes the inspiration and wonder.I become depressed and that is definately unbearable. I guess for the most part the good days outweigh the bad in recovery - although there are definately some pretty bad ones - life on life's terms and all that! I can only reitterate what Kevin has said - I have not met clients on methadone who experience it as life enhancing. For some it keeps them alive long enough to go onto to get recovery, for others (majority)they express the despair they feel regularly at being trapped on it, not being able to get into detox, not being able to stop using on top,the doses being increased to ridiculous levels and hating having a double habit.
For those people out there who find it to be the thing that gives them the ability to get their life back together I am in total support of you.
However for the other majority who don't lets give them some choice and some hope into their lives.
I feel it is most likely that you have been misled into believing that you have a permanent condition. There is no conclusive scientific evidence to support this theory, it is mere speculation and evidently in vogue at the moment. Hugely popular with the harm reduction fundamentalists and the methadone alliance.
In my opinion each to their own and choice is what is important here and if it is more comfortable to live life with the use of chemicals so be it, but lets not dress that up in spurious scientific jargon.
Sorry Kev, I think you're wrong here. The problem with a lot of policy around drugs and policy around "addiction treatment" misses the central point of "recovery" which is that people need choice and empowerment not compulsion and control. The evidence base for substitute prescribing is compelling and its a really important part of what we need to offer. Using it as the only option is as wrong as offering abstinence as the only option. The language you use when describing methadone and methadone users is unfortunate - I wonder why you believe its alright to stigmatise and insult people use methadone, but not people who use other drugs.
Can I also say that types of personal attacks on Paul Hayes that seem to be issuing left right and centre are unfortunate and inappropriate in my view. Paul expressed an opinion - albeit from a position of power, it is his right to express that.
If anyone would like to read the words of a great many methadone patients whose lives were saved by this medication, please check out this site and read their stories:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/360731625?ltl=1173215857
Sara,
Perhaps Kevin in his impassioned response to the Paul Hayes article felt that powerful language was appropriate to counter the 'idealogues' description which some might feel condescending and narrow minded. Perhaps his passion arises out of his own experience and frustrations with MMT.
Perhaps he is frustrated that our treatment system is so weighted to the intervention we have studied to the point of exhaustion (methadone) that few service users get to hear that recovery might be possible for them. Perhaps his responses are not 'a personal attack' but a robust response to a particular argument.
Perhaps he would be right to be bemused to be told on the one hand that Mr Hayes has the right to state a point of view and on the other be told that he (Kev) is wrong for holding a different point of view.
Who can say?
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