Methadone Treatment Program Success Rate

Methadone Treatment Program Success Rate

There is significant amount of money used for the addiction treatment methods that do not work. This is why it is vital to identify the success rates of treatment programs so that cost-effective methods can be implemented. In 2008 it was estimated that the economic burden that mental illness imposes on Canada is around $51 billion a year. This amount covers the costs for healthcare, lost productivity, and the reduction in the quality of life. Let’s take a look at the methadone treatment program success rate to see if it is truly worth the cost.

Opioid Substitution Therapy

The major form of opioid substitution therapy currently being adopted internationally has to do with the administration of methadone. More specifically the use of the synthetic opioid painkiller methadone hydrochloride. During the 1960s in New York, the ability of various prescribed opioids were examined to see its effectiveness in managing heroin dependence. It was found out that methadone proved to be the most suitable for such a task.

It was the belief that the long-term use of heroin results in a permanent metabolic deficiency of the central nervous system as well as being associated with physiological diseases. Thus the regular administration of opiates was necessary in order to correct the deficiencies.

The methadone treatment program success rate is fairly good, but it will take a long time for the body and the mind to heal the damage and achieve repair. The combination of clinical research and experience shows that the benefits delivered by the treatment can be achieved if a patient stays in the treatment program anywhere from 42 to 90 days. The length may vary depending on the actual state of dependence and abuse experienced by the patient. This is why the success rate is highly influenced by how personalized the plan is based on the medical and clinical needs of the patient.

Traditional treatment has not yielded the success desired as many of those who have undergone it remain to live broken lives that are full of anxiety, cravings, depression, suicide, and relapses. The statistics show that about 25% of deaths of those with chemical dependency is due to suicide; this is both disheartening and alarming.

Long-Term Abstinence

The use of the methadone treatment program for addiction was initially researched during the early 1960s. In the 40 years that followed, it has evolved to become the most recognized standard of care for opiate addiction. The detoxification and drug-free techniques can be very appealing in terms of the need to find a recovery solution that does not involve any medication. However, it only yields a 5% to 10% success rate.

Compare this to the 60% to 90% methadone treatment program success rate and you would understand why it has become an international standard. The longer that people stay on this program, the more they improve their chances of achieving long-term abstinence.

In a study of California heroin addicts that involved 600 participants originally, about half are now dead. Only 10% of them have successfully established long-term stable abstinence. Many have not been exposed to methadone maintenance, which could have helped them reach a rehabilitated state.

Success Rates

The clinical data available can demonstrate that a biochemical treatment of addiction will deliver 75% to 80% recovery rate within a span of 5 years. Compare this to the traditional 12-step or strictly counseling approach that does not use biochemical treatment and you get a substantially lower recovery rate of 15% to 25% in 5 years.

After over 50 years more than 95% of the treatment programs in the U.S. and Canada still use the 12-step program. This does not resolve the physiological damage that has resulted from the substance abuse. It is necessary to recognize this problem to achieve cellular rebalancing and recovery from addiction.

Get Help From Canadian Addiction Treatment Centres

With patient-centered treatment, addiction can be stopped. At Canadian Addiction Treatment Centers, we help people struggling with addiction work their way back to a healthy, addiction-free lifestyle. Get help today by filling out our contact form or giving us a call at 1-877-937-2282.