July 12, 2003

• I Havent Worked since Clinton was in Office

  
  

  ive finally landed gainful employment at the local methadone clinic.  for those of you who may not be too awfully familiar with the substance methadone, here is a brief tutorial:

  
  

  What is methadone?

  
  

  Methadone belongs to the group of drugs known as opioids. Opioids are drugs (naturally occurring and synthetic) with chemical structures and actions similar to morphine. One subgroup of opioids is the family of opiates, which includes pain-relieving drugs such as codeine, morphine and heroin. Opioids are classed as depressant drugs as they work by slowing down the functions of the central nervous system¹ . Alcohol, cannabis and benzodiazepines (including Valium, Rohypnol and Serepax) are examples of other depressant drugs.
  

  Methadone is synthetically manufactured and used as a substitute for the treatment of people dependent on heroin and other opioids. Its effects are much longer lasting than heroin, a single dose being effective for approximately 24 hours; the effects of heroin may only last for a couple of hours. In a treatment program, methadone is usually given out in syrup form and drunk with cordial or fruit juice.
  

  Generally, there are two types of methadone programs:
  

  
  

  
  
  • a maintenance or long-term program, which may last for months or years, that aims to reduce the harms associated with drug use and improve quality of life; and
    
  • a withdrawal (short-term) detoxification program, which lasts approximately 5-14 days, that aims to ease the discomfort of coming off heroin.

  
  

  The advantages of methadone treatment

  
  

  Many people believe that it is preferable for heroin users to stop taking drugs altogether. Although for some heroin users this is achievable, for others there is a high risk of relapse into heroin use. Methadone maintenance has helped many people reduce the recurrence of compulsive heroin use.
  

  Methadone treatment, like any other drug treatment, is not a 'cure' for heroin dependence. However, research has shown that it can improve the health of people dependent on heroin in a number of ways:
  

  
  

  
  
  • people are less likely to use heroin that may be contaminated with other substances;
    
  • methadone is taken orally, which makes it cleaner and safer than injecting heroin. This reduces the risks of sharing equipment and becoming infected with blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C (which may lead to long-term liver problems) and HIV - the virus causing AIDS;
    
  • the routine involved in methadone treatment encourages people to lead a balanced and stable lifestyle - including improved diet and sleep;
    
  • people are less stressed, as they do not have to worry about where their next 'hit' of heroin is coming from;
    
  • methadone lasts longer in the body than heroin, so it only has to be taken once a day;
    
  • it allows people to handle the withdrawal process with less discomfort;
    
  • criminal activities conducted to obtain illegal drugs are reduced;
    
  • it helps people cut their connections with the drug scene;
    
  • it's cheaper - although there is usually a dispensing fee with methadone, this is relatively cheap compared to the cost of illicit drug use (the recommended dosage fee at the time of writing this information was $7.50, although this amount may vary between dispensers); and
    
  • under certain conditions, take-away doses of methadone are also available, which help clients return to a more stable lifestyle. To be eligible, clients must meet the criteria as outlined by the state/territory health department as well as those of the methadone prescriber. Some of these criteria include family commitments, illness and travelling long distances.

  
  

  thats bout it.  i start work monday as the clinic's intake coordinator, which means ill be screening potential clients for admittance into the program by following a predetermined set of criteria, and then sending them on to the staff physician who makes the ultimate decision.  the best part is that i am offered the opportunity to participate in a legalized drug effort that, while riddled with flaws, clearly shows the positive effects of the at-least-partial decriminalization of otherwise illegal substances.  good news to me and all those who want so desperately to believe in our constitution and understand why we will never win the war against drugs.  read vidal's essay below for more information on this issue.

  
  

  so wish me luck.  dickcarter's life has never been so upside down.  im off to collect what little interest i have in a stamp of renewal. 

  
  

  step up to the window [eh!! eh!! eh!! eh!! eh!!...but i was in the middle of a red hot dream!  goddamnit!!], open mouth [arrive at work on time...sure], insert tablet [deal with way too much co-worker bullshit and swallow your ideals], chase with orange kool-aid[lunch!  i am wicked outta here!], open mouth again for inspection [back to fucking work], step away [finally!].  ahh, my fix![ahh, payday!  im getting fucking wasted] 

  
  

  dickcarter, Clinical Intake Coordinator

  • 11:58 am
  • 11 Comments