Methadone is a prescription medication which similar to heroin is a full opioid agonist, which means that the same neurotransmitter receptors in the brain are activated when someone uses methadone. But unlike heroin, methadone is regulated and used in programs to help opiate dependent people so that they don't feel they have to become involved in illicit drug use activities, won't crave illicit opiates, and won't undergo the effects of withdrawal. So rather than quitting cold turkey, clinics which treat methadone clients only are authorized to dispense methadone to these individuals on a daily basis. This type of treatment is known as methadone maintenance.
Programs which treat methadone clients only are not usually geared to provide a wide range of extensive rehabilitation services beyond daily dosing, although some may deliver group and individual counseling. Methadone use does have side effects, potentials for overdose and drug interactions due to the fact that it is a full opioid agonist. For this reason, it is also a drug which is abused and misused by opiate addicts. Seeking further recovery services in Alva is suggested, including counseling, therapy and cognitive behavioral therapies which are effective in long term rehabilitation and preventing relapses.