S Nupp o r t e t . c aS Nupp o r t e t . c aR e s o u r c e s f o r Y o u r R e c o v e r y

Handbook of Recovery

John Craven MD

For Clients of Methadone MaintenanceTreatment - their Families, Friends & Caregivers

“This addiction has takenover my life.

I need a way out - and Idon’t ever want to end up

back here again.”

What is the Handbook of Recovery?

What do you mean by Recovery?

What is Methadone Maintenance Treatment?

I have had remarkable opportunity to associate with people inrecovery from severe states of addiction. Recent years have beena path of learning what works, what lasts and what does neither.

The SupportNet integrates the principlesand activities of Recovery with Methadone MaintenanceTreatment. Together, these provide a powerful antidote for deepopiate addiction.

Recovery is learning to enjoy life without the use of drugs thatalter mind or feeling. It involves lifestyle changes, new learning,mutual support and acceptance of today’s reality in your life.

Recovery offers choice in the place of addiction and compulsivebehaviors. It begins with a decision to stop using drugs.Recovery is about not starting to use drugs again today.

Handbook of Recovery

Opiate dependence causes changes to brain chemistry andresults in a driving need to obtain opiate drugs. This drive willsteadily take priority over other of life’s responsibilities.

Methadone Maintenance Treatment relieves the physical driveto take opiate drugs. It provides protection from relapsed useand opportunity to regain stability and balance in lifestyle.

Handbook of Recoveryis dedicated toPeter Mezciems1947 - 2004

So much passed to so many

MD

Preface

But what does Methadone have to do with Recovery?

And the Handbook is to support this opportunity for Recovery?

Methadone Maintenance Treatment has proven itself a medicalalternative to the most harmful consequences of opiateaddiction. It works well and allows deeply addicted persons toregain a foothold in society. It provides a foundation on which alife can be rebuilt.

But working with methadone clients on a daily basis teachesimportant lessons about recovery from addiction.

The most obvious lesson is that of the health and social problemsthat are seen on a methadone program, most occur in those whopersist with an addictive lifestyle.

It is also clear that those who do best with methadone treatment -those who recover stability and who assume responsibility fortheir lives - are those who make changes to their lifestyle andwho pursue recovery from all addiction.

At the same time as methadone provides an alternative to themost tragic consequences of opiate addiction, it offers afoundation and an opportunity for recovery from addiction.

Yes. Methadone Maintenance Treatment stands its own groundas a harm reduction strategy for severe opiate dependence. Itdoes so regardless of readiness for recovery.

But in the long run, a personal program of recovery provides theonly lasting freedom from addiction and its potential fordevastating consequences.

offers the information and the toolsnecessary to empower your recovery from addiction.

The builds on Methadone Maintenance Treatment as avital and potentially life-saving step in a larger and lifelongprocess of recovery from deep addiction.

Handbook of Recovery

Handbook

“I can’t believe that I’m entirelyresponsible for my addiction.

For so long, I had no idea what Iwas doing to myself or why.

But I am responsible to beactive in my recovery.

It is the nature of addiction thatI cannot be passive.

Each day, I need to do the thingsnecessary to protect and to grow

in my recovery.”

Section I: Opiate Addiction and Recovery

Section II: Challenges to Recovery

Section III: Common Concurrent Disorder

About SupportNet Studios

How to Order:

3

About Opiate Addiction 5

About Methadone Maintenance 17

About Recovery from Addiction 29

49

Early Recovery 51

Other Challenges and Choices 71

Concurrent Psychiatric Disorder 99

Common Concurrent Disorder 117

149

Handbook of Recovery 151

Contents