If you are addicted to opioids or addicted to heroin, you are not alone. In the United States, the leading cause of accidental death is drug overdose. In 2015, 52,404 people died from an overdose. It has been estimated that at least 24% of people who try try heroin become addicted. Experts say that there are more than 20.5 million people, over the age of 12, suffer from some kind of addiction. As of 2015, they said that there were at least two million Americans are addicted to prescription drugs and at least 591,000 have problems with heroin. The good news is that there are effective treatments available. Methadone treatment centers have been working with people for over 50 years and this kind of treatment has been found to be both effective and safe.

If you are entering a program at one of the methadone treatment centers around the country, there are things you can do to be more successful. Here are some tips to help with your journey of recovery:

1. Take an active role in your recovery. Like democracy, recovery is not a spectator sport. Whether you are going to a program at one of the methadone treatments centers, or working through any other detox and recovery program, you have to take an active role in the process. While methadone treatment does have physical aspects, there are also behavioral aspects to all drug treatment programs. You cannot be successful with the physical part of your recovery if you neglect the behavioral or emotional side of addiction. It is far too easy to fall back into habits that are not good for you unless you make a real plan. They say, “a failure to plan is a plan to fail.” That is a very apt saying when it comes to recovery from addiction.
2. Take your instructions from your physician and follow them completely. The staff at methadone treatment centers around the country report that this is a very effective and safe way to deal with addiction but the instructions need to be followed to the letter. Methadone treatment is very specialized to the individual so any instructions you receive were devised for you. Your doctor will set your dosage based on your individual needs. Everyone experiences a different level of cravings and problems associated with withdrawal. You will have a much better experience with your recovery process if you listen to all of the instructions you are given. The treatment facility will also determine a good schedule to reduce your methadone dosage so make sure you understand and can follow their instructions.
3. Let your doctor know what other medication you take. Before you start any new medication or medical treatment, you need to make sure your doctor knows all of the medications you are taking. Methadone can have certain interactions that you are going to want to skip. Other medications may interfere with methadone treatment and make it a lot less effective. Some medications may prevent the methadone from working at all. If you are taking any kind of antidepressants, anxiety drugs, blood pressure drugs or antibiotics.
4. Get your friends and family involved. The road to recovery is long and can be hard. You will need help from the people in your life who you love and trust. Many people find it helpful to seek out help from support groups but having your friends and family help with the process cam make a big difference. When you are home, you may find it much easier to fall back into habit and behaviors that will derail your recovery efforts. It will also help when your friends and family have a better understanding of what you are going through.

Recovering from an addition to opioids or heroin is not easy but that does not mean you cannot succeed. Getting help from your doctors and the experts at methadone treatment centers and enlisting your friends and family can make a huge difference in your recovery. You should try to keep in mind your end goal and the reasons for getting off of heroin or opioids. Not every day is going to be wonderful but you can make it.