User:Amydevlee/sandbox

==  History ==

== Methadone has been long used to treat addiction to illegal drugs such as crack and heroin. While methadone is addictive in itself, it is safer than any other illegal opioids. You either swallow the pill form of methadone or the liquid form, it is only ingested orally. Methadone is used as a pain killer as well as an opioid to transfer addiction from one opioid to another. It was first found in Germany when morphine was running low. While the German’s didn’t realize the full effects of Methadone they chose to abandon using the drug because of the many overdoses it brought. This drug dates back before World War 2 in early 1940’s when the usage of the drug was unknown and the effects were unthinkable. Early 1950’s, Americans were able to take control of the medication and prescribe it to those who were addicted to other drugs. However, not knowing the full potential of the drug, the prescribed drug was over prescribed and the dosages were too high. Back then, it was fairly easy to get this drug prescribed to you. By 1998, New York had the highest amount of methadone in it through every state in the country. 44 thousand patients using methadone in the year of 2000. It was created between 1937 and 19439 by IG Farber. This company was asked by Hitler to create this drug in attempt to alleviate the amount of people who were addicted at the time to painkillers. Since the resources of the other painkillers were decreasing during this time due to shortage and accessibility, there had to be other painkillers created to make the funds that were needed back then. Methadone was used back then and now just as the same to treat addiction to other drugs as well as serious injury or sickness. ==

Appearances
== Methadone is a white, chalky, small pill that can be ingested orally. It can also be ingested orally in the form of a liquid. The color of the liquid can either be clear and flavorless or red with a cherry flavor. This drug in the form of a pill could easily be confused for a different type of medication which would lead in a quick overdose if not taken properly. Methadone can be injected if done illegally which would result in the increase risk of HIV. Methadone gives you similar effects of the dangerous drug you’re addicted to without allowing you withdraw symptoms. It acts as a wall that can block the high you would get from any other drug if ingested it. It acts as a placebo pill in that it tricks your brain to thinking it is getting the drug it wants when really Methadone is safer and easier to break the addiction. This form of medication is only allowed if prescribed to you by a doctor, usually after a horrible injury or chronic illness. ==

Ideology
== Methadone is a class A drug. Methadone is similar to heroin but is actually a schedule 2 drug. This is due to the acceptable use of medical treatment this drug is prescribed for in the United States. Heroin is similar in that both drugs are dangerously addictive. However, methadone is less dangerous of a drug to ingest and become addicted to than heroin is. Heroin is a schedule 1 drug because it is illegal in all parts of the United States and is by no means used as a possible medical treatment to patients. A schedule 1 drug is a high potential for abuse, addiction and overdose. It is also not an acceptable form of medical treatment in the USA. A schedule 2 drug still has a high potential for abuse but it is an acceptable form of drug used in medical treatment around the US. The drug may still lead to dependence and will have serious restrictions but it is still available and safer to use than any of the schedule 1 drugs. Schedule 2 drugs are just as bad when it comes to addiction as schedule 1 drugs, however the ingestion levels are safer because they can be medically prescribed to patients. ==

Methodology
== The way they primarily test this drug was through the form of surveys where they randomly selected people to participate. The studies measure the effect time of the treatment depending on the dosage you have. Another form of study that was used was giving several different opioids to heavy heroin users and seeing which one effected them the best. The only drug that had a significant difference in the patients’ attitudes and behaviors was Methadone. When given this drug in a high enough dose, the addiction and craving to take more drugs went away. This was a significant change in behavior from when the patients were addicted to heroin. Methadone acts like morphine in a sense of a strong painkiller but is more addicting than morphine and much stronger with the effects. Methadone is very cheap and easy to access, which is why it is so easy to get addicted to. This drug is long lasting which makes it a better form of treatment because it has longer side effects. The doctor that prescribes the medication to the patient, has to see the patient every day at the clinic to regulate the medication and dosage to make sure the dosage isn’t too high. If at any point the dosage is too high, the medication can cause the patient to overdose and lead to death. Since this medication is a painkiller, if you take too much of it you’re body will feel nothing. Studies have talked about when people are so high on drugs or painkillers where they feel nothing, it is dangerous because they can be caused the worst pain and not feel anything from it. Drug addictions can lead to increased levels of risk takers because people who are high believe they are invincible and can handle anything. The scary thing behind these drugs are that they are so easy to overdose on or can be combined with other drugs and immediately cause death. If you get a bad batch of a type of drug, there are far more things worse than becoming addicted when you add health problems in the mixture. Methadone can cause sleep deprivation. This can alter your mood, behaviors and thoughts when making decisions in your everyday life. This can also take a toll on your relationships if you are addicted to something you can’t access, your mood will fluctuate between good and bad. ==

Controversy
== There have been thoughts whether Methadone is a true treatment or if it is just a transition into a new addiction from an old one. This drug is supposed to alleviate the addiction patients have to schedule 1 drugs that are more dangerous for them and used as a painkiller. Since Methadone is ingested orally, it helps prevent the spread of HIV through needles. If a patient becomes addicted to Methadone, the dosage levels will have to gradually increase in order to continue the high the patients get out of it. This is because if they are no longer getting anything from this safer drug, they will fall back on other drugs that will be more dangerous. The studies that have been done to test whether this drug works or not have had to up the dosage on the patients to see what level makes them no longer want the schedule 1 drugs. While this drug is supposed to be safer and less addictive than heroin or any other schedule 1 drug, it still in a sense has a high risk for abuse and addiction and even though it is orally ingested, it is still dangerous to be taking. There are so many ways to overdose on this drug, it would be easy for someone to do. Seeing that this drug will help in many situations, but can still easily become another form of addiction, many critics prefer the abstinence choice over choosing another drug that can be very addicting to get over another drug. Your doctor that prescribes the medication to you needs to watch your dosage very carefully because although it is a safer drug, it can still lead to possible abuse and addiction. If the drug is given out at too high of a dosage in the initial prescription, it can lead to death with overdose. Studies have shown that while this is a safer drug to become addicted to, it is still a drug that your body reacts to in a way that is still dangerous for your health. People with drug addictions are better off becoming abstinent and refraining from taking any drugs because the only way to full lose the addiction is to quit altogether. If you just move from heroin to Methadone, you’re essentially still addicted to a drug regardless if it is safer than the schedule 1 type. How Is It Still Used Today Methadone still continues to be used today to treat drug addiction, however with technology advancing in todays society, it is only a matter of time before we come up with a new and improved way to stop drug addiction. ==