Methaphobia: Us and Them by Ira Sobel

Have you ever been discriminated against because of being on methadone?
Were you ever blackballed by a 12 step program and at the same time told
to sit still and shut up? Have you ever heard the different labels people
call us and the medication we are taking, methadone? Well, if these things
have happened to you, then you have experienced “METHAPHOBIA.” This
is a state-of-mind in which someone or a group displays an intense fear,
bias and prejudice against people on methadone and methadone programs.
Anyone or any organization has the capability of being methaphobic. All
it takes is a feeling of animosity for drug addicts coupled with distrust
and misinformation about methadone.

We on the program, have been the victims of prejudice. We have had to
overcome difficulties in the early stages of methadone treatment. It comes
down to the issue of acceptance. We want to be accepted as being in a legitimate
treatment modality just like therapeutic communities, drug free programs,
day care programs and after care programs. The decision to get into treatment
and our choice of treatment remains with us. While drug addiction is viewed
as a disease, being on methadone is looked upon as a weakness. That’s where
we have to change people’s attitudes and perception of us.

People on methadone every where must continually be on guard against
methaphobics. We must defend ourselves against anything or anybody that
proves to be negative and hostile. Any injustice done to one of us, hurts
us all. We have been stigmatized and stereotyped to the point where there
is now a clear distinction between us and them!!! That is us on methadone
programs, the professionals in the drug abuse and addictions field that
believe in methadone treatment and those open-minded folk that consider
methadone awareness to be recovery.

As for them, the methaphobics could be everyday people, those in recovery
that follow Narcotics Anonymous traditions, law enforcement agencies, some
people that work in the medical field and those that work for methadone
programs who treat patients poorly and in essence can’t be trusted. The
first chance the methaphobic gets, he will take advantage by creating a
problem for the person on methadone. Whether it is a staff member on our
programs or an employer, methaphobics can be anywhere.

It just seems that the good programs and good patients are not above
being put down by the methaphobics. They clearly don’t believe that someone
on methadone can recover from opiate addiction and be a productive member
of society. In essence, methaphobics want to put us all in a jar and make
things difficult. That’s how it goes. A staff member known for his or her
stern treatment of patients will kick out reprimands to those that only
want to get better.

There are those methaphobics that would feel justified in dismantling
the whole methadone system. That is methaphobia at its most extreme. They
will not stop abusing us until everyone on methadone is either thrown off
the program or beaten down. That is exactly why we have to defend ourselves
and more importantly, we must unite as a force to be reckoned with. People
on methadone must stick together if we are going to overcome the methaphobics.

My proposal for overcoming the wrath of the methaphobics are as follows:

• Go to methadone advocacy meetings.
• Start methadone advocacy groups.
• Read and write articles for methadone advocacy newsletters.
• Pass along important information that everyone on methadone needs to know.
• Get up and stand up for your dignity and rights.
• Fight against blind-dosing, supervised urines and other clinic policies
  that are demeaning.
• Be familiar with the state regulations (“regs”) that preside over methadone
  programs in your state.
• Be involved! We can no longer allow others, like providers to make decisions
  for us that impact on our treatment and lives.

Essentially, methaphobics are the kind of people that won’t be satisfied
until they hurt someone on the program. Methaphobics have this itch and
can’t scratch it because people on methadone will overcome these hostile
actions and words made by these foolish and asinine individuals and organizations.

I urge all people on methadone to be knowledgeable about the methaphobia
concept. It is up to each person on methadone, world wide, to be educators
and to join in the struggle to end the ignorance that perpetrates methaphobia.

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