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.