Maine Rehab Centers Suffer Cuts in State Funding For Addiction Treatment
Within the last year and a half, the state of Maine has seen over 450 deaths caused by drug overdoses. Maine has reduced spending on drug treatment and prevention by 6.6% over the past year, and thousands of residents are struggling to find help for their addictions as a result. Maine rehab centers and methadone clinics are now seeing growing waitlists as cuts in state funding have limited residents’ access to local addiction treatment.
If you are currently struggling with addiction and live in Maine, understand that it’s not too late to seek help. To locate rehab centers in Maine that can help you overcome addiction, call our confidential helpline at 888-414-2380. We’ll help you find local rehab centers that have the resources required to guide you along the path to lifelong sobriety.
Cuts in State Funding for Rehab
State funding is used primarily for addiction prevention rather than treatment in Maine.
Despite having low state funds for rehab, Maine was recently provided an extra $3.7 million from Congress to support state-funded rehab centers. The funds will expand access to heroin and opioid addiction treatment centers throughout the state. At present, most of Maine’s state funding is being used for addiction prevention, and not for addiction treatment.
Despite evidence that medication-assisted treatments such as methadone can successfully help heroin and opioid addicts overcome addiction, Maine Governor Paul LePage is against the treatment, and has shifted funding to law enforcement and addiction prevention. According to a local news source, LePage has no plans at this time to provide more support by way of funding for methadone treatment.
Maine residents who are struggling with opioid addiction can still receive methadone treatment at rehab centers that aren’t funded by the state. Methadone treatment has been proven one of the most successful ways to overcome heroin and opioid addiction, and helps lower the risk for relapse long after treatment has ended.
Benefits of Medication-Assisted Treatment for Addiction
Heroin and other substances in the opioid drug class are highly addictive, and can be difficult to stop taking without medical intervention. Most deaths from opioid overdoses are accidental, and occur when addicts abuse opioids in high doses to achieve long-lasting euphoric highs. Opioids trigger addiction by attaching to opioid receptors in the brain that numb pain, and increase dopamine levels so addicts are driven to keep using.
However, medications such as methadone and suboxone can minimize drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms in individuals who stop using heroin and other opioids. Since opioids are highly addictive, patients often suffer one or more minor to severe withdrawal symptoms when they first stop using. During this detox phase, patients are more likely to relapse just for the sake of avoiding withdrawal symptoms.
But with medication-assisted treatment, patients can recover from addiction without being distracted by strong urges to use opioids, and without experiencing side effects that cause major discomfort, such as nausea, vomiting, and shaking. Following detox, patients can benefit from therapy and counseling sessions that address addiction, and receive ongoing education to minimize the risk for relapse. After rehab, patients can re-enter the world with more confidence and knowledge about addiction, and go on to live healthier, happier, and successful drug-free lives.
If you or someone you know is suffering from addiction and needs rehab or addiction treatment, call our confidential helpline at 888-414-2380. Our caring treatment specialists will help you find Maine rehab centers that specialize in treating your addiction, and that will help you achieve lifelong sobriety and improved health.
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