Did you know that rehab centers use drugs to treat drug addiction? This concept sounds weird at first, but when you think about it a little, it makes a lot of sense.

Doctors and medical professionals at rehab facilities prescribe drugs such as methadone and Suboxone for patients who are receiving treatment for abusing heroin as well as a range of related drugs known as opioids.

Methadone is also an opioid. If you use it, you’ll experience many of the same effects as using opioids. That’s why doctors prescribe it to people who are trying to end their addictions. These patients are accustomed to using opioids such as heroin. If they don’t use such opioids, they bodies and brains miss these opioids, thus producing withdrawal symptoms and cravings for more opioids.

Not surprisingly, this treatment of substituting one opioid for another is controversial. Some people debate whether it is really curing drug addiction or prolonging it. This is partly because users might continue to use methadone prescriptions for some time.

Professionals and rehab centers and outpatient treatment facilities both prescribe methadone. You’ll see that we keep mentioning medical professionals. That’s because methadone is a powerful drug that can produce some powerful effects. People using methadone should be in contact with their doctors and other professionals. People shouldn’t attempt to use methadone or do any other sort of detox or rehab on their own.

There’s another potential pitfall with methadone. Although it’s used to treat addiction, methadone itself is addictive. By seeing their patients on a regular basis, doctors can determine if their patients are using or abusing the drug.

Doctors and nurses don’t know everything, of course, and they sometimes make mistakes. But when it comes to medical treatment, the average doctor or nurse knows more than the average layperson (nondoctor). These professionals can help treat substance use disorder using medications and other types of care.