Medical Assisted Treatment of America is a 501 (c) (3) Non-profit Corporation charged with the mission to:
* Educate the public about the disease of opioid addiction and opiate agonist pharmacotherapy. * Help reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with patients having addiction disorders. * Serve as a conduit connecting patients in need of treatment to qualified treat- ment providers.
We incorporated as a non-profit corporation in Georgia May 2007. We have 501(c) 3 tax exempt status with IRS as a charitable orginazation. ***Contributions to our organization are deductible under section 170 of the Code. ***Contributors and grantors may rely on the determination through December 31, 2011.
Welcome!!! We are glad that you have decided to stop and visit with us.It is notdifficult to obtain a variety of opinions about methadone, and chances are that you should do so, many of them would be quite negativeand unfounded. This would be true if you ask people who have had no experience with this substance, either directly or indirectly. Chances are, the person asked would not even know anyone receiving methadone treatment . . . nor even know about someone receiving this treatment.
If you were to ask the opinion of several physicians, it is likely that you would again hear negative opinions, such as "that stuff doesn't work," or "that stuff is no better than heroin." Yet if you pursued your point and asked further questions, it would be likely that the physicians had never received any training in addiction treatment, and had never encountered a patient being treated with methadone for opioid addiction. The same might be the case if you asked many lawyers,or judges about methadone. You would find that not many knew much about it, but that the impression is generally negative.
This in spite of the fact that methadone is widely accepted within the addiction treatment community as the most effective treatment for heroin addiction, has the best treatment outcomes compared to other modalities and is extremely effective in the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other diseases. This in spite of the fact that methadone dramatically reduces, and often eliminates, criminal activity. This despite the remarkable safety record of methadone after forty years during which it has been taken daily by hundreds of thousands of patients.
This pervasive lack of understanding is frustrating to those of us who see the other sideof methadone, and are frustrated not only by the lack of understanding, but more by the stigma that has to be endured by those whose lives have dramatically benefited from it.
We have attempted to take that frustration and convert it into a collection of presentations that will permit you to see methadone treatment through theeyes of a group of people convinced that it has an important role to play in helping heroin-addicted patients recover control over their lives.
It is our hope that through this web site you will gain an increased awareness about methadone treatment, its foundation in evidence-based science and its effectiveness in treating opioid addiction within a variety of patient populations.
"There is a destiny that makes us brothers; none goes his way alone. All that we send into the lives of others ; comes back into our own." -Edwin Markham
"No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. - If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power." --P.J. O'Rourke
There is a well-founded science-base for understanding addiction as a chronic, and for many, recurring disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use.An abundance of research has consistently shown that chronic drug use affects the brain in fundamental ways often remaining long after the drug using behavior has stopped. Research science has also increased our understanding about the very nature of drug addiction, which has created new inroads for dramatic improvement in treatment approaches.
Using brain-imagingtechnologies, science can demonstrate the biological basis for addiction and has provided the basis for a biopsychosocial perspective of chemical dependency. From this knowledge we are now able to accept that for some addicted persons, medications are critical to treat drug-induced brain deficits in order to help sustain a symptoms-free lifestyle.
In much the same way that research provided for medications development used for other chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and asthma, addiction medicine is following the same course.
Prior to the later 20th century, the general viewpoint of addiction, and particularlyfor opioidaddiction, was that of a social and moral problem rather than a medical condition requiring treatment. The passage of the Harrison Narcotics Act in the early part of the 20th century also tended to stigmatize those with an opioid addiction reinforcing the perception that these people were not only as social deviants, but also criminals whose behavior deserved punishment.
Toward the latter part of the 20th century however, there was a growing change in the public's understanding and perception about addiction.Facilitating this change in public perception was the introduction of the medical model of addiction as a treatable condition that helped to bring about an increase in human rights laws. Central to this was the introduction of methadone maintenance treatment.
The pioneering research authored by Drs. Dole and Nyswander began to reliably demonstrate that the medical use of methadone for opiate addiction could bring about significant normalization and functionality to those suffering from this condition.
Research has continued to provide compelling evidence that methadonereduces, and often eliminates, criminal activity and at the same time, enhances social productivity. Numerous studies also have found that methadone is extremely effective in reducing/eliminating intravenous drug use and therefore also reduces the spread of infectious diseases including those such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C.
Despite the volumes of independent research and scientific evidence from the last forty years about the safety and effectiveness of methadone for the treatment of opioid addiction........ some of the social stigma and misconceptions about the medication have remained. Patients in maintenance programs are sometimesstill perceived, even by health care professionals and parts of the recovery community, as "methadone addicts" who are substituting one addictive drug for another.
We are hoping to put to rest any remaining doubt about the nature of opiate addiction being a chronic, reoccurring disease, and the value of methadone treatment for opiate addicts. We are hoping to help end the unconscionable prejudice and discrimination that have faced opiate addicts so long.
We intend to help the general public understandthat persons addicted to opioids, much the same as victims of any chronic relapsing disease, deserve to be treated with compassion and respect as they seek access to medical treatment for their disease.
Addiction to drugs is a chronic medical illness. It is caused by a complex interplay of biological and environmental factors. Studies have implicated several genes in predisposing individuals to drug abuse and addiction.
Thus while the initial act of “getting” the disease is voluntary (individuals have to generally knowingly take the drug), once addiction sets in, - - the voluntariness is gone because the bodily functions of these individuals are altered by the addiction Drugs like methadone, - when administered under medical supervision, - will take drug users off heroin injections. They no longer crave for heroin, - - - their bodily functions return to normal and they will be able to engage in socially acceptable activities.
Funding for our organization is provided by anonymous donors whose lives were touched by evidence - based addiction treatment and were willing to contribute to the cause. We accepted funding in the form of "Unrestricted Educational Grants." There are no "strings" attached.
Medical Assisted Treatment of America has complete control over how the funds are used, there are no restrictions on the content or mission and donors have no control over the content or activities . We alone are reponsible.
Please check our recently published August "What's Happening?"
METHADONE IS NOT A SUBSTITUTION OF ONE DRUG FOR ANOTHER
Methadone is not a substitute for opioids or any other short-acting opioid, and does not affect individuals in the same way. Methadone does not create a pleasurable or euphoric feeling; rather it relieves physiological opioid craving and is generally chosen by opioid -dependent individuals. Methadone normalizes the body's metabolic and hormonal func-tioning that was impaired by the use of heroin or other opioids. It is a corrective, not cu-rative, treatment. - - - Unlike the disruptive nature of short-acting chemicals on the brain, methadone has long-acting properties that provide metabolic stability. - - - For example, methadone creates the physical stability that allows female menses to return to normal cycle after its disruption from heroin use. Methadone allows embryos and fetuses to develop a safe and stable metabolic environment instead of experiencing withdrawal from heroin every six hours due to mother's use.
Evidence from around the country suggests that a significant percentage of patients inmethadone programs are being treated for prescription opioid dependence. For example, Alaska estimates that there are 15,000 prescription opioid abusers in the state and that most methadone patients are not heroin-addicted individuals. One opioidtreatment program in southwest Virginia reported that eighty percent of the 290 people in out-patient treatment with methadone reported Oxycontin® - as their primarydrug of use. According to SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, in 2001,emergency department mentions of narcotic analgesics and narcotic analgesics combinations were the most frequently mentioned in drug-related emergency department visits in 2001,constituting nine percent of all emergency room mentions (99,317).
Mentions of these narcotic analgesics and combinations rose 44 percent from 1999 to 2001 and 21 percent from 2000 to 2001. Significant long-term increased in emergency department mention of narcotic analgesic and combinations were found for hydrocodone and its combinations (up 131 percent since 1994),methadone(up 230 percent),morphine and and its combinations ( up 210 percent), oxycodone and its combinations (up 352 percent) and narcotic analgesics that were not specified (up 288 percent)
One year, from 2000 to 2001, methadone mentions increased by 37 percent and oxcycodone and its combinations rose 70 percent. - - - Mentions of analgesics containing hydrocodone were statistically unchanged from 2000 to 2001, - - but were 41 percent higher than in 1999.
Moreover, in 1997, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Panel found the following concerning methadone treatment: - - "Of various treatments available, methadone maintenance treatment, combined with attention to medical, psychiatric and socio-economic issues, as well as drug counseling, has the highest probability of being effective."
We are open 24/7 every day of the year. Please do not hesitate to call. We are here just for you.You are never alone.Call: Office: 770-428-0871 Cellular: 770-527-9119 If you are low on money then just e-mail: Rozi.Director@MedicalAssistedTreatment.org with name,phone # and time and we will call.
The information provided on Medical Assisted Treatment is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient /site visitor and his/herphysician.
You do possess certain inalienable rights as a patient. It is important you know what your rights are. Please do not assume you will be told what your rights are. Please assume nothing!!! It is your responsibility to ask and to educate yourself about methadone. You can ask questions, but many times, you may not receive any answers. Why, you ask? Many times, if you are dosing early in the morning, it simply may be too busy, you may not have the time to wait. Yes, there are many "Methadone Maintenance Treatment Facilities" with too many patients assigned to one counselor. There are counselors not educated thoroughly on methadone. If you ask other patients, they may give you an answer, but then how do you know it is the right answer?
Iam the Creator and Founder of Medical Assisted Treatment of America. I started it with my own money simply because I cared about each and everyone of you. I want you to know about the medication you are taking.Methadone, if used as it should be, can save lives and yet, if abused,can take lives.It should only be taken by people defined as opiate-tolerant. I am not going to lie to you. It is addictive. It is not substituting one medication for another, even though it appears like it on the surface. You really must dig deeper to understand the pharmacology of its action in relation to the physiology of addiction.
We are here to clear up any misunderstandings you may have. There is a lot of controversy over methadone. If you are seeking answers for your substance-abuse and everything else you have tried has failed, it is possible methadone could be the medication for you. We are not saying it is right for everyone. We will provide you with the truth and then you must weigh the odds. It is you who must decide in the end whether you believe it is the right choice for you. How can you possibly make such a decision unless you know all there is to know about methadone.
You should read and make sure you fully understand exactly what your rights as a patient are. If you are on "Methadone Maintenance" and feel like your rights have been violated then we would like to hear from you. We will discuss what is going on with your personally and avail you of our knowledge as to what you can do.We will be pleased to send you a copy of the new Opiate Treatment Program Accreditation Guidelines (July 2007). I believe every patient should read these even before they begin thinking about "Methadone Maintenance." If you haven't, and you are a patient, then it is time you should get familiar with them.
We will work with you and for you until all remedies available to us have been exhausted. It is important you take an interest in the Guidelines affecting your treatment. Many states have set up their own Guidelines and some of their Guide-lines conflict with the Federal. You need to know if your state is one of them. If it is, then you must abide by the stricter of the two. If you do not understand how to locate this information, then please contact us and we will assist you.
If you have not signed up for "Methadone Maintenance Treatment," then we ask you to please take the time to talk to us. We will tell you the truth and we will share the Guidelines with you. It is better to understand what all will be expected of you now, then later. You need to talk to patients and find out what they have to say about their experience with "Opiate Treatment Programs." We have some horror stories you definitely need to hear before making a decision. Many of us think... it can't happen especially in a "Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program," but I am here as a witness to let you know it can.
Medical Assisted Treatment of America 501 (c) (3) Non-Profit Corporation 368 Johnston Pkwy Kennesaw, Georgia 30152-4445
"If your rights are being violated --take the first step today --report them!
If you are attending a Methadone Maintenance Treatment Facility, then, we would like to know how you feel about it. Is it meeting all your needs? Are you satisfied with the counseling you receive? How about dosing increases? Are you given any respect? How exactly are you treated?
Do you receive monthly take-outs?If not, is it because your facility does not allow monthly take-outs? We need to know... Is it because you have failed drug screens? If you have monthly take-outs, then are you receiving call-backs for them to check your medication? Are you given ample notice? Has the call -backs interfered with your work?
We want to hear about your drug screens. Have you received a positive urine test and not received the chance to have a Confirmation GC/MS Test even if you were willing to pay for it? Do you know certain medications can cause you to test false positive? Are they educating you about the drug screens? I want to know because it is time for change---! I am asking you to click on the URL above and tell us what you like and dislike about your facilities.
We are not asking you to leave your name unless you want to make a statement about where you attend. We ask you to please leave the name of your methadone maintenance treatment facility along with the state it is located in. We know all the clinics are not bad. There has to be some good ones and it is those we need to hear about as well.
Some of you have found really great clinics and we definitely want to hear about them. If you have found an exceptional one then please tell us where it is located. Please include what makes it so special to you.
If you are interested in knowing about the people that created "Medical AssistedTreatment" and what we hope to accomplish, please click on "About Us" at the top of the page. I will introduce you to each of us and share with you our credentials and why we became part of the vision.
If this is your first visit and you are in need of help, whether you are on heroin or are addicted to prescription medications is not important. Maybe you are at home tonight wondering, "What am I going to do?" You are at the end of your rope and your life is falling apart at the seams.
Your partner has just walked out on you and you are all alone. Been there. Donethat! - You heart is breaking into and the tears keep coming and the pain just willnot stop! You just don't believe you can stand much more. You just want the pain to stop therefore you keep popping pills and drinking alcohol to deaden all you feel. I can tell you it may leave for tonight but it will be right back in the morning. You will have to come to terms with the pain. You say, "I have no friends and my parents won't help me because I have burned the bridges behind me."
I can share with you, we all understand what you are dealing with. Most of us here are familiar with all you are going through.We understand why you started using and we are not here to judge you. Most of us here have been alienated from our parents and some of us have made amends. What I am tryingto get across to all of you is we are here for you.There is absolutely nothing worse than feeling you are all aloneand I know by experience.We all need friends and support. There is no one I know who doesn't need help from time to time. I am asking you... reach out and allow us to help.
You are in withdrawals and have no idea where you are going to obtain the money for your next fix. It keeps taking more and more - - today, you joined the ranks of the unemployed. You can hear your baby screaming ...if he would only shut up for a few minutes... you need time to think. You then walk into the room to see what is wrong ... his diaper is dry and you get his bottle but he doesn't seem to want it but he continues to cry ...you can't stand it any longer and you pick him up and start to shake him screaming "Shut up!" Then you realize what you have done and you lay him down and run out of the room. You know you need help but who can you turn to? There is no one ... no one at all you feel that cares whether you live or die.
I agree with you. You have found yourself at a fork in the road that depending on the direction you take will determine your life's outcome.. What is happening to you is not unusual and has happened to many of us. Many became prostitutes to support their habit and provide for their children. (Maybe all of them did not have a choice. Maybe they had no one to turn to.)
You do have a choice. We are here for you. We will work with you to find you the help you need. We will call you at our expense. We really care for you and some of us have been where you are and they came to us and we hooked them up with people that could help them. We are here to give you support and it helps to talk with others who can relate to what you are going through. Please before you make any decisions, give us a try?
Maybe, none of the above scenarios fit what is happening to you. You may not be on any illegal drugs but you became addicted to prescription medications. You had to start doctor shopping to obtain enough and today your husband found out. He is very angry with you and can't understand. You are afraid He is going to leave you and take the children if you don't stop. You can't see how you can do it even though you really want to. You have tried many times before amd failed because you just couldn't handle the withdrawals...I want you to know there is "Hope."
You may not be aware of some of the newer medications they have developed. ~ It is possible they will work for you. They will take the withdrawals along with your cravings away. If you are interested in learning more then, please, give us a call? Let us be there for you and help you find what you need. We will not desert you and will stay by your side until you feel you are capable of handling it all on your own.
Stop, right now, go on ahead and have a pity party, I tell you, - I have been where you are. I know what you are feeling. Tonight you are coming apart at the seams. After you have finished feeling sorry for yourself, then pull yourself together, give me a call and together we will start putting your life back together.
- Tonight you probably feel like you are drowning and need someone to throw you a life jacket look up! Here it comes ~ did you catch it? - Great, then you have been given a second chance if you need one. Rejoice!!! - "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." If you need help getting started, - then call us at 770-428-8769 and leave your name and number and the best time to reach you. - We willcall you back to help you with your "New Beginning."
Confidentiality of data relating to individual patients and visitors to "Medical Assisted Treatment" website including their identity, is respected by this website.
Drug addiction is a complex brain disease. Don't let anyone tell you differently! Believe me it has nothing to do with your morals, lack of family values, - - - nor the power of you will. You are not "defective merchandise " as you have believed. Craving arises from the brain's need to maintain a state of homeostasis, that now includes the presence of the drug. - - -Cravings have a physical basis in the brain.
Drugs can cause long-term changes in the anatomy and physiology of thebrain'sneurons. I just ask you, if you feel as if you cannot make it without medication, either to give us a call if you need information or make an appointment to obtain the help you need. Forget what others say about methadone, think about yourself for a change and what exactly your needs are. You do what you must to straighten your life out, for you alone are responsible for the decisions you make - not your parents, nor yourfriends - but to thine ownself be true!!!
"Money meant nothing to me. Like, if some guy gave me a $100 bill I'd go out and burn it or cut it in half for all that I cared" (Adler, 1993, p.86). - - - - - Money meantnothing to me either except that I had to have it to get my drugs. I only thought of money in terms of how many Dilaudids I could purchase - - other than that, I didn't care one way or the other.Sound familiar? If it does then let us help you?
We comply with the 
Using brain-imaging technologies, science can demonstrate the biological basis for addiction and has provided the basis for a biopsychosocial perspective of chemical dependency. From this knowledge we are now able to accept that for some addicted persons, medications are critical to treat drug-induced brain deficits in order to help sustain a symptoms-free lifestyle. 
Funding for our organization is provided by anonymous donors whose lives were touched by evidence - based addiction treatment and were willing to contribute to the cause. We accepted funding in the form of "Unrestricted Educational Grants." There are no "strings" attached. 
We are open 24/7 every day of the year. 
Medical Assisted Treatment of America
Rate Your Program
If you are interested in knowing about the people that created "Medical Assisted Treatment" and what we hope to accomplish, please click on "About Us" at the top of the page. I will introduce you to each of us and share with you our credentials and why we became part of the vision. 
Confidentiality of data relating to 