Should counselors start a patients treatment with the goal of eventually being totally drug free, including free of methadone?
Dr. Dole: I think that has been a very serious misunderstanding from the beginning. The goal is NOT abstinence; the goal is to become functional. The data collected over the years has shown that abstinence is an unlikely goal. It is a terrible mistake to put someone in the position of either eventually becoming abstinent or becoming a failure. I am very sorry to hear that many clinics continue to do just that. Unfortunately, that is a philosophy at many clinics. They are willing to “put up with” maintenance in the short term, but they feel that a patient isn’t really “cured” unless they are abstinent.
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