My name is Jamie L.
I was at Sacred Heart Residential from November 29th to December 19th of 2012. I knew that I would end up going to Sacred Heart- when I truly had enough pain, and was ready actually ready to surrender my suffering from my addiction. And the hurt I felt from "using" daily.

I always knew Sacred Heart was THEE BEST rehabilitation service there was. But, I was always afraid to commit to giving up my heroin addiction. But, after many times of waking up face down, with brokern ribs, a broken nose and things to terrible to talk about--my higher power told me --THIS WAS IT!

I'd put myself in so many situations that I would've never been in sober. I hurt so many people who loved me- and thankfully- those people still love me. My higher power told me I had no more "runs" left in me! 

Sacred Heart helped me save my life! I know- if I'd kept using I'd be dead, today! No doubt! My higher power was so strong and powerful- even in the employees in Sacred Heart. I ended up submitting my will over to my higher power.

I missed out on 20 years of my life- thinking I was this great wonderful person when I was "high", but the truth is . . . everyone was pulling away from me- even my kids. No one could stand me. But, now that I am sober- I feel like I finally am the person I used to be. That I liked being- and that other liked being around!

I had shut out so much in my life when i "used". But, now I am experiencing all the things that i have longed- for so long and they are actually satisfying to me. Even the little things! But when I was high- I was numb and thought I was experiencing those things- when I really didn't feel anything.

If I wouldn't of went to Sacred Heart- I would be still miserable, lonely, person I used t be. The staff made me feel understood- they'd been there! And they showed me love, when I felt I didn't deserve any. Nor loved myself, I began to have some self respect while there and care about myself- again.

I am so truly grateful for ALL of the staff! they understood us so well- better than you all are probably feeling at first. They love everyone and understand exactly how we feel- in every step of your recovery. They truly are family to all of us- because we all [even many of the staff] have been where you are and in between the bad and good. I also want to especially thank the nurses for being so caring and empathetic when I truly had been suffering.

I was a hurt child [not yet the women I am beginning to become finally] when I got there. I had so much hurt and pain in my life that it came out as anger. Sacred Heart taught me- I had to "let go"- to move on with my recovery. To get "well" and I cam e to realize I was mad at myself and mainly hurt me- I am NOT an angry person today. I also have learned to let "go" of people and things that had hurt me and held me down my whole life. 

Now, I am grateful for every minute, every hour, and everyday.

Thank you, to Sacred Heart, even other clients, I Have learned from everyone there. About how I didn't want to be anymore, and exactly who and how I want to be.

I have 45 days "clean" now, and I feel great! I pray everyday for everyone who has been to or is at Sacred Heart- that you all will get the same spiritual awakening that I had when I was there. It has truly changed me inside and out.

I have no urge to use. Sometimes my body tried to trick me- into believing I'm still "sick", but it only takes 30 seconds to loose that thought or feeling.

Change really does happen when the pain becomes greater- than the fear of change itself. That is thee best way to put it. If you really have had enough pain than surrender your heart while you're in Sacred Heart and watch the change in yourself! It's great!

Thank you for all of the knowledge and help- you've truly given me- Sacred Heart. I am truly grateful to all of you- staff and clients for everything you've done for me!

Love you all-
Jamie L.

Methadone replacement therapy works because it fulfills three basic requirements of any program of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. The program, to be effective, must
(1) reduce access to drugs and alcohol. It must provide a
(2) supportive structure as well as make the client
(3) accountable to dependable persons other then themselves.
 
The first requirement is that access to drugs (in this case opiates) is limited. A methadone maintained client loses his craving for opiates because the methadone sticks to the opiate receptors in the brain and won’t let any other opiates get by them. While the methadone is playing spoiler, it activates the receptors thus reducing the desire for opiates (sort of like when you don’t want to eat because you are full) at the same time that it prevents the sickness of opiate withdrawal from occurring. This process occurs slowly so that the intoxicating effects on the nervous system are minimized. In this way, the first requirement of a program of recovery is fulfilled as far as opiates are concerned. Other drugs and alcohol continue to have to be avoided to prevent active addiction on top of methadone maintenance. The primary goal for all other drugs of abuse and alcohol, while in methadone maintenance, is complete abstinence. As a client is stabilized on methadone, opiate intoxication no longer occurs. This leaves the client, who greatly misses the intoxication effect, vulnerable to the abuse of other drugs and alcohol to replace the loss of his usual opiate high.
 
The second requirement of a program of recovery is supportive structure. An addict whose life has been dominated by chasing drugs needs to replace the old order of things with a new order of things. In a methadone maintenance program, structure is maintained by the need to acquire the methadone as well as a schedule of mandatory therapeutic services. In the early stages of recovery, the structure is implemented by requiring that a client attend the clinic daily to pick up the medicine. The intensity and frequency of therapeutic services is high for the first 90 days to a year. Participants may be required to attend groups and individual sessions weekly, but as the client is in the program longer services may become less frequent. At first, the methadone clinic may be the sole source of structure for the client, but as time passes other sources begin to emerge such as deeper involvement in the 12 step program, work, healthy exercise and family involvement. As normal life structure begins to develop the methadone clinic reduces its role in the client’s life. The ultimate goal of a therapist is to do away with the therapist.
 
The third requirement of a program of recovery is accountability. A new client needs to find ways to make her self accountable to dependable outside authorities. The nature of recovery from addiction is to realize that when an addict is left to his own devices he will not be able to keep himself straight. He needs guard rails. The methadone clinic provides these guard rails by providing a regular monitoring service. Clients are tested for drugs and alcohol so that when the clinic staff and the client say that the client is free of illicit drugs, the evidence is objective.  The client is also required to bring in any prescriptions for evaluation in order to prevent the client from abusing licit drugs. It is much harder to use or abuse drugs or alcohol when you are in a relationship with an objective and observant person and that person has the ability to manage positive and negative rewards to keep you on track.
 
For any program of recovery to be successful these three aspects of a TX program, limiting access, providing structure and accountability must be implemented along with encouragement to find a more effective philosophy of life.

-Sacred Heart Therapist

I should begin with a confession. My first contact with methadone maintenance therapy was when I was invited two years ago to participate in the development task force that created the Sacred Heart Opiate Treatment Program. I suspect that that the reason I was invited to participate in the task force was to provide a sobering influence on the committee since I was brought up in the 12-step abstinence model.
 
Secretly, I felt a like a poison pill. Up until this point in time, “I HAD ALWAYS SEEN METHADONE MAINTENANCE AS UNACCEPTABLE. THE TRUTH IS I HAD NEVER REALLY GIVEN IT MUCH THOUGHT BEYOND AN OFF-HAND DISMISSAL.” I began my work on the task force by plowing through research study after research study. I was really looking for evidence that the methadone medication-assisted model was not good practice. I didn’t find it. The preponderance of evidence supports methadone maintenance. There is solid evidence for the practice of methadone replacement therapy that has accumulated over a very long period of time that can be found even by an old skeptic like myself.
 
The evidence for methadone maintenance therapy shows reduction in illicit drug use, criminal activity, needle sharing, risky sexual behavior, suicide, and overdoses as well as improvements in health conditions, productivity, retention in therapy and cost-effectiveness.
 
The body of evidence that supports these conclusions is based on matching the client to the appropriate treatment and providing that client not only with medication but also structure, accountability and therapy.
 
My second contact with methadone medication assisted therapy was when I was asked to be the program therapist for the Sacred Heart Opiate Treatment Program. I discovered in the clients of the Sacred Heart Opiate treatment Program confirmation of the evidence provided by all that research. “EVERYDAY I SAW MIRACLES. MEN AND WOMEN, WHOSE LIVES HAD BEEN RAVAGED BY HEROIN OR PRESCRIPTION DRUG ADDICTION, BECOMING HEALTHY, GOING TO WORK AND TAKING CARE OF THEIR FAMILIES.” I saw these individuals at various stages of their recovery.
 
Pregnant women whose maternal instinct was to protect their babies, but who could not escape the overwhelming power of their addiction, stabilized on methadone, bringing them and their fetus into a medically controlled support system.
 
New clients would come into the clinic beat down by their disease after many fervent attempts at quitting. Most had undergone more than one detoxification episode only to return to illicit use because they never really felt normal without some sort of opiate augmentation in the same way that a diabetic never really feels normal without insulin.
 
Truly, methadone maintenance is a program of progress not perfection, but through medication assistance and persistent therapy, science is transmuted into life.

-Sacred Heart Therapist