On Oct. 12, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it had approved the medication Vivitrol for use in the treatment of individuals with opiate addictions (including addictions to heroin, morphine and opioid painkillers such as oxycodone).

In the wake of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Oct. 12 announcement that it had approved the medication Vivitrol for use in the opiate addiction treatment programs, interest in this drug among the general public has risen considerably.

Early in October 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) announced that that it had approved the Vivitrol (an extended-release version of the generic medication naltrexone) for use in approved programs that treat individuals who are struggling to overcome opiate addictions.

Because methadone clinics serve recovering drug addicts, they are widely stigmatized and rarely talked about openly. Because of this stigma, it's only natural that methadone and methadone clinics are shrouded in rumor, myth and misconception. The relatively few individuals who have had negative experiences with methadone tend to make the most noise, while the thousands of people who live happy and healthy lives thanks to methadone are rarely heard from.

Studies suggest that roughly 13 percent of pregnant women in the United States use illicit substances during pregnancy. Of those, 19 percent abuse opiates such as heroin, morphine and prescription drugs. It is critical to talk to a doctor or clinic as soon as possible if you're addicted to opiates and you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Opiate treatment programs can help minimize pregnancy complications and help you understand your options.

Methadone has been proven safe and effective, but it should be supplemented with individual counseling, group therapy, transitional living arrangements and support groups like Narcotics Anonymous.

Many methadone clinics offer individual counseling and group therapy to help ensure a full and lasting recovery. Because underlying emotional and psychological issues are often causes of substance abuse, individual and/or group counseling aid in long-term sobriety.

Without professional addiction treatment, people who quit opiates run the risk of serious complications. Opiate withdrawal can be painful and dangerous, which is why quitting cold turkey is rarely a successful approach to addressing opiate addiction. All the will power in the world can be squelched by the painful side effects of opiate withdrawal.

Drug addiction has plagued humanity for thousands of years, but it's only in the past few decades that scientists have begun to discover the real reasons for addiction: Rather than being a moral or spiritual failure, addiction is a physical illness. It causes deep, long-lasting changes to the brain that can be extremely difficult to reverse.

Car accidents have been the leading cause of death in the United States for decades. Recently, for the first time, the leading cause of death was replaced in 16 states by drugs.

And not the kind of drugs you'd expect.

While illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine do contribute a fair share to the death toll, the sharpest increase in fatalities was due to prescription opiates such as methadone, Oxycontin and Vicodin. The number of deaths from methadone alone increased sevenfold between 1999 and 2006, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Codeine is a popular opiate drug used to treat pain and anxiety. Typically taken in pill form, it can be found in some over-the-counter cough remedies, Tylenol with codeine, and in prescription combination drugs. The body absorbs codeine quickly, making its effects particularly strong.

Fentanyl is a narcotic used to treat severe, chronic pain. When other medications haven’t worked, doctors may prescribe the Duragesic patch, which provides 72 hours of continuous delivery of this powerful pain reliever.

Heroin is a powerful narcotic derived from opium and synthesized from morphine.

Lortab is the trade name of a narcotic pain reliever that combines hydrocodone and acetaminophen. Hydrocodone is a semi-synthetic opioid that is synthesized using either codeine or thebaine, while acetaminophen is a common ingredient in drugs designed to treat mild to moderate pain.

About 20% of the estimated 810,000 heroin addicts in the United States receive MMT (American Methadone Treatment Association, 1999). At present, the operating practices of clinics and hospitals are bound by Federal regulations that restrict the use and availability of methadone.

Opioids are commonly prescribed because of their effective analgesic, or pain-relieving, properties. Medications that fall within this class - sometimes referred to as narcotics - include morphine, codeine, and related drugs. Morphine, for example, is often used before or after surgery to alleviate severe pain.

Oxycodone is an opiate analgesic that is used by medical professionals to treat patients who are suffering from moderate to severe pain. Oxycodone has a chemical structure that is similar to the opiate drug codeine.

Percocet is the trade name for a prescription painkiller that consists of a combination of oxycodone (the narcotic that is most commonly associated with OxyContin) and the mild pain reliever acetaminophen (commonly known as the primary active ingredient in the over-the-counter pain reliever Tylenol).

Prescription drug abuse is a growing epidemic. While some people set out to abuse prescription drugs to get high, others find themselves addicted to painkillers and other drugs after taking them during recovery from an illness, accident or injury.

Vicodin is a trademarked brand name for a narcotic prescription medication that is approved for physician-supervised treatment of moderate to severe pain. In addition to easing pain, Vicodin also imparts a sense of serenity and euphoria in those who take the drug – effects that make the drug a popular choice for illicit recreational use, and which increase the risk that the drug will be abused.

In the wake of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Oct. 12 announcement that it had approved the medication Vivitrol for use in the opiate addiction treatment programs, interest in this drug among the general public has risen considerably.

Early in October 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) announced that that it had approved the Vivitrol (an extended-release version of the generic medication naltrexone) for use in approved programs that treat individuals who are struggling to overcome opiate addictions.

On Oct. 12, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it had approved the medication Vivitrol for use in the treatment of individuals with opiate addictions (including addictions to heroin, morphine and opioid painkillers such as oxycodone).

Choosing the right drug rehab, including methadone treatment clinics, is a difficult job at the best of times. When confronted with all the issues standing between you and getting either yourself or your loved one on the road to recovery, it can seem almost insurmountable. However, help is available, regardless of the circumstances.