The Truth About Methadone

This Video was created by a Kristina Phelps, RN, BSN, a Methadone patient,
who has generously agreed to let us post this on the website in an effort to help others.

My story is like many other stories of addiction perhaps with a slightly different ending. I became addicted in 1996 to prescription painkillers following a motorcycle accident which injured my back. I started on Vicodin but quickly advanced to Oxycontin or Roxicodone. However as my tolerance grew so did my desperation. Presriptions only lasted a few days so I resorted to buying them. I began snorting and injecting also. My job afforded me the luxury of always having clean needles. All the while I was covering on the job, as well as sneaking what I could from work. Stealing came later, but it came all the same. Shocking what you will do to stop the pain of withdrawal. Eventually, pressure from work became too much so I quit and quietly entered an inpatient rehabilitation program at an out of town hospital. Needless to say the program didn't work. Several rehabs, divorces, a few trips to jail and 10 years later I found Methadone! Nobody had much faith that it would work. Most of all me. However, I had just been diagnosed with Hepatitis C oddly enough from a needle stick while working as a nurse instead of drugs. To make matters worse I was on the street with my son. I had to do something and this was the only thing I had not tried. After one week it was as if my drug use had been a dream. I wasn't high. I wasn't sick. I was normal! My family had the person back that they had missed for so long.

One year and six months later I am still clean. Unfortunately my HCV has advanced to liver cancer. Nevertheless that has not prevented me from continuing with my program. I decided to make this video because I was so tired of defending a program and a medication that had saved thousands. My life may be shortened but it won't be because of drugs! That is a comfort. I cannot explain, as I say in the video, Methadone is not the ONLY way, but it was the ONLY way for me. If this video can help one addict to find a normal life through MMT then it will be worth all the hard work I put into making it. Have a Blessed Day.

- Kristina Phelps, RN, BSN

The Truth About Methadone

This Video was created by a Kristina Phelps, RN, BSN, a Methadone patient, who has generously agreed to let us post this on the website in an effort to help others.

This Video was created by a Kristina Phelps, RN, BSN, a Methadone patient,
who has generously agreed to let us post this on the website in an effort to help others.