The therapeutic community and methadone: a way of achieving abstinence.

The combination of a therapeutic community (TC) and gradual methadone detoxification of 3 to 4 months to treat long-term methadone patients is described. Most patients have done poorly on methadone and come only after serious drug and alcohol abuse or criminal behavior. An individualized treatment plan is implemented which includes individual, group, and family therapy; psychotropic drugs; blind methadone detoxification, and the techniques used in contemporary TC's. Of 215 admissions, 44% have been fully detoxified from methadone over an average of 3 1/2 months (94 patients). Of 94 patients detoxified, 20 (21%) returned to methadone treatment elsewhere and 15 (16%) stayed on such treatment.