A close friend of mine has been on methadone for 18 years and his doc is always amazed that he's still alive.Getting away from it is nearly impossible because even being clean for over a year doesn't guarantee that the withdrawal symptoms are gone. You would have to be extra determined with a definite goal in mind(life, job, starting all over) which for most "oldschool" dudes is out of question.
I got many patients on methadone who have ordinary jobs but will never be able to stop using it. Addiction is a chronic disease..Says Dr Dutch