Perceived barriers to identity transformation for people who are prescribed methadone

Resolving identity issues and transforming one's identity from 'user' to ex-'user' is not an easy process in early recovery because the individual might still be discovering their world as a 'non-user'. This, however, might pose some additional unique difficulty for marginalized individuals such as those who are prescribed methadone. This difficulty might be attributed to the dependence-forming nature unique to methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Testimonials regarding the experiences from people prescribed methadone commonly share issues of inconvenience, fear of breach of confidentiality, inflexible lifestyle adjustments associated with picking up one's prescription, and a feeling of not being considered normal. The internalized, professional and societal stigma associated to those who are prescribed methadone forces many to remain in the closet, which makes cultivating a new identity difficult. This article reviews the literature pertaining to identity transformation, to examine the unique transformational process experienced by individuals enrolled in MMT. This article will combine qualitative studies exploring the experiences of methadone maintenance recipients and explore the perceived barriers faced by this population in achieving a preferred identity transformation.