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Medication-Assisted Treatment: How MAT Works For You in Recovery

Too often, drug and alcohol addiction treatment follows the same pattern:

A person joins a drug rehab. They go through the program. They relapse. They join a new addiction center. The pattern keeps on repeating.

This isn't their fault - substance abuse is very difficult to quit. Addictive drugs like fentanyl, benzodiazepines, and alcohol have a tremendously strong hold on the brain. This hold is often what traps people in the circular patterns of addiction. It's easy to get discouraged and opt out of recovery entirely.

Recovery and sobriety aren't an end destination - they're states of being which have to be managed. Addiction is a disease that requires careful management. Medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, uses prescription medications to help people control their addictions and achieve sustained recovery.

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What is Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)?

What is Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)?

Medication-assisted treatment is a type of addiction treatment that combines medication with counseling and other behavioral therapies. MAT involves using medications, such as buprenorphine and methadone, to help reduce cravings for opioids or alcohol and ease withdrawal symptoms. This type of treatment helps individuals safely stop abusing drugs or alcohol, maintain long-term abstinence from substances, and eventually recover from addiction. These medications address the physical aspects of addiction while behavioral therapies address the psychological aspects.

MAT is a comprehensive approach that allows individuals to benefit from medication, counseling, and social support. It is an evidence-based approach that has been proven effective in helping individuals recover from addiction and maintain long-term abstinence from substance use. It is also an important part of a comprehensive recovery program that includes other forms of treatment, such as counseling, psychotherapy, and support groups.

This treatment provides individuals with medication to help manage their cravings for substances, reduce withdrawal symptoms, and prevent relapse. This medication-based approach is especially effective for individuals who have been unable to maintain abstinence through traditional treatment approaches, such as counseling and support groups. MAT is an important component of a comprehensive recovery program, and it can help individuals build a strong foundation for long-term recovery. It is also an effective way to address the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of addiction.

By providing medication to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, MAT helps individuals maintain abstinence and focus on their recovery. It also helps individuals address the underlying causes of addiction, such as trauma or mental health issues, and can give them the tools they need to make positive changes in their lives.

What is Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)?
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How Does Medication-Assisted Treatment Work?

How Does Medication-Assisted Treatment Work?

Opioids basically work by attaching to receptors in brain cells. When this happens, the receptors cause a flood of neurotransmitters associated with the nervous system's reward system, like dopamine. This is why opioid users feel “high” when they use opioid drugs like fentanyl and heroin.

This flood of receptors eventually causes psychological dependence - the urge to keep using a drug despite the negative consequences. Also, the longer a person uses opioids, the more opioids they need to feel the same effects. This is called tolerance, and using drugs in higher amounts can cause a person to overdose on opioids.

Medication-assisted treatment medications are also opioid drugs that affect the same receptors in brain cells. However, MAT drugs are absorbed more slowly into the blood, which helps users experience milder withdrawal symptoms and helps them deal with psychological dependence.

Also, some MAT drugs are what are known as antagonists. An antagonist drug basically blocks nerve receptors from opioids. A person taking an opioid antagonist who relapses and starts using opioids again won't feel the high opioid use produces.

Essentially, MAT removes many of the dangers of substance abuse. MAT medications are given in a safe, clinical setting under strict controls. Basically, MAT replaces the dangerous aspects of drug and alcohol abuse with the positive environment of drug rehabilitation. With MAT, there's no danger of tainted drugs, assault, overdoses, or any of the many negative outcomes of illicit drug use. MAT also helps people manage withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings.

MAT also provides medication to address mental health issues that can contribute to addiction. For example, MAT may include medication to treat depression, anxiety, or other mental health disorders. Finally, MAT always accompanies other evidence-based treatments, including counseling and support groups. Together, these provide individuals with the necessary tools to maintain abstinence and help them build a strong foundation for lasting recovery.

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How Successful is Medication-Assisted Treatment?

How Successful is Medication-Assisted Treatment?

Medication-assisted treatment appears to be genuinely successful. Multiple studies have shown that MAT helps people maintain sobriety. A study available from the National Library of Medicine showed that 84% of people enrolled in a MAT program were opioid-free a year later … and well over half were free from all illegal drugs.

MAT is an evidence-based approach to addiction treatment that has been proven effective in helping individuals achieve and maintain long-term abstinence from substance use. Studies have shown that MAT helps reduce cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and the risk of relapse. It also helps individuals address the underlying causes of addiction and provides them with medication to help manage mental health issues or comorbid disorders.

How Successful is Medication-Assisted Treatment?

How Successful is Medication-Assisted Treatment?

What Happens During a Medication-Assisted Treatment Session?

What Happens During a Medication-Assisted Treatment Session?

What Happens During a Medication-Assisted Treatment Session?

What Happens During a Medication-Assisted Treatment Session?

During medication-assisted treatment sessions, patients take medication prescribed by a doctor in either tablet or liquid form. These medication doses are carefully monitored and adjusted if needed to ensure the medication is working properly.

As we've written, MAT also includes individual counseling and group therapy sessions with a trained addiction specialist. In these sessions, individuals work on building coping skills and exploring underlying issues related to their addiction. They may also receive social support from other patients in their MAT program and attend recovery meetings, such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous.

MAT is an evidence-based treatment that has been proven effective for addiction recovery. It provides individuals with medication to help manage physical cravings and withdrawal symptoms while providing them with the necessary tools to build a strong foundation for long-term recovery.

What Addictions Does Medication-Assisted Treatment Treat?

What Addictions Does Medication-Assisted Treatment Treat?

Medication-assisted treatment is an effective treatment for all types of addiction, including alcohol and opioid addiction. The medication-assisted treatments mentioned above are most often used to treat opioid addiction, but they can also be used to treat other addictions, such as alcohol.

It's important to note that MAT isn't right for everyone. It's wise to consult with a healthcare professional or addiction specialist in order to determine if medication-assisted treatment is the right option for you. DetoxNearMe.com provides expert assistance with finding a MAT program and more. Contact us today to learn more about MAT and its role in treating substance abuse.

What Addictions Does Medication-Assisted Treatment Treat?

What Addictions Does Medication-Assisted Treatment Treat?

What Medications are used in Medication-Assisted Treatment?

The medications used in medication-assisted treatment depends on the individual's needs. Common medications used in MAT include methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Let's explore each one.

Methadone

Methadone is an opioid medication that helps individuals manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings for opioids, including heroin or prescription pain medications. It works by blocking the effects of opioids and reducing cravings. It is typically taken orally once a day at a specialist clinic where it can be monitored.

Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine is another medication used in MAT to help individuals with opioid addiction. It helps reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, as well as block the euphoric effects of opioids. This MAT medication comes in a variety of forms. It can be taken under the tongue as a dissolvable film, as an injection, a skin patch, or even as an implant. Buprenorphine is commonly known under the brand names Sublocade and Subutex.

Naltrexone

Naltrexone is a medication used in MAT for alcohol and opioid addiction. It works by blocking the euphoric effects of alcohol and opioids, which reduces cravings and the risk of relapse. It is also available in a variety of forms, including oral medication, an injectable medication, or as an implant. Vivitrol is the brand name most people are familiar with.

Acamprosate

Acamprosate, most often prescribed under the brand name Campral, is used to treat alcohol use disorder. This prescription drug helps stabilize a person withdrawing from alcohol.

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How Long Does Medication-Assisted Treatment Last?

How Long Does Medication-Assisted Treatment Last?

The duration of medication-assisted treatment depends on the individual's needs. Generally, medication-assisted treatment can last anywhere from a few months to several years. It is important to remember that medication should be taken as prescribed and combined with other forms of addiction treatment. Like many other things in recovery, MAT lasts as long as it needs to - MAT can even be a life-long treatment.

How was Medication-Assisted Treatment Developed?

How was Medication-Assisted Treatment Developed
Medication-assisted treatment was developed as a way to provide individuals with a comprehensive and effective approach for addiction treatment. It combines medication, counseling, and other forms of support in order to help individuals manage the physical and psychological aspects of their addiction.
MAT has been proven to be effective in helping individuals achieve long-term recovery from addiction. It is an evidence-based treatment that has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of relapse and increase an individual's chances of achieving long-term sobriety.
For many years up until the 1960s, people viewed drug addiction as simply another form of crime. Researchers from Rockefeller University interviewed hundreds of people who were addicted to heroin and realized addiction is a genuine disease and one that changes how people's brains operate. According to the studies conducted by the college, methadone showed potential as a way to treat opioid addiction. The Food and Drug Administration later approved methadone for opioid addiction treatment in 1973.

Can I Pay for Medication-Assisted Treatment With Insurance?

Can I Pay for Medication-Assisted Treatment With Insurance
Yes, medication-assisted treatment is often covered by insurance. It's important to check with your insurance provider to see if MAT is a covered benefit. Again, MAT is often given as part of a larger addiction treatment program.
MAT has been proven to be effective in helping individuals achieve long-term recovery from addiction and can increase an individual's chances of achieving long-term sobriety. MAT is often covered by insurance and available at a reduced cost for those who lack the necessary resources. Consulting with a healthcare professional or addiction specialist will help determine if medication-assisted treatment is the right option for you.

Can I Afford Medication-Assisted Treatment?

Can I Afford Medication-Assisted Treatment
Medication-assisted treatment is often covered by insurance and available at a reduced cost for those who lack the necessary resources. Additionally, medication-assisted treatment programs are often offered as part of federally funded initiatives and may be available through state or local organizations.
It's important to remember that MAT is most offered as part of a comprehensive addiction treatment program -- it's usually not offered on its own.

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How to Choose a Medication-Assisted Treatment Program Near Me

When looking for medication-assisted treatment programs near you, it's important to consider several factors. Make sure to research the facilities in your area and look into their credentials, reputation, and other factors. Additionally, speak with a healthcare professional or addiction specialist about medication-assisted treatment to determine if it is right for you.

Also, consider talking to a drug rehab or addiction center about MAT. The staff at these organizations can provide expert help in determining if MAT is right for you. DetoxNearMe.com will help you find a MAT program near you that'll help you leave addiction behind. Just reach out to us and we'll get started.

Find a Medication-Assisted Treatment Program TODAY with DetoxNearMe.com!

At DetoxNearMe.com, we provide helpful information about medication-assisted treatment programs and addiction treatment centers near you. Our online directory allows you to search for medication-assisted treatment programs in your area quickly and easily. We've carefully collected thousands of MAT listings across the US. With us, you'll be able to efficiently find a MAT program near you.

We also have a team of experts who are available to answer any questions you may have about MAT, drug detox, inpatient drug rehab, outpatient drug rehab, and more. If you're looking to start a recovery journey today and don't know where to start, reach out to us. We'll make sure your first steps to recovery are the best possible.

Don't risk a drug overdose, a lost job, or worse. Start your recovery journey today with DetoxNearMe.com, and start building a happier, healthier life!

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