What is Medication-Assisted Treatment and How Can it Help You on Your Recovery Journey?

What is Medication-Assisted Treatment and How Can it Help You on Your Recovery Journey?

Have you tried everything to quit using? You’ve been to therapy, outpatient, and inpatient treatment. Family therapy, other holistic methods, and even some outside-of-the-box methods have been exhausted. Now what? Look into medication-assisted treatment. 

What is Medication-Assisted Treatment

Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) is an evidence-based practice that involves administering a type of prescription medication in order to help individuals recovering from addiction wean off certain types of substances in a facilitated manner. There are certain circumstances in which someone may not be able to detox from a substance on their own. In these instances a doctor will prescribe and monitor medications to successfully get through the detox process. 

A common example of this is someone with an opioid addiction detoxing through MAT with methadone or buprenorphine. In these cases naloxone is used as a short-term intervention and the other two mentioned are used as long-term treatment interventions, typically in a treatment facility or on a regular basis through a clinician. 

Example of benefits of these medications to treat opioid addiction include:

  • The medications are safe
  • They are cost-effective
  • MAT medications help reduce the risk of overdose
  • They increase treatment retention
  • The medications help improve social functioning
  • They reduce the risk of infection disease transmission
  • They reduce the likelihood of criminal activity

The idea of MAT is to not expect people with addictions to abstain from a substance, which is unrealistic, but to over time decrease their use while following a treatment plan. In these cases the plans include prescribed medication to help reduce cravings, block addictive effects of the substance, and help decrease withdrawal symptoms. Someone involved in medication assisted treatment should also regularly participate in one-on-one, group, and other types of beneficial therapies to boost their likelihood of success. 

Early recovery is hard…but it doesn’t have to be!

You’re not in this alone–ask your treatment team about MAT today! The last thing you want is to continue down the path of relapse and addiction. 

Without a medication-assisted treatment protocol, clients may not be ready to get back into the life they once knew as soon as desired. Addiction affects mind, body, and spirit. Some of the behaviors most of us take for granted are much more difficult for a person new to sobriety. Managing stress, emotions, and physical pain can be difficult making a career, being in school, and interpersonal relationships challenging. Medication-assisted treatment reduces and often eliminates repercussions, which provides a counterbalance throughout recovery.

Medication-Assisted Treatment Can Provide a Smooth Transition Into Recovery!

The MAT program at Continuum Recovery Center of Colorado allows you to break free from your long-term drug and alcohol use with the help of your treatment team and prescribed medications. You will feel better during the recovery process, think more clearly, and be free from pain and cravings. While the medications are helping you out, you will be able to fully participate more in one-on-one and group therapies and get back to a normal way of life.  

Call today to find out how Medication-Assisted Treatment can interrupt your relapse pattern!