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Medications Help Control Cravings & Support Withdrawal

Addiction is a powerful brain disease. For many, the physical symptoms of withdrawal become to painful to bear, and so they end up relapsing. For them, no amount of willpower will be able to give them the ability to stop permanently. And the reason is because prolonged substance abuse causes changes in brain chemistry.

For some, then, additional support is necessary and finding the right addiction treatment is crucial in ensuring long-term success.  MAT does that by bringing the benefits of time and healing into treatment, allowing every person the ability to recover and reach sobriety at a pace that works for them.

Benefits of Medication Assisted Treatment

Alcoholism and opioid addiction are often treated with MAT as well as behavioral and holistic therapies.  For clients addicted to opioids, Continuum Recovery Center of Colorado can prescribe Vivitrol, Naltrexone or Buprenorphine. These medications assist during drug detox and treatment to block the pleasurable effects of opioids, thereby reducing cravings and lowering the risk for relapse throughout recovery.

MAT is also used to treat alcohol addiction. Clients who receive treatment for alcohol use disorder here could be prescribed disulfiram, acamprosate or naltrexone to remove the cravings for and desirable effects of alcohol.

Reintegrate into Normal Life, Sooner

Without a medication assisted treatment protocol, clients may not be ready to get back into the life they once knew as soon as desired. Because addiction affects mind, body and spirit, some of the very behaviors most of us take for granted are that much more difficult for a person new to sobriety. Managing stress, emotions and physical pain can be difficult making career, school and interpersonal relationships challenging. Medication assisted treatment can reduce and often eliminate these repercussions, providing a counterbalance throughout recovery, as long as it’s needed.

MAT to Protect Against PAWS

Long term drug and alcohol use impacts people differently. For some, physical discomfort and withdrawal symptoms can recur long after detox and 90 days of treatment have come and gone. Known as Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, PAWS can show up anytime within the first two years of treatment. It can happen throughout the healing process, as the brain is finding its way to healthy balance through continual adjustments to internal chemistry.

PAWS characteristics can occur and feel like ongoing tidal waves that affect the senses, emotions, and behaviors:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Anger
  • Irritability
  • Change in appetite
  • Change in sleep patterns or quality
  • Lack of focus
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Memory issues
  • Heightened or reduced levels of energy

Without medication assisted treatment, clients who experience PAWS may succumb to its intensity and relapse into drug or alcohol use.

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