What is medication-assisted treatment? If you’re curious and want to know how this treatment can help with addiction, you’re on the right page. Here’s a simple explanation – MAT is one of the standard procedures included in many addiction treatment programs. It utilizes medications to cleanse your body of drugs at Sunflower Wellness Retreat.
What Is Medication-Assisted Treatment?
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is a combination of medications and behavioral therapy to treat types of addiction. It treats opioid addiction, alcohol use disorder, and other addictions using FDA-approved drugs. Of course, medications are not enough to treat substance abuse, so this treatment is combined with behavioral therapies and counseling. MAT can help patients struggling with addiction, saving their lives by increasing survival, and preventing relapses. By boosting treatment retention, patients with substance use disorder have fewer cases of further drug use. It provides patients with a better chance at employment. So what is medication-assisted treatment? It’s merely a way to treat addiction with medicines.
What Medications Are Used in MAT?
There are different FDA-approved medications used in medication-assisted treatment. They treat two major types of substance use disorder: alcohol and opioids. However, there aren’t any FDA-approved medications yet for treating other kinds of addiction, such as cocaine and meth. The most common drugs used in MAT are:
- Buprenorphine
- Suboxone
- Methadone
- Naltrexone
- Naloxone
Medical professionals may prescribe these drugs in different situations, which the patient must take responsibility to treat drug addiction. Such medications primarily help manage dependence on short-acting opioids such as codeine, morphine, and heroin. They also help with managing addiction to semi-synthetic opioids, such as hydrocodone and oxycodone.
How Does MAT Reduce Withdrawal and Cravings?
When you become addicted to alcohol or opioids, they create changes in your brain chemistry. The main difference you will notice is the inability to quit abusing such substances. If an addict cannot take their drugs, they become incredibly sick, which is known as withdrawal.
MAT helps to normalize the body and brain chemistry of the patient. Through the use of medicines, you become less overwhelmed by the withdrawal symptoms. It also helps lessen the cravings that often cause clients to relapse and overdose. With medication-assisted treatment, addicts have a better chance at recovery.
One of the many concerns about using medications to treat addiction is them becoming a substitute for the drugs. Rest assured that the medications used in MAT will not cause problems as long as they are used correctly. They block the euphoric effects of opioids and alcohol. With cravings and body chemistry becoming stabilized, patients can participate in therapy.
MAT Treatment Procedure
How does one begin MAT procedures? It starts with the patient reaching out to a physician specializing in addiction treatment. The patient can also go to a rehab center and undergo treatment there. With medication-assisted treatment, a physician supervises it and carefully chooses the correct medications to use.
Generally, the process follows steps that include:
- Consultation with the physician
- The doctor determines if the patient is suitable for MAT
- The physician prescribes appropriate medication
- The patient undergoes maintenance of medication
Every rehab centers have different processes for MAT, so it is best to consult with them. Their staff can tell you more specifically about what goes on when you get this treatment. They can also tell you more about the benefits of a medication-assisted treatment program. A patient can get the most out of MAT if incorporated with behavioral treatments.
Reach Out to Sunflower Wellness Retreat to Learn More Today
So now, you should be able to answer the question, “What is medication-assisted treatment?” As one of the standard procedures for treating substance use disorder, it dramatically supports addiction recovery. If you are looking into MAT to help a friend or family member, you can contact Sunflower Wellness Retreat at 855.730.8825 for more info.
