Treating Opioid Addiction with MAT

There is quite a controversy surrounding medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and for good reason. It is easy to comprehend that replacing one drug with another could cause a negative outcome. However, when used correctly and under medical supervision, medication-assisted treatment can sometimes be the most effective starting point in one’s recovery from opiate addiction.

Medication-assisted treatment is intended to safely taper patients off of dangerous opiates, making the detoxing stage of recovery less harmful and more manageable. Research has shown that patients who have intense withdrawal symptoms are less likely to continue treatment and achieve long-term sobriety. As a solution, many addicts will opt for medication-assisted treatment as a starting point for their recovery. MAT is designed to be a temporary course of action, leading patients to continue their recovery through inpatient and sober living programs. 

MAT is NOT a Substitute for Opioids 

Medication-assisted treatment utilizes the medications Methadone or Buprenorphine as a taper medication while patients are coming off of opiates. Many people have taken a stand against MAT because they believe the misconception that these medications are meant as permanent substitutions for the drug that an individual was addicted to. Despite this belief, medications such as Methadone and Buprenorphine are intended to be taken temporarily on a taper system. This means that a patient would have decreased doses until they eventually are able to completely end their use of the medication once withdrawal symptoms have subsided. 

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA):

• MAT decreases opioid use, opioid-related overdoses, opioid-related deaths, criminal activity, and infectious disease transmission.

 

• MAT increases social function and willingness to continue treatment and therapy. 

 

• Treatment of opioid-dependent pregnant women with methadone or buprenorphine improves outcomes for their babies by reducing symptoms of neonatal abstinence syndrome and reduces the length of hospital stays. 

Medication-Assisted Treatment Programs Offer Additional Support 

Much like other forms of addiction treatment, while patients are in a medication-assisted treatment program they receive other forms of addiction treatment on top of medical tapering. Various forms of therapy will be provided based on each patient’s individual treatment plan. Attending therapy is important for the recovery from drug addiction as it allows the addict to get to the root issue of why they were using. Most addicts have some form of emotional or physical trauma that they were attempting to numb via the use of drugs and alcohol. Once an addict is able to address these issues and work through them in a healthy manner, they have a higher chance of achieving long-term sobriety.

Another benefit of going to medication-assisted treatment is they usually offer prevention and treatment of chronic illnesses such as Hepatitis B or C, HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis, etc. These diseases are prevalent among the addict community due to intravenous drug use. In MAT treatment programs, each patient is tested for various STI's and diseases in order to swiftly treat any illness that an addict may have contracted as a direct consequence of their drug use. 

Finding Help 

Opioid addiction has become an epidemic in the United States. Because of this grim fact, we must educate ourselves and our loved ones on addiction and addiction treatment. Addiction can be a silent but deadly disease, sometimes the person we least expect is struggling with the depths of addiction. Find help for yourself or your loved one today by researching treatment options near you.