What Is MAT Medication-Assisted Treatment?

There are multiple programs available for persons struggling with addiction or substance use and different perceptions on treatment options that offer the best privilege of getting lifelong recovery from substance use disorder. Apart from addiction, one of the biggest challenges you may experience is finding the right program that fits your needs. While people have different needs, recent research found that the best approach to handle your addiction is using medication addiction treatment (MAT) that is effective for those with opioid dependency.

Medication-Assisted treatment has significant benefits to individuals with withdrawal craving and symptoms, sustained abstinence chances from heroin or prescription opioids. With the proper combination of medication and evidence-based treatment, MAT has proved to lessen relapse chances.

What Does the Program Entail?

Medication-Assisted Treatment approaches are highly customized to incorporate behavioral therapy and certain medication. This program aims to help those suffering from substance use addiction while utilizing therapeutic discoveries to understand the causes of the addiction and find different ways to help the patient have a purpose-driven future.

A proper combination of medication and therapy has proven efficient in treating opioid dependency. The treatment has evolved for the past years, and it is now versed with better opioid addiction treatment knowledge and overall drug addiction. Medication-Assisted treatment can be offered in different care levels, including:

  • Outpatient care
  • Partial care
  • Intensive outpatient care

How Does MAT Work?

Medication-assisted treatment is opioid addiction treatment. It is effective for treating prescribed pain medication containing opiates and heroin. The therapy portion of MTA includes behavioral therapy and counseling to assist individuals in getting over their addictive tendencies. On the other hand, MAT’s medication portion is designed to normalize body functionality and brain chemistry and relieve psychological desires, thus preventing opioids’ euphoric effects.

Medication-Assisted treatment doesn’t affect illicit drugs negatively. This tricks the patients’ brains into thinking they have consumed the addictive drug and thus not experiencing the intense effects of their addictive substance. Some of the medications used during MAT hinder withdrawal signs that could lead to further addiction and helps clear the drug out of the body. Being one of the best and approved abstinence approaches, most researchers argue that medication-assisted treatment shifts you from using one medicine to the other. Though the argument can be true, by following the proper MTA guidelines, the medication can be used in moderation to eliminate the potentials of withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings, thus leading to a successful recovery result.

How Effective is MAT?

For the past years, there has been an increase in the number of individuals suffering from substance use disorders, including prescription pain drugs containing heroin and opiates. Medication-Assisted treatment has proved to be significantly effective at reducing individuals’ desire for inpatient detoxification services. Even though most believe the medication has its drawbacks, including trading an individual from one drug to the other and the need for close monitoring from a certified facility, MAT offers customized and comprehensive behavioral therapy and medication programs that cares for most patients. The main goal of medication-assisted treatment is to provide substance addictive patients full recovery and the ability to live a self-driven life.

MAT has proven to improve an individual’s survival, enhance treatment retention, reduce the use of illicit opiates and criminal activities among addicted individuals, enhance the birth outcome in pregnant women with substance use addiction and increase an individual’s ability to get employment. Researchers also prove that medication-assisted treatment therapies and medication lower the chances of someone contracting hepatitis C or HIV by reducing relapse potential. Medication-assisted treatment is a customized and complex invention with the primary goal of helping one recover fully. It’s proven to be efficient at reducing one’s dependency on illicit drugs. Other benefits of MAT include reducing the chances of death due to overdose, reducing the use of illegal substances, and also its potential legal consequences.

Are you looking for the right approach to take control of your addiction and life? The first step toward achieving that is deciding to take a turn in your life and living a purposeful life with the help of medication-assisted treatment and other treatment approaches and programs. To get help, reach out to us at 302-842-2390. An experienced and well-versed professional will get in touch with you soon.

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