Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) has had a profound impact on the recovery of people with opioid use disorders (OUD) and alcohol use disorders (AUD). MAT offers wrap-around care that includes medications to reduce or eliminate cravings in conjunction with psychotherapy. The therapy has been in use for about 50 years, changing the lives of thousands of people. Several medications are considered effective for use in MAT.
If you are looking for a medication-assisted treatment program, consider Evoke Wellness. Our addiction treatment centers provide evidence-based therapies, including MAT, in outpatient and inpatient programs. If you are struggling with an opioid or alcohol addiction, learn more about medication-assisted treatment and how the partnership of medication and therapy can work for you. Call 866.429.2960 or fill out our online form, and you’ll be connected with a member of our knowledgeable staff who can help you find an addiction treatment program today.
What Is Medication-Assisted Treatment?
MAT uses certain safe medications to help return your brain chemistry to balance. Substance abuse can shut down your brain’s ability to produce its own neurotransmitters as it becomes increasingly dependent on substances. Opioid and alcohol abuse disrupts the feedback loop in the brain that helps balance the flow of normally occurring brain chemicals. Without substances and your brain being unbalanced, it’s hard to feel any pleasure.
To give your brain the rest it needs to get back online, you need to rid your body of drugs and alcohol and also learn to control the intense cravings that emerge when you begin to go into withdrawal. Soon, your body and brain can operate your pleasure center without opioids or alcohol, thanks to the medication part of your MAT therapy.
Some people stay on their MAT medications for the long term, which is considered very safe. Others gradually wean off their therapeutic medications while remaining in therapy to help them maintain sobriety.
The Medication in MAT
Several medications can be used safely and effectively in medication-assisted therapy, including Vivitrol (naltrexone), Suboxone (naloxone, buprenorphine), and methadone. These drugs have some differences, but all of them work to stabilize brain chemistry to help you achieve and maintain sobriety.
In a MAT rehab program, you will experience a reduction in cravings and often the inability to feel high if you relapse
These drugs can be administered in different ways depending on which one you use. Delivery methods may include:
- Monthly injection
- Long-term sub-dermal implant
- Dissolving sublingual pill or film
Whatever MAT protocol you and your treatment team decide on will be the one that is best suited to your needs and history.
If you're ready to start your journey to recovery, we're here to help.
Therapy for Addiction
In a medication-assisted treatment program, the medication does not do all the work. As the name implies, it assists the process, which has to include some form of therapy, done either in group or individual sessions—often both. Using a peer support group such as a 12-step program while in MAT is also advisable.
Some of the therapies that are proven to work well in this wrap-around treatment are:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
These evidence-based therapies, provided by trained clinicians in an addiction treatment center like Evoke Wellness, amplify the effective use of medication in medication-assisted therapy.
Medication-Assisted Treatment Programs at Evoke Wellness
Evoke Wellness offers MAT rehab programs to support patients in recovery from opioid or alcohol addiction. A significant majority of patients who receive medication-assisted treatment are still sober at the two-year mark after discharge from rehab. We are proud of our exceptional delivery of effective, evidence-based treatments to people like you who are in the grip of a substance use disorder.
You deserve to live a happy, healthy life of meaning. Your wellness is our mission. Let us help you with your recovery in one of our state-of-the-art facilities. Reach out at 866.429.2960.
