What’s Medically Assisted Treatment and Do I Need It?
Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) is an evidence-based practice that combines medication with psychosocial support to treat addiction and substance use disorders. MAT interventions often focus on reducing harm associated with substance abuse, as well as preventing relapse.
The medications used in MAT may include agonist medications such as methadone or buprenorphine, antagonist medications such as naltrexone, or other forms of medication like antidepressants or antipsychotics. In addition to pharmacological treatments, MAT programs typically offer counseling and behavioral therapies to address underlying issues and provide guidance for long-term recovery. Ultimately, medically assisted treatment can be tailored to the individual’s needs in order to have the best chance at achieving lasting sobriety. With proper care and support, MAT can be an effective tool in the journey to recovery.
In summary, medically assisted treatment is a promising approach for individuals living with addiction and substance use disorders. MAT combines pharmacological treatments with psychosocial support in order to reduce harm associated with substance abuse as well as prevent relapse. With tailored care and proper guidance, medically assisted treatment can help individuals recover from addiction and make progress towards long-term sobriety.
How Does Medically Assisted Treatment Work?
The medications used in MAT may include agonist medications such as methadone or buprenorphine, antagonist medications such as naltrexone, or other forms of medication like antidepressants or antipsychotics. MAT also offers counseling and behavioral therapies to address underlying issues and provide guidance for long-term recovery. With tailored care and support, medically assisted treatment can be an effective tool in the journey to recovery and help individuals achieve lasting sobriety.
In short, medically assisted treatment is a promising approach that combines pharmacological treatments with psychosocial support to reduce harm associated with substance abuse as well as prevent relapse. Properly implemented, medically assisted treatment can have a positive impact on an individual’s recovery from addiction and promote long-term sobriety.
Medication-Assisted Treatment combined with counseling and behavioral therapies for the treatment of substance use disorders. MAT is often used in conjunction with other treatments offered by Southeast Addiction Center to provide an effective method for long-term recovery from addiction. MAT is not a cure for addiction, but studies have shown that MAT can help people maintain sobriety for longer periods of time than traditional treatments alone. MAT works best when coupled with comprehensive psychotherapy and counseling services designed to address the underlying issues related to addiction.
MAT is Not a Cure, But It Does Help People Recover
While MAT by itself isn’t a “cure” for addiction, it has more than proven itself as a powerful ally and tool that really delivers when it comes to producing longer periods of continuous sobriety for people. Even patients who have had many relapses and who may have returned to treatment more than 3 or 4 times often find that introducing medically assisted treatment into their comprehensive addiction treatment program improves their odds of success substantially. Cravings, for opiates especially, are one of the major reasons for relapse in early recovery. Sure, it may be an upsetting or frustrating incident or a loss that sets the relapse hourglass in motion, but at the heart of it is the phenomenon of craving.
That is where MAT does its work. By reducing and virtually eliminating cravings you markedly reduce the likelihood of someone picking up a drug in their recovery. In the case of buprenorphine and methadone you have the added benefit of a medicine which occupies opioid receptors. This means even if an opioid drug is taken, the euphoric effects are dramatically reduced. A relapse is still a relapse of course, but often the knowledge that they aren’t going to get high anyway combined with the substantial reduction in cravings is enough to get people in early recovery through any “rough patches” while they work on shoring up the program of recovery which is going to help them stay sober for the long haul.
MAT at Southeast Addiction Center in Nashville, TN
At Southeast Addiction Center MAT is just one part of a comprehensive treatment plan tailored specifically to each individual’s needs. MAT is an important tool in the fight against addiction and can help people achieve lasting recovery. The Southeast Addiction Center team of counselors, psychiatrists, and medical professionals are highly trained in MAT protocols and have extensive experience helping individuals struggling with addiction find long-term sobriety through MAT. MAT has been proven to be an effective treatment option for those suffering from substance use disorders and Southeast Addiction Center is dedicated to providing the highest quality MAT services available.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a substance use disorder, MAT may be an effective part of a comprehensive treatment plan that offers hope for lasting recovery. Contact Southeast Addiction Center at (615) 326-6449 today to learn more about MAT and its potential role in your recovery journey.
