Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is an effective approach to treating substance abuse disorders. This treatment approach combines counseling and behavioral therapy with FDA-approved medications designed specifically to address substance or alcohol addiction disorders.
Medication used in Medication-Assisted Treatment can be effective at controlling cravings, alleviating withdrawal symptoms and decreasing drug misuse. A variety of FDA-approved drugs, including methadone and buprenorphine as well as naltrexone are available for this purpose.
Stimulant Detox
According to this site – stimulants are drugs that increase activity of the central nervous system and increase risk for addiction, leading to serious health complications if taken in high doses or misused. Therefore, professional stimulant detox services in a controlled environment should be sought to detox your body of this drug while alleviating withdrawal symptoms including severe depression or suicidal thoughts.
Professional detox will also ensure that there are no potential physical complications during detoxing. This is of particular significance because sudden shifts in brain chemistry can trigger seizures and heart attacks; stimulant abuse may cause depression, insomnia and loss of appetite which could prove life-threatening if left unchecked. These symptoms must not be underestimated when undertaking such an endeavor.
At your detox, medications will be provided to you to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. These could include antidepressants to ease anxiety and depression as well as sleep aids to speed up your recovery process – essential since many people struggle with insomnia or loss of appetite when detoxing from stimulants.
Opioid Abuse Disorder
Opioid abuse is an all-too-common problem affecting all age groups. It begins when someone takes prescribed opioids to manage pain and develops a tolerance, meaning they require increasingly larger amounts to feel its effect. People misusing opioids may take higher doses than prescribed or crush pills into powder form to snort or inject. Such practices pose grave health risks that could potentially result in overdose deaths.
Opioids work by stimulating the release of endorphins in your brain. These endorphins reduce pain perception, enhance feelings of pleasure and ease anxiety; but unfortunately, their positive effects only last temporarily, leading to addiction even after having fulfilled one prescription.
Medication-assisted therapy, also known as Medication Assisted Recovery, refers to combining FDA-approved medications with behavioral therapies and patient monitoring as an approach to treat opioid or stimulant addictions. Common medications used include methadone, buprenorphine, Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone).
Psychologists and psychiatrists form part of the treatment team to assist individuals in breaking free of opioid and substance addictions. Behavioral therapy assists in identifying and changing unhealthy behaviors which contribute to misuse. Furthermore, patients learn new coping skills for managing substance or opioid misuse which will assist with long-term recovery.
Alcohol Abuse Disorder
Alcohol Use Disorder, more commonly referred to as AUD, affects those who struggle with controlling their drinking (source: https://medlineplus.gov/alcoholusedisorderaud.html). It can lead to issues in relationships with family and friends, work and school as well as serious health conditions like heart disease, cancer and liver disease; blackouts, memory problems and poor decision making may occur, increasing one’s chances of contracting HIV and viral hepatitis infection.
Medication assisted treatment can be an excellent option for many with addiction to substances . It may provide assistance for quitting while breaking the cycle of relapse and recurrence, providing more freedom in your quest to quit smoking or drinking. An individual suffering from AUD should consult their healthcare provider regarding their eligibility for MAT and learn more about its process.
Some individuals with substance or alcohol use disorders do not recognize they need help and therefore fail to receive it. Family and friends can attempt to convince someone with a substance or alcohol use disorder to seek treatment by organizing an intervention – an event where a group of people gather in one location with the intent of having an honest discussion about their addiction directly with that individual.
Women’s Health
Women with substance use disorder who are pregnant or breastfeeding face an increased risk of unintended pregnancy than other women, and may face stigma from family, healthcare providers and society that discourages them from seeking treatment for their addiction. A simple search of “is medication assisted treatment effective for women?” yields various results. But medication-assisted therapy may provide long-term recovery to these mothers while improving outcomes for both themselves and their newborn babies.
Women struggling with opioid Use Disorder (OUD) may benefit from using an opioid agonist medication and behavioral health counseling in combination to manage withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings and boost motivation to engage in care. A buprenorphine-based MAT system has been demonstrated as safe and effective at treating OUD during pregnancy and breastfeeding; additionally, behavioral counseling may help address co-occurring mental health disorders such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In order to provide safe treatment of OUD during pregnancy and breastfeeding, all healthcare providers, particularly obstetricians, must understand and be familiar with MAT’s benefits and safety. Furthermore, collaborative work between obstetricians and behavioral health specialists must take place so as to refer women with OUD directly into an effective medication-assisted treatment program.
