Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) is the use of medications along with counseling and behavioral therapy to treat opioid use disorders. It prevents overdoses, restores opportunities and saves lives.
Opiate addiction is a chronic disorder which requires chronic treatment. Abstinence-based treatment is rarely maintained and poses a real risk of relapse and overdose. Addiction is like many illnesses that cannot be cured and instead requires management. Effective medications are available for you or your loved one who are struggling with opioid dependence.
People dependent on street opioids who
receive medication assisted treatment live healthier, safer lives than those who do not.
How MAT Works
Treatment that includes medication is proven to be the most successful choice for opiate addiction. Medication allows the addict to regain a normal state of mind, free from drug-induced highs and lows. It not only reduces the problems of withdrawal and craving, but also frees them from emotional and behavioral ties to the drug. These changes can offer you or your loved one the chance to focus on the changes that lead back to a healthy lifestyle.
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The use of opiate replacement therapy is similar to taking medications for heart disease or diabetes. It is not the same as substituting one addictive drug for another and does not create a new addiction. When used properly, it helps manage addiction so the benefits of recovery can be maintained.
You have options. And we are here to help.
Methadone
Methadone is a long-acting medication that is used as a maintenance treatment for individuals addicted to heroin and certain prescription drugs. When used in proper doses, methadone does not create euphoria, sedation, or an analgesic effect. Rather, methadone helps normalize the body's neurological and hormonal functions that have been impaired by the use of heroin or misuse of other prescription drugs. Doses must be determined on a case-by-case basis and the proper dose is one at which the cravings stop, without creating the effects of euphoria or sedation.
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Methadone Maintenance Treatment provides several benefits:
- Reduces or eliminates cravings for heroin or other opioid drugs
- Prevents withdrawal
- Blocks the effects of other opioids
- Reduces the risk of overdose
- Supports increased physical and emotional health
- Increases the overall quality of life for the patient
Buprenorphine (Suboxone)
Buprenorphine is an effective, safe medication approved by the FDA for use in the treatment of opioid addiction. It relieves withdrawal, reduces cravings and blocks the effects of heroin in ways similar to methadone. It can be used short-term for detox or long-term as maintenance medication.
Similar to methadone, the person who takes buprenorphine feels normal, not high.
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Buprenorphine provides several benefits:
- Reduces or eliminates cravings for heroin or other opioid drugs
- Prevents withdrawal
- Blocks the effects of other opioids
- Reduces the risk of overdose
- Supports increased physical and emotional health
- Increases the overall quality of life for the patient