medication assisted treatment Archives - Woburn Wellness Addiction Treatment

Medications such as Suboxone, Vivitrol, Naltrexone and Methadone can be an important part of a person’s substance use disorder recovery process. We know there is sometimes a stigma around Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) that can make you unsure if taking medication for addiction is right for you. Does Medication Assisted Treatment work? What is Medicated Assisted Treatment for opioid addiction? The team of clinicians and prescribers at our rehab facility near Boston, MA, can answer these questions and explain the many benefits of Medication Assisted Treatment for substance abuse.

How Does Medication Assisted Treatment Work?
In our clinical treatment program, nurse practitioners ensure they are prescribing and monitoring the correct dosages of medications and determining the ideal length of time that MAT should be used to support recovery. It’s important that the type and amount of medication helps people function without providing adverse effects such as “nodding off.” That’s why the Woburn Wellness Addiction Treatment professionals closely monitor and collaborate with medical professionals about how MAT is influencing a person’s recovery to improve Medication Assisted Treatment effectiveness.

Medication Assisted Treatment for Alcohol & Opioid Addiction
There are two common medications that our nurse practitioners prescribe for Medication Assisted Treatment: Vivitrol and Suboxone. Vivitrol or Naltrexone is used in Medication Assisted Treatment for opioid addiction and alcohol abuse by reducing a person’s urge to drink or use drugs. Suboxone is used to treat pain and addiction to narcotic painkillers by relieving withdrawal symptoms. It’s most often taken sublingually (under the tongue) in the form of a dissolvable pill or film. Though some people don’t support MAT and think of this method of treatment as “substituting one drug for another,” these medications can relieve cravings and symptoms of withdrawal to help people achieve sobriety and addiction-free lives when administered in safe and controlled doses.

Medicated Assisted Treatment near Me
Along with Medicated Assisted Treatment, therapy and counseling can help you or a loved one through addiction recovery. We also work with local methadone clinics, so don’t hesitate to contact Woburn Wellness Addiction Treatment in Massachusetts to discuss our Medication Assisted Treatment programs. Ask about other ways we can facilitate successful recovery, as our rehab center offers IOP, an Outpatient Program and Day Treatment in addition to MAT.

Medication Assisted Treatment, commonly referred to MAT, is the use of FDA approved medications combined with behavioral therapies to treat substance use disorders. Oftentimes people that use MAT feel segregated, invalid, or that their recovery does not “count,” which results in the stigma of substance use being continuously fueled by ignorance and intolerance. This intolerance comes from the argument that MAT is simply substituting one opioid with another and that this does not necessarily move the needle much, so to say. It is important note that there are two different types of MAT’s that can be prescribed by a doctor.

Doctors can give people opiates that activate the same receptors but are absorbed into the blood over a longer period of time — staving off withdrawal symptoms and breaking a psychological link between taking a drug and immediately feeling high. Doctors can also give someone an opioid antagonist — a non-opioid drug that sits on those same receptors and blocks them — so that if someone relapses, he or she won’t feel anything. (StatNews.com)

It is very important that the doctors prescribing these medications follow a very strict implementation process and run through a thorough assessment before distributing any sort of of MAT to a client. While people are always entitled to their opinion or view of what works best for them, it is imperative to know that what has worked for them may not work for someone else. Recovery is not a one size shoe fits all sort of process but it is important to recognize that these medications, such as Suboxone, Methadone, and Vivitrol, can NOT be the only form of recovery in order for MAT to be successful. Putting a bandaid over a bullet wound does not “fix” the problem. When a person using MAT truly engages in evidence based treatment, SMART recovery, or the 12 steps their recovery is much more likely to be successful.

As a person who found recovery through the 12 steps with an abstinence based foundation, I have learned that a true tolerance of other people’s viewpoints makes me more useful and approachable for others to reach out and seek help. Our goal at Woburn Wellness is to implement numerous different treatment methods for a holistic approach to recovery. We strive to meet each client we encounter with the most professional, compassionate, and understanding manner in order to be of maximum use and support.

Tag: medication assisted treatment

What Is MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) for Substance Abuse?

Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)