Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) is a priority topic (and a controversial one), in the addiction treatment and recovery industries. But what – exactly – is it?
Medication Assisted Treatment: The Facts
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT), including opioid treatment programs (OTPs), combine behavioral therapy and medications to treat substance use disorders.
The various methods and interventions employed in MAT practices are heavily researched and evidence-based, and for our purposes there is cause for discussion of the most prevalent – and most commonly prescribed – medications in use in the addiction treatment field today.
The Difference in Philosophy
To responsibly study and consider Medication Assisted Treatment, we need a solid understanding of why its use is even a question… why it’s “controversial” at all. Why isn’t it simply a tool or an intervention on hand to use – case by case – for patients who meet criteria based on a complex and individualized assessment process? Haven’t we seen the extraordinary benefits of Pharmacology in the study and treatment of diseases and disorders of all kinds? (Not least of which include mental health disorders that are commonly co-occurring with substance use disorders.)
Abstinence-Based Treatment
For a long time, all throughout the history of Addiction Treatment, in fact – from its inception through its evolution and into today – the dominant belief is that Abstinence Based Treatment is the most effective (some would say “natural”) way to establish a foundation in sobriety and move full-force into lifelong addiction recovery. Abstinence-based simply means “no other drugs”, “no medications”, etc. It’s almost as if there exists a sub-stigma within the wider stigma of drug addiction and treatment at large… a contempt and condemnation of emerging treatment methodologies that appear to “conflict” with established norms and approaches.
It’s not uncommon to hear terms like “crutch” or “fake sobriety” thrown around in uneducated and unempathetic environments throughout the treatment & recovery communities.
So, What Medications Are We Talking About?
- Buprenorphine, commonly sold as Subutex or Suboxone, is an opiate used to treat opioid addiction, as well as moderate or chronic pain. It is often combined with Naloxone (a medication used to block the effects of opiates), when used to treat addiction(s).
- Methadone, an opioid used to treat pain or as an Opiate detoxification or maintenance drug, has been in use for decades – either with or without therapeutic services – to minimize the risk of death and overdose, and in different degrees and approaches to complement therapy or help patients abstain from dangerous and lethal street drugs like Heroin.
- Naltrexone, commonly found in the form of the brand drug Vivitrol, is administered as an injection and acts to stop the activity of opioids in the brain and body, and to reduce the craving for opiates in addicts.
Those are just the basics. Experts across the country employ various methods of intervention to work with clients and identify the best possible arrangement of behavioral health counseling and medications.
The Integrated Model
We’ve seen a growing shift across the industry in recent years; the emergence of “Integrated” and “Holistic” program models.
In reality, an Integrated Treatment Model refers to a program that – frankly and clearly – refocuses its position as an agent in a patient’s recovery and wellness process. An Integrated Program is an open-minded program. Its services center around patient-focused, individualized screening and assessment processes, and it’s trained, equipped and educated in the administration of various treatment approaches – from abstinence-based, 12-step recovery focused treatment plans, to alternative recovery plans, to wellness plans, to Medication Assisted Treatment resources.
“Because as treatment professionals we’re supposed to be there for our patient communities. We’re supposed to know what we’re talking about… to think of their needs and work for them. This isn’t about forming a clinical philosophy around our own beliefs and opinions. It’s about making every quality treatment resource available to the millions of Americans suffering and dying in the fight against addiction.”
Integrated PA Drug Rehab Centers
Our Pennsylvania Drug Rehab Centers offer truly integrated treatment services to individuals, families and communities affected by the addiction epidemic. Our evaluation process is highly individualized, ensuring you and your loved ones have access to expert care and unwavering compassion… all in a sophisticated recovery environment with all the amenities of home. CALL TODAY
