When addiction specialists developed what is called medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for addiction, it greatly benefited those seeking recovery. Currently, alcohol and opioid addictions are the only two thus far for which MAT is approved by the FDA. The treatment is a combination of therapy to support recovery and medications to curb cravings, and it increases long-term recovery outcomes. Upwards of a million people in the US benefit from MAT programs in ongoing recovery from alcohol or opioid use disorders.
MAT can make a difference in your recovery. Learn more about the benefits of a MAT program and how Apex Recovery Nashville can support you through withdrawal and the beginning of your recovery. Contact us by completing this form or calling 615.703.4639. We will answer all your questions.
What Is Medication-Assisted Treatment?
There are more medications used successfully in MAT than originally when this form of treatment was first developed about fifty years ago. The medications used in this treatment interact with your brain chemistry to counter the effects of addiction and return your brain to chemical balance.
Addiction interrupts the brain’s ability to produce its own neurotransmitters, like dopamine and serotonin. Medication-assisted treatment helps the brain learn how to do that again—without opioids or alcohol.
Psychotherapy is a critical piece of this treatment and teaches life skills, coping mechanisms, and how to eliminate psychological cravings. Evidence-based therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) offer distinct benefits within a MAT program.
Benefits of MAT Programs
There are numerous benefits of medication-assisted treatment that can be accessed in an addiction rehab inpatient or outpatient program. Medication-assisted treatment saves lives.
- MAT addresses the whole person and is personalized to your needs. Because your treatment is supervised by both a physician and a therapist, your mental, psychological, and physical health are cared for.
- The medications used in MAT eliminate the symptoms of withdrawal as well as cravings.
- MAT medications also interfere with the brain’s receptors, so you do not get high if you relapse, removing any pleasure or euphoria from the experience.
- The medications used in MAT have few, if any, side effects and can be taken safely over years. If you decide you want to wean off of them, that is possible too, and decisions about when and if to do that can be made in conversation with your treatment team.
- MAT improves retention rates in treatment as well as long-term recovery outcomes because it significantly reduces relapse rates.
Consider a medication-assisted treatment protocol. It can work for you, regardless of your lifestyle or situation.
Discover the Many Benefits of MAT at Apex Recovery Nashville
At Apex Recovery Nashville, we help you balance the two aspects of medication-assisted treatment. Unlike therapy on its own or medication on its own, MAT ensures the whole person is treated, which is fundamental to the success rates of this form of addiction treatment.
Medication supports your therapy but is not an alternative to it. When you add therapy to the treatment plan, you address aspects of yourself that will help you remain sober, from communication skills to coping with stress. If you have a co-occurring mental health condition such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD, the therapy, not the medication, addresses that while the medication helps you avoid physical drug cravings.
Reach out to Apex Recovery Nashville to learn how medication-assisted treatment utilizes evidence-based therapies in an overall plan to usher you from opioid or alcohol dependence to a life of independence. Part of our mission is to follow the best scientific, medical, and holistic guidelines for dealing with addiction. We offer MAT in a comfortable setting with the goal of lifetime recovery. Our number is 615.703.4639 or you can use this online form to connect.