It’s daunting to think about starting a recovery journey, and you may be unsure of the best path forward to achieve sobriety. In recent years, medication-assisted therapy, also known as medication-assisted treatment or MAT, has emerged as a powerful tool in the fight against addiction. However, the decision of whether or not MAT is suitable for you requires input from addiction treatment professionals and careful consideration of how appropriate it might be in your specific situation.
What Is Medication-Assisted Therapy?
Medication-assisted therapy is an evidence-based approach to managing substance use disorders. It combines medicines with behavioral therapies and counseling for comprehensive support when you’re in recovery.
The primary goal of MAT is to reduce the harmful effects of substance abuse and alleviate withdrawal symptoms. MAT can also help prevent relapse and promote long-term recovery.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved medications for MAT that specifically target the same receptors in the brain that are affected by addictive substances.
While beneficial for many, MAT isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. A treatment plan has to be tailored to your specific needs, substance use patterns, and medical history. MAT also needs to be combined with counseling and supportive services.
The integration of medications with therapeutic interventions offers a holistic, comprehensive way to treat addiction that addresses the physical and psychological components. Combining medicine with other approaches improves outcomes and increases retention in treatment programs. It also reduces the risk of overdose.
What Is MAT Used to Treat?
Medication-assisted therapy is used to treat opioid and alcohol use disorders.
Medicines to treat opioid addiction and dependence include:
- Methadone: This is a long-acting opioid agonist. It binds to the same receptors in the brain that opioids like prescription painkillers or heroin do, but in a controlled way. Methadone can minimize withdrawal symptoms and cravings without the euphoria of other opioids.
- Buprenorphine: This acts as a partial opioid agonist, so it binds to opioid receptors but not as intensely as heroin or prescription pain medicines. It reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms and has a lower risk of misuse and overdose.
- Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist, so it works by blocking opioid effects without activating the receptors. It reduces the rewarding effects of using opioids and minimizes cravings.
For alcohol use disorder, medications include:
- Acamprosate: This medication stabilizes brain chemical imbalances that are caused by alcohol consumption. It modulates the activity of neurotransmitters like glutamate, which play a role in alcohol withdrawal and cravings.
- Disulfiram: It works by inhibiting an enzyme that’s part of alcohol metabolism. If you drink while you’re taking disulfiram, it causes unpleasant symptoms, helping to deter you.
- Naltrexone: Also used for opioid use disorder, naltrexone can be used to treat alcohol dependence because it reduces cravings and the rewarding effects of alcohol.
Is MAT a Cure For Addiction?
While medication-assisted therapy can be precious in the right situations, it’s not an addiction cure. Instead, it’s a tool to manage specific symptoms and support recovery. Addiction is complicated, and medicines don’t address all its aspects on their own.
A combination of factors usually influences addiction, and MAT mainly addresses the biological aspect because it targets the brain’s receptors impacted by addictive substances. It’s not going to address the underlying social or psychological factors contributing to addiction, however.
Addiction also involves ways of behaving and thinking that can be ongoing, even with MAT. This is where behavioral therapies and counseling are essential. You can change your underlying behavior patterns and develop coping skills in these ways.
Rather than being a cure for addiction, MAT is viewed as playing a role in reducing the harm associated with substance abuse, promoting stability, and helping improve your quality of life. Successfully recovering from addiction usually requires a multifaceted approach.
Who Can Benefit from Medication-Assisted Therapy?
Many people might benefit from MAT, including individuals with a history of chronic alcohol or opioid use who haven’t been able to maintain sobriety through other interventions.
People who are physically dependent on opioids or alcohol and are at risk of experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms can also be well-suited to MAT, as can people with medical or mental health conditions that could complicate withdrawal management.
What Are the Pros and Cons of MAT?
When you understand the pros and cons of medication-assisted therapy, you can have an informed discussion with your treatment team or help a loved one who might be struggling with addiction and want to explore treatment options.
The benefits of medication-assisted treatment include:
- Reduced cravings and withdrawal symptoms, so it’s easier to abstain from using drugs or alcohol.
- Since MAT can stabilize your brain chemistry and reduce the rewarding effects of substances, it can lower the risk of relapse.
- Studies show that MAT is linked to higher treatment retention rates, better therapy adherence, and improved treatment outcomes.
- Medications like buprenorphine can reduce the risk of deadly opioid overdoses.
- The holistic approach that underlies MAT addresses the physical and mental parts of substance use disorders.
The downsides to MAT are essential to consider as well.
- Some medicines used in MAT can lead to tolerance and dependence over time, especially methadone and buprenorphine. This could lead to needing higher doses to get the same therapeutic effects and withdrawal symptoms when stopping.
- Even though it’s an evidence-based and practical approach to treating addiction, sometimes MAT is still stigmatized. There’s a misconception that MAT is substituting one addiction for another, and unfortunately, that can discourage people from seeking treatment.
- MAT may be limited because of affordability and other access issues.
- MAT can cause side effects like nausea, constipation, and sleep disturbances.
- Some medicines used in MAT are subject to strict regulations, including providers needing special licensing.
Even though there are some possible downsides, the overall benefits of MAT tend to outweigh these for many people. You can discuss it with your treatment providers and weigh the pros and cons carefully.
When you receive treatment at San Diego Detox, each person’s treatment plan is built around their particular needs. Our multidisciplinary treatment team ensures that your treatment plan is tailored to your preferences, and we work with you in a collaborative partnership to ensure that you receive everything you need to facilitate a sustained recovery.
