Medication-Assisted Treatment uses prescription drugs, counseling, and individualized behavior modification strategies to break the cycle of addiction. The medicines balance the chemistry of the brain, easing cravings and blocking withdrawal symptoms, allowing the patient to better focus on counseling and therapy to get at the psychological root of the addiction.
“I don’t think that there are any areas where the data is shaky. It clearly shows better outcomes with medication assisted therapy than without it,” Dr. Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, told STAT NEWS. “Studies have shown that outcomes are much better when you are on medication-assisted therapy. For one, it decreases the risk of relapse — significantly. Second, MAT has also been shown to be effective in preventing infectious diseases like HIV. Third, medication assisted therapy has been shown to be effective in preventing overdoses,” she said.
How Medication Assisted Treatment Works
Prescription drugs, counseling, and individualized behavior modification strategies are all used in MAT to break the cycle of addiction. The drug balances the chemistry of the brain by blocking cravings and alleviating withdrawal symptoms. Counseling and therapy are typically considerably more effective when harmful withdrawal symptoms and cravings are absent.
Opioids, which include drugs like fentanyl, oxycodone, and heroin, flood the brain with the neurotransmitter dopamine, signaling pleasure. The pleasure may resemble euphoria for a person predisposed to addiction, a feeling that the brain develops a craving for. To reach a pleasurable condition, the medication must be used in increasing amounts. The user eventually has to take more and more of the drug merely to feel normal. Drug cravings turn into an insatiable appetite, impairing function and causing erratic, destructive conduct. Going without the drug fuels anxiety, despair, and a variety of physically excruciating withdrawal symptoms, including exhaustion, cramping in the muscles, nausea, and night sweats.
The Best Recovery Treatment for You
Coming to terms with a substance use disorder is not as challenging as it used to be. Treatment and recovery options have come a long way in recent years. Finding the appropriate strategy is crucial as therapy options expand and improve. At Florida Treatment Services, we provide a variety of therapeutic choices to go along with the medication-assisted treatment’s medicinal component. These include individual, group, and family therapy as well as cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and others.
Florida Treatment Services has addiction recovery centers throughout Central Florida offering on-site dispensation of methadone, suboxone, and naltrexone. We are passionate about our mission to help our clientele reclaim their lives. Our state-of-the-art treatment facilities offer hope and help to those who struggle with opioid addiction in Orlando, Marianna, Palm Beach, Kissimmee, New Port Richey, Crestview, Tampa, and Clearwater. Call 407-783-6273 if you or a loved one needs a fresh start.
