HOW DOES MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT WORK?
For some, drug and alcohol addiction recovery mean running in circles: joining a recovery center, relapsing, entering a new program.
It’s not because of a personal failing. The effects drug and alcohol abuse have on the brain are that powerful. For some, stopping drug use is borderline impossible.
At The Forge, we view addiction like most view a chronic disease: something which can be managed with regular prescription medication use. For addiction, that means medication-assisted treatment or MAT. MAT is an evidence-based, effective, and safe way to help others achieve sustained recovery.
HOW RECOVERING FROM ADDICTION WITH MAT WORKS
Although chemically similar to illicit drugs, MAT medications are given in a highly controlled, safe manner. MAT is also known as drug replacement therapy and helps to recover people by:
WHAT DRUGS ARE USED IN MAT TREATMENT?
There are a broad variety of MAT medications, and they come in a variety of forms, including injections and oral films. Common MAT medication includes:
MAT’s main benefit is helping people for whom an abstinence-based approach hasn’t worked achieve sustained recovery. MAT helps minimize withdrawal symptoms, reduce drug cravings, and help deter substance abuse.
IS MAT A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ADDICTION TREATMENT?
Yes, especially for opioid abuse. One of the deadliest forms of drug use, opioids have been driving climbing overdose rates in the US for nearly a decade. Here’s how:
MAT couldn’t be more different from street drug use. Provided in a secure, clinical setting, clinicians supervise patients as they take their medication and also monitor them for complications and side effects.
Also, MAT is always accompanied by a comprehensive treatment plan aimed at treating opioid addiction. With MAT, people can do the hard, necessary work of recovery free from withdrawal symptoms, drug cravings, and risks of drug use.
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