AGAPE MAT drug rehab in Fort Lauderdale defines medication-assisted treatment or MAT. Medication-assisted treatment is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a “whole-patient” approach to the treatment of substance use disorders. Research shows that a combination of medication and therapy can successfully treat these disorders, and for some people struggling with addiction, MAT can help sustain recovery. Learn about our addiction treatment programs in Fort Lauderdale.
What is Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)?
Medication-assisted treatment is the use of medical treatment, in addition to counseling and EDMR therapy, to help patients recover from an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Medication-Assisted Treatment is sometimes also called medical detox, although this term more accurately describes the initial period after someone has stopped using drugs or alcohol when they are at risk of potentially life-threatening withdrawal symptoms.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen an increase in the availability of medication-assisted treatment and opioid substitution therapy (OST). While many of these treatments are currently available, there is still a lot of confusion about what MAT and OST are and how they’re administered. Let’s take a look at what MAT and OST are, as well as why they exist and the people they help the most.
Using medication to treat drug and alcohol addiction is called medication-assisted treatment (MAT). While MAT has been part of standard care for some time, there has been a recent shift in focus on its importance. MAT incorporates a range of medications designed to help people stop using drugs and stay clean. Suboxone, for example, is a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone that works by binding to opioid receptors in place of heroin or prescription painkillers. Methadone acts similarly, but with longer-lasting effects. These two medicines allow users who were once dependent on dangerous drugs to lead productive lives with full physical health and clear minds.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): What to Expect
AGAPE Addiction Treatment Center facilities use medications to help individuals overcome their addictions. These substance abuse treatments and mental health treatments are known as medication-assisted treatments (MAT). These treatments combine medications that assist in alleviating withdrawal symptoms while reducing cravings and maintaining abstinence from drug use. MATs include buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone, and acamprosate. Each of these medications serves a unique purpose in helping patients achieve long-term sobriety.
These medications are used in a variety of different settings. Some are administered through a doctor’s office, while others can be taken at home with a minimum amount of oversight from healthcare providers. Some patients need to undergo periodic drug testing as part of their treatment plan. Still, others may only need MATs as part of an intensive outpatient program (IOP) or residential inpatient program that incorporates other therapies such as group and individual counseling, as well as support from family members and friends.
Research indicates that MATs are highly effective in helping people recover from their addiction to heroin and other opioid drugs. The medications can alleviate drug cravings, so patients find it easier to resist taking more of their drug of choice. With continued use of these treatments, patients also reduce their chances of relapse, which helps them achieve long-term sobriety. Given these benefits, many experts believe that MATs should be prescribed to all people who are trying to overcome an addiction to opioids or other drugs.
Achieve Sobriety at Our MAT Program in Fort Lauderdale
Our MAT drug rehab in Fort Lauderdale understands MAT is needed for some to achieve long-term sobriety. Understand that MAT is primarily used for the treatment of addiction to opioids such as heroin and prescription pain relievers that contain opiates. Understanding MAT will assist in understanding how to help someone overcome prescription pill use. The prescribed medication has several key things it does. Some of the important factors include the following.
- operates to normalize brain chemistry
- block the euphoric effects of alcohol and Opioids
- relieve physiological cravings
- normalize body functions without the negative effects of the abused drug
Medications used in MAT are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and MAT programs are clinically driven and tailored to meet each patient’s needs. Combining medications used in MAT with anxiety treatment medications can be fatal. Types of anxiety treatment medications include derivatives of Benzodiazepine, such as Xanax or Valium.
If you’re ready to get your life back and enjoy sobriety for good, medication-assisted treatment can help. Our drug and alcohol rehab in Fort Lauderdale can help now! Instead of just treating physical symptoms with medication, medication-assisted treatment helps restore chemical balance in your brain. This is a process known as neurochemical rewiring. This method uses FDA-approved drugs like methadone and buprenorphine (Suboxone) to minimize cravings and help you develop healthier patterns of behavior. Essentially, these medications make it easier for you to overcome withdrawal symptoms. They reduce drug use without experiencing intense cravings or dangerous side effects. To learn more about whether it’s right for you, we encourage you to reach out to us today and speak with one of our mental health care coordinators.
It’s common for people to think that medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is simply substituting one drug for another, but that isn’t actually true. Instead, these drugs help rewire your brain and support you in developing healthy habits that can help you reduce or quit drug use altogether. They work by targeting specific receptors in your brain to block cravings. So instead of only treating physical symptoms, they also improve your ability to resist temptation and stay focused on long-term goals—without experiencing dangerous side effects. When used correctly under medical supervision, MAT can be effective at helping people overcome substance abuse. For many recovering addicts it offers a better chance of long-term sobriety than any other treatment method.
Find Healing at Agape Treatment Center in Florida
We here at AGAPE Treatment Center take mental health issues of all varieties very seriously and provide a safe, nurturing environment where one can learn about the disorders plaguing them from an emotionally unstable life. Our licensed mental health clinicians will fully assess an individual that seems, feels, or has been previously diagnosed with a mental health disorder, and meet them exactly where they are in life. Developing a comprehensive plan of action to encourage healthy and adaptive techniques to learn how to productively address their mental health issues through a variety of methodologies such as:
- Rational emotive behavior therapy
- Rational behavior therapy
- Psychoeducation
- Group Sessions
Contact us today if you or a loved one is interested in our treatment services.
- February 22, 2023
- Updated Date: December 1, 2023
