Medication-Assisted Treatment in Colorado
FDA defines Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) as the use of medication combined with counseling and behavioral therapies. MAT is most effective in treating Opioid Use Disorders (OUD) and can help sustain recovery.
Healing Pines Recovery provides expert medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in Colorado to help clients recover from substance abuse disorders. Our treatment center near Denver can provide you or your loved one with the necessary support to begin the healing process.
What Is MAT?
MAT is medication combined with counseling and behavioral therapies to provide a holistic approach to treating substance use disorders. MAT also addresses different health conditions in the course of treatment.
MAT is used primarily to treat addiction to opioids like heroin and prescription pain relievers containing opiates. In 2019, an estimated 10.1 million individuals aged 12 and above misused opioids in the previous year. These figures constantly rise, thus enforcing the need for MAT as an effective method to curb opioid usage effects.
The period between 2016 and 2018 alone witnessed a 142% increase in patients receiving MAT at HRSA-funded health centers. In a nutshell, MAT is an effective method for treating addiction to opioids.
Is MAT Effective?
MAT is a suitable alternative to inpatient detox services. To understand MAT’s effectiveness in treating opioid addictions, it is vital to understand its dangers.
Understanding the Dangers Linked with Opioids
The opium poppy plant is the source of naturally occurring opioids like codeine, morphine, and heroin. On the other hand, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, methadone, tramadol, and carfentanil are created in laboratories. These drugs come with a potent sedating and pain-relieving effect.
Unfortunately, they also have a significant potential for physical and psychological dependence. The peak effect is death. The CDC estimated an increase in opioid overdose deaths from 56,064 to 74,673 from 2020 to April 2021.
Whether used as an illegal street drug or a legal prescription pill, opioid effects are strikingly similar. There is a severe risk of overdose, which depresses respiratory drive and interferes with or slows breathing.
Can MAT Help Avoid These Dangers?
MAT is clinically effective and, as previously mentioned, reduces the need for inpatient detox for addicts. It offers a comprehensive, individually personalized medication and behavioral therapy program to treat most patients’ needs.
MAT’s ultimate goal is full recovery, for example, the ability to live independent lives, free from drug influence. MAT has proved its effectiveness in:
- Improving patient survival
- Increasing treatment retention
- Reducing illicit opiate usage and resulting effects such as criminal activity
- Increasing one’s ability to gain and maintain employment
- Improving birth outcomes for women with substance use orders.
To achieve these positive effects, MAT uses FDA-approved medication and highly effective therapy.
Drugs Used in MAT
It is important to note that MAT can also deal with alcohol dependency. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several medications to treat opioid and alcohol use disorders. These medications relieve the withdrawal symptoms and psychological cravings, causing chemical imbalances in one’s body.
MAT-Used Medication to Manage Alcohol Dependency
The most common medications used to treat alcohol use disorders include:
- Naltrexone
- Disulfiram
- Acamprosate
MAT-Used Medication to Manage Opioid Dependency
Medications used to treat opioid use disorders include:
- Methadone
- Naltrexone
- Buprenorphine.
Naloxone helps to prevent opioid overdose by reversing the toxic effects of an overdose. It is considered a highly essential medication to a functioning healthcare system. These drugs are sometimes known by their brand names, such as Vivitrol and Suboxone.
Benefits of MAT
MAT has become a therapy of choice for most individuals suffering from substance use disorders, primarily opioid dependence. MAT is an evidence-based approach to treatment. Both the National Institutes of Health and the American Medical Association endorse MAT as a legitimate form of treatment.
Medications prescribed in MAT function in terms of brain chemistry. They block the resulting euphoric effects to minimize psychological and physical cravings. Over time, they normalize the body’s chemistry.
Currently, opioid treatment programs have improved knowledge of opioid addiction treatment and drug addiction overall. Along with such knowledge is the fundamental benefit of MAT can provide patients. MAT for drug addiction provides multiple benefits, including:
- MAT uses FDA-approved drugs. FDA-approved drugs have been tried and tested, and their effectiveness certified by industry experts.
- MAT curbs the risk of death from overdose.
- MAT helps to reduce the social and legal challenges of drug abuse, such as crime and the resulting jail time.
- MAT restores drug addicts into respectable, noticeable, and appreciated members of society. Drug users tend to get unwarranted stigma from family and friends. A properly structured medical assisted treatment program helps transform drug users into their better selves. MAT allows them to fit in and have normal, functional lives with their families and workplaces.
- MAT helps in the recovery process by preventing addiction-related problems. This treatment option reduces adverse health events such as elevated liver enzymes. The physical effects of addiction include respiratory depression for opioid users or cirrhosis for alcohol dependents.
- MAT increases the chances of long-term success. Unfortunately, there is an unfounded stigma that MAT merely substitutes one drug addiction for another. This is despite MAT medications' effectiveness in helping ease physical discomforts of withdrawal and withdrawal. A proper MAT program includes holistic treatments extending beyond the detox process
MAT with Healing Pines Recovery
MAT isn’t necessarily a cure to your drug addiction. It is simply a means to an end. The results that MAT achieves are highly impressive, provided you are dealing with an expert and experienced service provider.
At Healing Pines Recovery, we make it our mission to help you overcome drug-related challenges, from withdrawals to cravings. We provide expert MAT in Colorado with the help of our expert medical professionals. We have years of proven experience with MAT and are ready to help support your recovery. Contact us to learn more or schedule a consultation with our MAT experts.
