Millions of people misuse opioids or alcohol every year. This addiction can damage relationships, ruin your health, and harm you financially. If you are struggling to break free, be assured that there is hope! One method that may help you is medication-assisted treatment, which is also known as MAT. What is MAT, and what are some of its benefits? This blog post explains.
What Is MAT?
MAT involves the use of medications that work within the body to reduce cravings for opioids and/or alcohol. For example, they might block certain receptors in the brain to reduce the intoxicating or euphoric effects of addictive substances. Or, they might create a weak euphoric effect to help patients wean themselves off of harder drugs.
Here are some important things to note about MAT programs:
- They are customized to the needs of each individual patient.
- Some health insurance plans cover MAT.
- MAT is usually not a standalone therapy. Your care team may recommend that you pair it with talk therapy so you can deal with the emotional and mental health aspect of addiction.
What Are the Medical Benefits of MAT?
MAT has some proven benefits:
- MAT-assisted treatment is consistently more effective at helping patients achieve long-term results than drug-free approaches to therapy.
- It can greatly lower the risk of fatal overdose.
- It may reduce the risk of relapse.
- It reduces the pain and other symptoms associated with withdrawal.
- It may help to normalize the body’s chemistry.
- When MAT prescriptions are used properly, they are quite safe.
- By helping patients cope with addiction, MAT can promote long-term health and wellness.
Should You Start MAT?
You might be a good candidate for MAT if:
- You have been diagnosed with opioid or alcohol addiction.
- You have a history of relapsing after stopping substance abuse.
- You experience very intense cravings for alcohol or opioids.
- You are at a high risk of overdose.
Most important of all, you should be committed to recovery. Even with the help of medications, conquering addiction can be challenging. Your determination to succeed can be the key to long-term freedom!
There are plenty of reasons to consider medication-assisted treatment! Talk to a qualified provider to learn if this type of program is right for you.
Meet the Practice
At B&L Medical Group in Mission, KS, we are committed to helping people who struggle with addiction to opioids or alcohol. We provide compassionate and personalized care with a view to producing long-term improvements for our patients. If you would like to learn more about us and the medication-assisted treatment that we offer, contact our office at 913-713-1238.