Everything You Should Know About Medication-Assisted Therapy

Opioid addiction can be stressful and confusing for both individuals as well as their families. You may understand when it’s time to get help and that various treatments are available but the options may not be clear to you. Among all available options, MAT (Medication-Assisted Therapy) has been successful for decades and is considered crucial to fighting the opioid epidemic.

What is MAT?

It is the use of certain medications with counseling to treat addiction. It is common in healing opioid and alcohol addiction and is a whole-patient approach to healing.

MAT medications for alcohol addiction

MAT for alcohol addiction may include the use of naltrexone. Depending on the treatment center, they may also use several other medications, however, the most common is acamprosate and disulfiram.

Disulfiram helps treat chronic alcohol addiction in people who are in the first stages of abstinence and have completed detoxification. Disulfiram does not reduce alcohol cravings but causes adverse reactions when someone consumes alcohol. The unpleasant symptoms of this reaction act as a deterrent in discouraging people from consuming alcohol.

On the other hand, acamprosate helps in reducing cravings for alcohol and alleviates some long-lasting withdrawal symptoms such as insomnia and anxiety. Like disulfiram, acamprosate does not cause adverse reactions so it won’t interfere if someone decides to continue with alcohol consumption.

Whether you need Medication-Assisted Therapy for Opioid addiction or alcohol addiction, the main goal of these programs is to discourage the use of a substance and offer the patients tools that they need to build a rock-solid foundation for recovery.

If you or your loved one is struggling with alcohol addiction, MAT can help you come out of that phase. It will offer you the best value for your money. Unfortunately, drug and alcohol addiction can be expensive and some people think they cannot get any treatment due to the high cost. However, MAT is highly accessible.

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