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When it comes to treating substance use disorder and alcohol use disorder, multiple evidence-based treatment modalities come together to help support the patient in all possible ways. One important element of substance abuse treatment is medically assisted treatment (MAT). MAT therapy combines medication with counseling and behavioral therapies to help individuals maximize the possibility of long-term addiction recovery success.
Medication assisted treatment (MAT) is an evidence-based approach for substance abuse treatment and an important element of addiction medicine. Use of medications has been found a particularly effective way to treat opioid use disorder, alcohol use disorder, and other substance use disorders.
Addiction treatment providers incorporate MAT for alcohol-related issues, opioid treatment programs, and other substance use treatments to ease the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms.
These medication therapies help reduce cravings, help prevent relapse, and support long-term recovery.
Medication assisted treatment for substance use disorder works by targeting the biological, psychological, and social elements of addiction. The FDA-approved medications prescribed by treatment providers work with the brain’s neurotransmitter systems. They help restore balance and mitigate the effects of withdrawal from substance use and ongoing cravings.
In addiction treatment services, MAT is used in conjunction with counseling and behavioral therapies. Providers focus on behavioral health, and prescribing appropriate medication is an important component of the addiction treatment toolkit.
Providers tailor MAT to each individual as an important element of each patient’s overall health care.
Opiates come in many forms, and opioid dependence and opioid addiction are common. Unfortunately, opioid overdose is also common. From oxycodone prescribed after a surgery to heroin and fentanyl on the streets and several other opiate varieties, all provide the euphoric effects of opioids, and all are highly addictive.
Indeed, today we are in the middle of an opioid epidemic. Withdrawal symptoms from opioids are quite severe, and treatment of opioid use disorder will involve medications as an important component of the patient’s customized treatment toolkit.
Methadone and buprenorphine are opioid agonists. They activate the same brain receptors as opioids.
Buprenorphine treatment is more commonly used than methadone in today’s primary care settings and helps reduce withdrawal symptoms, alleviate cravings, and stabilize brain chemistry.
Vivitrol (naltrexone) and naloxone are opioid antagonists. These treatment options help block the effects of opioids in the brain. Naltrexone is used to help maintain opioid abstinence and prevent relapse.
Suboxone combines buprenorphine and naloxone for opioid agonist and antagonist in a single dose.
Withdrawal from several substances will call for medication assisted treatment. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) recommends use of medication to ease the transition from drug dependency into a drug-free lifestyle.
Opioids are so physically addictive that treatment of opioid use disorder will always involve use of medications, and for quite some time.
Alcohol use disorder, while less severe than OUD on the body, also involves a high degree of physical dependency on the substance, so medication assisted treatment will always be part of treating alcohol use disorder as well. Many of the same medications are used in treating alcohol use disorder as for treating opioid use disorder.
Using MAT for treating additional substance use disorders will be determined on an individualized basis. Commonly, MAT is involved in at least the early stages of substance withdrawal for most substances.
Medication-assisted treatment is applied in a phased approach:
In this first phase, the medication protocol is initiated. Medication is administered and the patient is observed for its effects. Some drugs are long-acting and others extended release, so monitoring is critical. Dosages are adjusted as needed. Goals are alleviation of withdrawal symptoms and general condition stabilization.
In the second phase, the patient becomes accustomed to life with the drug. Goals in this phase are maintaining sobriety, addressing co-occurring disorders, and developing coping skills.
The final phase of MAT involves ongoing medication management coupled with counseling and additional support as needed to prevent relapse and promote long-term recovery.
Recovering from substance use disorder is a journey that requires dedication, perseverance, and ongoing support. Medication can be an important element to a patient’s overall treatment plan, as even SAMHSA has recognized. These are some benefits of MAT:
At the same time, consuming pharmaceuticals is not without its own risks. These can include:
In general and for most people, the advantages of medication-assisted treatment far outweigh the disadvantages.
At Premiere Recovery Center, our knowledgeable staff of qualified clinicians employs medication-assisted treatment as appropriate to a patient’s condition. We prescribe pharmaceuticals, monitor emotional and behavioral health, and adjust patient medications to optimize the medication’s effectiveness. Each patient is different, each responds differently to different pharmaceuticals, and each requires a customized medication regimen and ongoing monitoring for medication efficacy.
When patients are recovering from opioid use disorder or alcohol use disorder, medication-assisted treatment will be a part of their treatment plan. These substances are too physically addictive to just quit them without medication assistance to ease the transition.
In fact, it’s actually dangerous to try to withdraw from these substances without the support of medication.
Our clinical staff is highly knowledgeable about the withdrawal process from these and other substances, and the common medication needs associated with each substance’s withdrawal.
Premiere Recovery Center is located in Happy Valley, Oregon, off of SE 82nd Avenue near the junction to I-205. We selected this location intentionally for its ambience of healing. It’s quiet, safe, private, and comfortable. We are far enough outside of Portland to enjoy the slower pace, yet close enough to be accessible from anywhere. We happily serve our neighbors in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties, as well as our more distant neighbors in the rest of the State and across the river. We don’t care where you come from. We just want to help.
Our facility is an intensive outpatient facility treating substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions. Our patients are ambulatory and at levels of care 2.1 (9-20 hours of therapy a week) and 2.5 (20+ hours per week). As mentioned, our clinicians use medication-assisted treatment regularly as needed in our facility.
In this treatment model, the patient actually receives more therapy hours per day than in most inpatient facilities, yet on an outpatient basis, which brings many advantages. In addition to tremendous cost saving over inpatient programs, this affords patients flexibility to not leave their lives entirely behind while undergoing treatment for substance use disorder. They can sleep in their own homes if they like, and we work around their work schedules as much as reasonable and possible.
Premiere Recovery Center is located in Happy Valley, Oregon, off of SE 82nd Avenue near the junction to I-205. We selected this location intentionally for its ambience of healing. It’s quiet, safe, private, and comfortable. We are far enough outside of Portland to enjoy the slower pace, yet close enough to be accessible from anywhere. We happily serve our neighbors in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties, as well as our more distant neighbors in the rest of the State and across the river. We don’t care where you come from. We just want to help.
Our facility is an intensive outpatient facility treating substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions. Our patients are ambulatory and at levels of care 2.1 (9-20 hours of therapy a week) and 2.5 (20+ hours per week). As mentioned, our clinicians use medication-assisted treatment regularly as needed in our facility.
In this treatment model, the patient actually receives more therapy hours per day than in most inpatient facilities, yet on an outpatient basis, which brings many advantages. In addition to tremendous cost saving over inpatient programs, this affords patients flexibility to not leave their lives entirely behind while undergoing treatment for substance use disorder. They can sleep in their own homes if they like, and we work around their work schedules as much as reasonable and possible.
For some patients, it’s better to not stay at home during treatment for a variety of reasons. Home may have too many triggers and temptations, or it may be too far for a comfortable commute. Whatever the reason, we have two luxury homes in the area that we offer to our patients during treatment. These are in Happy Valley (men) and Pleasant Valley (women).
We have spared no expense in purchasing and furnishing these homes. They are comfortable, spacious, clean-and-sober, safe, quiet, with every conceivable amenity. The goal is to help support your treatment journey by providing a comfortable and safe home space.
The 30 - 90 days of treatment isn’t enough for many people to cultivate the shift necessary to live a clean-and-sober lifestyle all on their own. Many individuals benefit from the ongoing support afforded by transitional housing.
We are affiliated with Premiere Sober Living, a clean-and-sober transitional housing facility. Many of our current and former patients are residents of Premiere Sober Living.
Wherever you are in your recovery journey, we can help you. Call us any time. If you are still using and thinking about quitting, are looking for a treatment facility appropriate to your needs, or even if you’re looking for the extended support offered by transitional housing, we can help. If you’d like someone to walk through your insurance policy with you and figure out your coverage eligibility, give us a call.
Premiere Recovery Center is a reputable element of the recovery network in the greater Portland area and in the Northwest at large. We are active in the referral network, always aiming for the right fit for each individual at the right time. Different programs have different features, and patients’ needs change as they progress through the recovery process. We are familiar with all of the programs in the area and offer referrals as appropriate to the individual.
Give us a call any time. We will help you find the right program for your situation.
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