Medication-Assisted Treatment
MAT at Asheville Detox
In addition to our other services, we at Asheville Detox also offer medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Due to the unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal that occur during detox, MAT helps curb these side effects, ensuring clients remain comfortable and safe. By including medications in the detox process, clients are much more likely to successfully complete detox treatment, therefore increasing the probability of long-term sobriety and recovery. The Medication Assisted Treatment at its core is focused on helping patients reach full recovery, including the ability and independence to be able to live a self-sufficient life.
What is MAT?
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) or using medications in combination with counseling and other therapeutic services is an approach to treating substance use disorders that considers the whole patient. While MAT is currently approved to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). MAT is being developed for stimulant use disorder as well.
This form of therapy treats unpleasant, sometimes dangerous, withdrawal symptoms that clients may experience during the detoxification process. MAT allows those with addictions to have reduced withdrawal symptoms and cravings while also preventing dangerous side effects from occurring.
Medication-Assisted Treatment at Asheville Detox
Asheville Detox Center, a treatment facility in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains founded by members of the recovery community, recognizes a need for accessible substance detoxification in the area. Our highly trained clinicians specialize in medical detox and are proud to offer MAT as an option for clients. There have been dozens of studies that have shown Medication Assisted Treatment to be both safe and effective in treating people with opioid or alcohol dependence, and it is not a new treatment. The safety and comfort of clients at Asheville Detox Center is our number one priority.
Withdrawal from addictive substances can incite unpleasant symptoms and health concerns, so all clients at Asheville Detox Center are under 24/7 clinical supervision to assist with any symptoms that may arise. All clinicians at our facility are highly trained in detoxification, medication administration, and MAT as a whole.
We truly think that every person facing addiction deserves individualized care and honor this with our 16 bed detox center’s high staff to client ratio. This specialization ensures effective, quality care for those looking to obtain long-term sobriety.
If you believe that you or a loved one could potentially benefit from MAT or would like to learn more about this or other services provided, please contact Asheville Detox today. Our specialists would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have!
No matter how long you’ve been struggling or what type of substance abuse problem you’ve been dealing with, Asheville Detox Center can help you! For more information about us, our services, and how we can assist you, please contact us any time! Call us at (828) 845-4676 to learn more.
How Effective is Medication-Assisted Treatment?
There is empirical evidence that MAT is effective at helping people overcome substance abuse disorders. It’s a scientifically sound form of treatment that has been proven to be effective time and time again. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), MAT is clinically effective because it significantly reduces the need for inpatient detoxification. It has also been shown to be very effective in preventing overdoses. Most patients benefit from a more comprehensive, individually tailored medication and behavior therapy program, both of which make up Medication-Assisted Treatment.
Chemical imbalances caused by alcohol and opioid use disorders can be treated with MAT drugs. Withdrawal symptoms and cravings are alleviated with these medications. MAT medications are evidence-based treatment options and do not merely substitute one drug for another.
People receiving Medication Assisted Treatment are often likely to have both a substance use disorder and a mental health condition, known as a co-occurring condition. Medication-Assisted Treatment is a perfect solution to treating co-occurring disorders as it doesn’t just treat physical addiction, but it provides tailored solutions to help those who are struggling with their mental health alongside substance use disorder.
Benefits of Medication-Assisted Treatment
Medication used as part of MAT has been proven to help many people recover from opioid addiction, yet many of these medications remain underused due to misconceptions around this type of treatment. Studies have shown that medications used as part of the MAT process, when administered at an appropriate dose, have no adverse effects on a person’s mental capacity or physical health. Withdrawal symptoms and cravings are relieved by these medications.
MAT helps prevent relapse by treating powerful developed neurological dependencies due to prolonged drug use. Rather than solely using counseling to fight these addictions, MAT incorporates proven medications with therapy to tackle the daunting task of overcoming physical dependencies to substances while facing the psychological effects as well.
Additional benefits include;
- Increases completion rate of rehab programs (Individuals are less likely to prematurely leave treatment when participating in MAT programs because they do not experience the negative physical effects of withdrawal)
- Normalizes one’s brain chemistry after it has been altered by substance use
- Higher survival rates/ lower relapse rates amongst patients
- Higher pregnancy rates/safer pregnancies + childbirth for women with substance use disorders
- Higher employment rates for patients post treatment
- Lowers the risk of dangerous infection (ex: HIV, Hepatitis C) from shared needles used during continued drug use
- Leads to better short term and long term physical and mental health outcomes
- Improves Social Functioning which allows patients to maintain healthy connections and support networks, both of which are important for staying on track in one’s recovery.
- Decreases criminal activity related to drug use
- Decreases the amount of drug related deaths and overdoses
Medications Associated with MAT
- Methadone- used to treat Opioid Use Disorder (OUD); oral or IV
- Suboxone- used to treat Opioid Use Disorder (OUD); oral or IV
- Vivitrol- used to treat Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) or Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD); IV
- Disulfiram- used to treat Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD); oral
If you are worried about any medicine used in Medication Assisted Treatment, Asheville Detox can help. Our Medication Assisted Treatment program ensures that you don’t have to worry about any negative or potentially dangerous drug interactions. We can assist you if you’re taking any drugs now and are concerned that they may interact with those used in MAT. Your current medications are assessed against those used in MAT to ensure they are safe to take at the same time. At Asheville Detox Center, we assess the side effects as well as the effectiveness of your MAT medications to ensure that you are receiving the proper amount of relief while minimizing negative side effects.
When to Use Medication-Assisted Treatment
Opioid overdoses, if caught in time, are usually treated in emergency departments. If the patient survives the overdose, it is a crucial moment for ER clinicians to identify Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and offer treatment. After discharging someone for an overdose, a patient should be linked to rehabilitative programs where MAT is an option. Medications are administered either orally or intravenously depending on the medication and the substance of abuse.
Medically Review By Our Team