What Is MAT?

Drugs and alcohol can both be treated as part of a Medication Assisted Treatment plan.  It is most commonly used during opioid detox, which can have very severe withdrawal symptoms.  Treatment for opioid dependence can often be a multi-phase process including drug detox, inpatient treatment, and outpatient programs. A program for addiction works best when it is customized for the individual client, which is what we do at DayBreak Treatment Solutions. Substance Use Disorders affect each person in different ways and by having a customized care plan their exact needs can be met. A combination of residential treatment and one or more outpatient programs can be the perfect combination for someone’s successful start in recovery. Medical detox, which is different from a Medication Assisted Treatment program, can be very helpful, too.

If you are in the Port Saint Lucie Florida area and are struggling with drug abuse, there are recovery resources available to you.  One choice that many people have to consider when exploring detox programs and other treatment options is location.  Is it better to travel or to seek an outpatient or residential program locally.  Our drug and alcohol counselors can help you decide. Addiction and mental health services are available around the entire country and it is a very personal decision as to whether someone should travel or stay in their local area.  If you are struggling with an opioid dependence at DayBreak we can help you decide where rehab treatment will work best for you.

MAT is a form of substance abuse treatment often used as part of a care plan for opioid use disorders. Opioid addictions can cause severe and in extreme cases life threatening withdrawal symptoms.  A MAT program can assist with someone who needs further care than a more typical medical detox program can offer.  Medication Assisted Treatment uses prescription medications like Methadone and Suboxone in order to wean a person off of all the toxins and substances in their body. The process can be done in an inpatient or outpatient program, spending on the protocol a specific treatment facility uses. For many decades, treatment for drug addicts with heroin addictions including them receiving daily doses of Methadone at an addiction clinic. The process would then be for them to receive slightly lower doses so that they could slowly detox from their heroin or opioid addictions. Opioid withdrawal will affect each individual in different ways.  Here are some of the typical withdrawal symptoms drug addicts who abuse opioids can experience during detox:

• muscle aches
• restlessness
• anxiety
• lacrimation (eyes tearing up)
• runny nose
• excessive sweating
• inability to sleep
• yawning very often
• diarrhea
• abdominal cramping
• goosebumps on the skin
• nausea and vomiting
• dilated pupils and possibly blurry vision
• rapid heart rate
• high blood pressure

More recently, inspired by the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States, the combination drug Suboxone was designed specifically for the treatment of opioid dependence. Suboxone is a partial agonist, so while it still has opioid qualities, it is not as addictive as opioids themselves, or Methadone.  The second aspect of Suboxone is that it has qualities that help reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings.  The Methadone clinic approach is still used but Suboxone has become a more popular opioid abuse treatment option. If you would like to know more about MSAT or any of the other levels of care available at our recovery center, call any time to speak to one of our highly trained counselors.

What To Expect During MAT?

Opioid use disorders affect an estimated two million people in the United States. The goal of MAT or any other treatment program is for an individual to fully recover and continue a drug-free lifestyle over the long-term. MAT programs have become popular across the country and have shown to be successful.  Here are some of  the good points involved in  Medication Assisted Treatment plans as part of substance abuse programs: 

• Increased retention in substance abuse treatment programs
• Decreased illicit opiate use and other criminal activity among people with substance use disorders
• Increased patient ability to gain and maintain employment
• Improved birth outcomes among women who have substance use disorders and are pregnant

MAT is also used for alcohol addiction treatment, too.  Acamprosate, disulfiram, and naltrexone are the medications most commonly used in alcohol addiction MAT programs.  MAT programs can last for months or even years, depending on the exact needs of the client and what addiction medicine is being used.  For longer treatment programs, addiction treatments are conducted at outpatient rehab centers.

Why Choose DayBreak For Medically Assisted Treatment for Addiction

Medication Assisted Treatment can be part of a comprehensive treatment plan to assist someone with their alcohol addiction or opioid addiction.  When someone has been involved with substance abuse for a long time, it is much better to ease them off of the drugs or alcohol they have been consuming rather than to shock their system and risk traumatic results. Behavioral health and drug and alcohol abuse treatment specialists understand that each person beginning their recovery will need specific attention during detox, rehab, and aftercare. 

If you would like to know more about the levels of care and treatment options we offer at DayBreak Treatment Solutions, please call us today.