How Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Help Patients Recover
How Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Help Patients Recover: Medication assisted treatment or MAT, as it is normally called, is used for patients of substance abuse. The unique feature of any medication-assisted treatment program is that it combines cognitive behavioral therapy with the use of medication.
The medications that are used are basically maintenance drugs and prevent relapses. Let’s take a look at how MAT works and how it helps in improving the recovery rate of patients.
How it works?
MAT works by reducing the withdrawal symptoms. Generally, this type of treatment plan is used for alcohol, opioid and stimulant addiction. It works by reducing cravings and alleviating the withdrawal symptoms, making the whole treatment more manageable. An example is that of naltrexone which an effective opioid antagonist is.
It is used in the treatment of alcohol, opiate and stimulant addiction. It binds to opioid receptors and reduces cravings and withdrawals. If someone is using naltrexone and takes any substance of abuse to get high, then he/ she’ll be highly disappointed as naltrexone would be already bound to the said receptors.
The Results
Studies have shown that medication-assisted treatment plans are very successful. Behavioral therapy in itself is very effective but tapering down the addiction can work wonders. Studies have shown that MAT works best during the recovery stage which may last anywhere from a week to a month. The basic principle of this treatment is simple: to slowly wean off the person from the substance of abuse. One of the reasons why this mode of treatment is successful is that the slow weaning enables a patient to continue the treatment.
Benefits of MAT
The benefits of MAT are related to its high success rate. A few benefits are given below.
- Since a patient is slowly weaned off the drug, chances are that the treatment will continue.
- There are improved treatment outcomes with a reduction in drug-overdose deaths.
- More positive birth outcomes have been seen in pregnant addicts.
- It has been found to be quite effective in managing withdrawal symptoms, reducing violent behavior in patients during withdrawal.
- It reduces cravings and prevents relapses in the long run.
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