What is medication-assisted treatment?
Addiction is an illness that usually requires medical treatment to overcome. It stems from irregularities in your brain that affect your impulse control, decision-making, and judgment. Just as you would take medication to manage diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure, you can take medication to help you manage addiction.
The addiction experts at 90265 Medical Group use MAT to control your addiction symptoms during your recovery journey. They offer an outpatient substance abuse treatment programs for alcohol, opiates, and other substance abuse disorders. Depending on your specific addiction and needs, the team prescribes medicines like:
- Suboxone®
- Sublocade™
- Vivitrol®
90265 Medical Group offers only medical care for substance abuse, although you can combine their treatment with other counseling services and support groups.
What should I expect during MAT?
Your MAT program is custom-designed to address your specific needs. Your treatment begins with a psychiatric evaluation, which helps your provider design your treatment plan. They can adjust your treatment as needed as you recover from your substance abuse disorder.
When you have your first treatment, you need to be in the beginning stages of withdrawal. Substance abuse medication affects the same neurotransmitter receptors in your brain as opioids and other drugs. If you haven’t reached withdrawal when you start MAT, the medication pushes the opiates out of your receptors, but there might not be enough of the drug to fill the receptors, which can result in severe withdrawal symptoms.
You can expect to spend at least two hours at 90265 Medical Group for your first treatment. Your provider needs to observe how the medication works for you so they can fine-tune your prescription and the rest of your treatment plan.
Then, for subsequent treatments, you return to the office for your medication. Over time, your physician tapers your MAT to reduce and eventually eliminate your reliance on medication. Depending on your specific needs, they might recommend maintenance medication like Sublocade or Vivitrol to reduce your risk of relapse.
When should I talk to a doctor about addiction?
Substance abuse has led to a threefold increase in overdose deaths and a wide range of other health and social problems. If you’re unable to stop using drugs or alcohol on your own, but you want to make the changes necessary to recover from a substance abuse disorder, it’s time to ask for help.
Call 90265 Medical Group or make an appointment online today to take the first steps on your path to recovery and sobriety.
