Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
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There are many approaches to addiction treatment, and medication can play an important role. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is the use of medication alongside other types of therapy that help you to heal from addiction and get sober. At The Perry Clayman Project, MAT is offered so that you get treatment for addiction that addresses the whole person, including medication needs.
Commonly, medications are used to decrease and manage symptoms that are associated with drug or alcohol detox. They help relieve withdrawal symptoms and help your body regain the correct chemical balance. With the proper medication and dosage, the medications used in MAT have no long-term negative effects on physical functioning, capacity, and intelligence. Therefore, if you are concerned about the medications, you can rest easy.
Additionally, medications used in MAT are not addictive. Therefore, you are not trading an addiction to one substance for another. Instead, these medications help your body adjust to not having addictive drugs or alcohol in your system. They do so by helping to block the euphoric effects of a substance. Additionally, they help to renormalise brain chemistry. This helps you return to feeling normal, reducing the negative physical and mental side effects of both substance use and detox.
Drug and Alcohol Rehab
When you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, many things change. This includes your brain, body, and choices. Drugs and alcohol rewire the pleasure centres in the brain. This leads to intense cravings that you might have experienced if you have tried to stop in the past. The goal of drug and alcohol rehab is to detox effectively and get through treatment. During treatment, you will improve your understanding of your addiction. Additionally, you will learn tools to help you stay sober in the future.
How Is MAT Helpful?
For many people, detoxing is a challenging and uncomfortable process. Symptoms of detox include changes in your mood, confusion, and other mental health symptoms. Additionally, many people experience physical symptoms of withdrawal, such as nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, and more. While these symptoms are normal when the body is in withdrawal, they are uncomfortable and can be dangerous. MAT can help manage these symptoms and achieve long-term recovery.
Managing Detox Symptoms
MAT plays an important role in drug and alcohol rehab and detox by lessening withdrawal symptoms. This has two main benefits. First, it can help you to stay with the detoxification process. Without medication, it can be too difficult and uncomfortable, leading to leaving treatment. Additionally, medications used in MAT can help decrease dangerous symptoms of withdrawal. This can include seizures and long-term impacts on mental health.
As a result, The Perry Clayman Project offers MAT. The goal of MAT is to help you manage symptoms that are dangerous while giving you the best chance to stay in treatment and heal as a whole person. It is a helpful and important part of the treatment process.
Staying Sober Long-Term
Starting while you are in addiction treatment, it is important to build the skills that will help you to stay sober long-term. MAT can help you to do just that. The medications used in MAT help decrease the symptoms of withdrawal. This gives you the time and mental capacity to focus on your treatment. As a result, MAT is paired with other types of therapy. These will focus on addressing the underlying cause of your addiction and building skills that will help you be successful after treatment.
Who Is MAT Right For?
Effective addiction treatment is individualised to meet your specific needs. For you, this may or may not include MAT. While MAT can help many individuals, some will benefit from it more. MAT could be an important aspect of addiction treatment for you, and you may wonder, “Is it right for me?”
If you are a person who has tried to quit and failed, MAT can help. This is true if you have tried to quit in a rehab centre or on your own. MAT can help you to stay with the process of detox. This is true due to the reduction of symptoms and the impact that medication has on your brain chemistry, which helps reduce the cravings and gives you the opportunity to make a different choice. Additionally, MAT at The Perry Clayman Project is paired with therapy. You will work with a counsellor to understand why it hasn’t worked in the past and learn how to be successful this time.
While MAT can be helpful for any type of addiction, it is a common method used for healing from opioid dependency. The properties of the medication used in MAT help to block the euphoric feelings that result from opioid use. Additionally, the medications help to decrease dangerous symptoms that can result from stopping opioid use. Therefore, if you are struggling with opioid addiction and have tried treatment with no avail, MAT is a good option to consider. This is especially true if paired with other therapies that can help you make changes in your life as a whole.
Recovering from addiction is no easy task, and you might find yourself wondering if you can get through the process of detox and rehab. Fortunately, MAT at The Perry Clayman Project can help decrease your symptoms as it is paired with other therapies that address you as a whole person. To learn more, call 08000 380 480.