Medically Assisted Treatment Information for Sober Living Operators

Medically Assisted Treatment Information for Sober Living Operators

Pharmacotherapy (pharmacology) is the use of drugs to treat an illness or disease.

Medications are used in the treatment of addiction to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings for alcohol and other substances, and reduce the risk of use or relapse for specific drugs by blocking their effect. The key aim of medication-assisted therapy is for the patient to achieve long-term remission.

Other therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or 12-Step Facilitation, are often used in combination with pharmacotherapy. Combining drugs with these other treatments has been shown to:

Improve patient survival rates.

Increase retention in recovery facilities.

Reduce illegal opiate use and drug-related criminal activity.

Develop the capacity of patients to find and hold work.

Improve the outcomes of substance-affected pregnancies.

Medication may be used as part of an individual treatment plan or as part of a harm reduction plan. Often patients using MAT will attend peer-support of 12-Step meetings. It is important to be aware that such groups may have a group perspective or philosophy abut the use of medications. Each person seeking recovery will need to determine what path or combination of approaches works best for them.

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