Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)

MAT is the use of medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies for the treatment of opioid addiction. Treatment also helps you change addictive thinking patterns and move away from other harmful behaviors.

There are three, equally important parts to this form of treatment:

  • Medication
  • Counseling
  • Family & Friend Support

The goal of medication assisted treatment is to recover from addiction. It does NOT replace one addictive drug with another. It provides a safe, controlled level of medication to overcome the use of a problem opioid.

Medication: Buprenorphine (Suboxone) is one type of medication used for treatment of opioid addiction.

  • Buprenorphine helps you think and function normally.
  • It is legal and taken under a doctor's care. It is NOT just another drug to abuse.
  • You can stop taking buprenorphine when you are ready. As with many medications taken over time, your body can become physically dependent on it. For this reason , if you wish to stop taking buprenorphine, you should work with your provider to taper off. This prevents withdrawal symptoms from appearing.

Counseling:  Medication is one part of treatment for opioid addiction. Another important part is counseling.

Through counseling, you learn about the motivations and behaviors that led to your opioid addiction. You learn how to commit to a healthy lifestyle. You gain support and skills while working with others to manage your recovery long term.

Recovery is Possible: Recovery is possible, but it takes work. After treatment is finished, everything is NOT automatically fine again. Recovery takes commitment every day, through treatment and beyond.