How Medication-Assisted Treatment can be the answer to addiction

Updated on January 25, 2022

Addiction is something incredibly complicated and if you haven’t found yourself in the grips of addiction yourself, it can be hard to imagine just how much something can take over your life. That said, if you are someone who has found themselves in the middle of a life-ruining addiction, it can feel impossible to remember a time when the addiction didn’t have complete control over you. There have been many different approaches to treating addiction, but in this suboxone clinic Texas, the approach is to utilize medication as a way to overcome addiction. 

Opioid addiction

Opioid addiction is a real problem in the United States, with many people being prescribed something such as Codeine, Morphine, or Oxycodone after an injury or medical procedure. When used as prescribed they can be fantastic pain relief, but they can easily be misused and become addictive. When asked about why people take non-prescribed Opioids, the answers range from wanting to party and feel good, to dealing with stress in daily life. All too often this spirals and becomes an addiction to heroin as it is much easier to get a hold of and can sometimes even cost less. 

Medication-Assisted Treatment

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) uses medication such as buprenorphine (Suboxone) to replace opioid dependence. Contrary to popular belief, this is not simply replacing one drug with another but uses a safer medication to help with the side-effects of withdrawal which aids in long-term recovery and reduces the likelihood of relapse. There have been many studies that have shown a positive outcome to this treatment, including keeping patients healthier, reducing their involvement in criminal activities, and reducing the risk of drug-related diseases including HIV and AIDS. 

It’s not as simple as just taking Suboxone, or another medication and hoping for the best. The most effective way to overcome opioid addiction is to use medication, and long-term professional support too with a personalized treatment plan. 

Why Suboxone?

One important thing that Suboxone is able to do is reduce withdrawal symptoms and make the cravings easier. Although Methadone has a history of success, it came with its own issues and side-effects, whereas Suboxone is less likely to create its own dependency. This is partially due to the fact that there is a ceiling to the pleasure response it creates – you never experience the euphoric “high”, but you can feel as though you have more energy. It also lasts for over 24 hours and means that any opioids taken in that time will have no effect. 

Medication is just one part of the puzzle in helping someone overcome opioid addiction, however along with counseling, such as online consult suboxone, regular primary care, behavioral support, and other long-term support, the recovery rate is really positive. It might take between 6-12 months of this treatment to fully feel that you have overcome your addiction but you will be supported along the way and you are likely to have amazing success in the long-term which makes it really worth it. 

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.