Medication-assisted treatment is an approach to treating addiction by combining counseling, behavioral therapy, and medication. This way of treating addiction can be very effective. Still, it’s important to understand the different elements of medication-assisted treatment so that you can feel more at ease if you’re considering undertaking this form of therapy.
1. Withdrawal Phase
Addiction itself is a disease, not a choice. It can take months or years for the changes in brain chemistry to be reversed once an individual has stopped substance abuse. However, the first few weeks are often the hardest since addicts experience physical cravings. If this is something you or your loved one are experiencing, you might want to google – Suboxone doctors near me or a similar phrase and start from there. Depending on which substance someone is addicted to, the withdrawal syndromes can get pretty severe. Many of these individuals are prescribed medication that can help ease those symptoms and reduce cravings to continue with counseling, behavioral therapy, and other treatments while maintaining abstinence. Suboxone is a medication that is often used in cases of opioid addiction – during the first phase of the treatment process. It’s important to note that maintaining abstinence is the foundation on which another therapy is administered since it’s impossible to work on underlining issues if one is in an altered state of mind.
2. Use Of Medications After The First Phase
In some cases, medications are prescribed even after the first phase. Addiction is a chronic disease – it can often lead to anxiety and depression, and many people who undergo medication-assisted treatment will require long-term care. This might mean remaining on medication for months or years, depending on the individual’s needs. It’s important to discuss how you’re feeling with your therapist both in terms of the idea of taking medications for a prolonged time, as well as how they are affecting you. Antidepressants usually take around three weeks to start working, so being patient is important. That said, sometimes, a certain medication may not be a good fit. Feeling apathetic, anxious, and even more depressed than before are some possible side effects of the wrong medication. If this is the case, your doctor will likely switch you to a different drug or adjust your dosage.
3. Will Medication Change You?
Many people feel uneasy about the idea of taking meds, especially long-term. However, it’s important to understand that taking the medications your therapist prescribes to you will not change who you are at all. They can provide you with more freedom to truly be yourself. Substance abuse drains your energy and motivation, making it difficult to concentrate on anything else. More than that, it affects your brain – specifically, your central nervous system and pituitary gland – the things that release endorphins. Substance abuse leads to this section of your brain becoming impaired. Endorphins play a big role in being able to experience positive emotions, so when you take medication that addresses the root of addiction, you can experience these feelings much more easily. Being on medication long-term will not change your personality in any way. It’s something that might help you get through tough moments easier – just like many other people. Think of it this way – you’ll still feel however you need or want to feel, but you’ll have a better chance of experiencing the full range of your emotions.
4. Counseling
It’s important to note that just taking drugs will not be enough to beat the disease – therapy is also needed so that you can understand why you have become addicted in the first place and learn how this addiction affects your life, as well as what you want to do once you’re in a more stable state. It’s not unusual for addicts to have traumatic experiences, whether those happened before or during substance abuse, and it is important to find ways to deal with that healthily. Additionally, many people going through recovery tend to feel guilty or ashamed over the things they did. These emotions can make the recovery process much harder than it needs to be if not dealt with properly. This is why medication-assisted treatment is always done in conjunction with counseling. Counseling is a process that takes time, and it’s important to be patient with both yourself and your therapist. Talking safely and constructively, learning more about yourself – past, present, and future, and finding a way to understand your addiction is what will lead to a brighter future for you.
5. Behavioral Therapy
While counseling deals with underlying emotions, triggers, causes, and deep psychological motivations – both good and bad and helps people understand themselves better and grow into their potential, behavioral therapy is a bit more concrete than that. It focuses on acting and what practical steps you could take to get better. In a way, counseling is about going from the inside out, while behavioral therapy is about going from the outside in. For example, if going to a party is a trigger for you (as it is for most people early in their treatment process), counseling sessions would focus on why you feel that way. At the same time, behavioral therapy would work on helping you develop coping mechanisms for the situation. This could mean things like bringing a friend with you to the party, skipping it altogether, or having a plan in place for how you will deal with any potential triggers. While in other situations, people tend to prefer one approach over the other, a combined system tends to work best when it comes to addiction.
6. Road To Recovery
You might have noticed that people usually talk about recovering addicts and never about recovered ones. The truth is – that’s because there is no such thing as a fully recovered addict. That is something many people going through this find hard to swallow. However, think of it this way – people with diabetes can’t be cured, but they can learn how to manage their condition and live a healthy and happy life. The same principle applies to addiction. You might never be able to say that you’re ‘cured,’ but with the right tools, you can get your life back on track. Just like someone isn’t able to eat donuts, or a person suffering from chronic sinusitis can’t breathe properly through their nose – you might not be able to do certain things other people that never had this disease can – and that’s ok. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. The important thing is recognizing them and adjusting your life accordingly, and medication-assisted treatment can be a great way to do just that.
Addiction is a complex disease that doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all solution. However, medication-assisted treatment is an approach that is effective in many cases. Combined, these approaches can help you on the road to recovery and living a happy, fulfilling life.