Medication Assisted Treatment

Addiction can be hard to beat, but you stand a much better chance with expert medical support. Ndubuisi Odegai, Princess Riley, DNP, and The Healed Mind Psychiatry team in Aubrey, Texas, use FDA-approved medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to help people gain long-term sobriety. Call The Healed Mind Psychiatry to learn more about MAT or book an in-person or telehealth appointment online today.

What is medication-assisted treatment?

MAT combines medications with behavioral therapies and counseling to provide a holistic approach to caring for patients with substance use disorders.

Several opioid and alcohol use disorder medications have FDA approval. These drugs reduce psychological cravings and withdrawal symptoms that cause chemical imbalances in your body.

Why would I need medication-assisted treatment?

You would benefit from MAT if you depend on opioid drugs or alcohol and can’t stop using these substances.

Substance use disorder or addiction develops when you regularly drink alcohol or take drugs, including prescription opioids for pain. At first, you experience such pleasant feelings when taking these substances that you want to keep using them. But as your body gets used to them, you need higher doses more frequently to achieve the same effects.

Addiction can ruin your life, putting your health, family, job, friends, and even your home at risk. MAT is a proven treatment that makes it easier for you to quit drugs and alcohol for good.

The Healed Mind Psychiatry team designs a personalized treatment plan for you matching your unique needs.

What medicines are used in medication-assisted treatment?

MAT medications The Healed Mind Psychiatry team uses include:

Suboxone®

Suboxone is available as sublingual tablets or films containing buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine reduces withdrawal symptoms, including cravings. Naloxone prevents opioid overdoses, reversing their toxic effects.   

Sublocade®

Sublocade is a monthly buprenorphine injection.

Naltrexone

Naltrexone blocks opioids’ sedative and euphoric effects.

Disulfiram

Helps with alcohol withdrawal.

MAT medications are safe to take long-term — you can even stay on them for life if necessary.  

What part does therapy play in medication-assisted treatment?

While using withdrawal drugs makes getting sober easier, MAT is far more effective as part of a holistic approach in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies.

An experienced drug counselor can help you identify and address feelings and experiences that led to your substance use disorder. These could be traumas from your past, environmental factors, or current stresses.

Behavioral therapy shows you how to challenge flawed thinking and adapt your reactions to problems so you don’t feel the need to take drugs or alcohol.  

Call The Healed Mind Psychiatry or book an appointment online today to discover how MAT can help you recover from substance use disorder.