Addiction Treatment Specialist

What is addiction treatment?

Addiction treatment is a way of managing opioid use disorder with medical treatment. Opioids are a category of pain medication that is highly addictive. Prescription pain medications are opioids as well as certain street drugs like heroin. 

During your addiction treatment, also known as medication-assisted treatment or MAT, your provider collaborates on a personalized care plan that includes behavioral counseling and stabilizing medication. 

Taking yourself off opioids on your own can lead to severe symptoms of withdrawal, but addiction treatment gives you the support you need to commit to overcome your cravings and prevent a relapse. 

How does addiction treatment work?

Triad Primary Care offers medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, which combines behavioral therapy and medication. There are several different medications that can serve this purpose, and your provider prescribes one based on your personal needs and health history. 

Throughout MAT, you can continue to work and attend social obligations. Through therapy and with the use of medication, you can learn to cope with life as it goes on while you treat addiction, which is different from inpatient addiction treatment options.

What are my addiction treatment medication options?

Triad Primary Care primarily treats opioid use disorder with buprenorphine, an FDA-approved medication. It attaches to the same receptors in your brain that opioids latch onto, so if you take them, you won’t feel “high.”

You have several options for taking buprenorphine, including tablets or a film that dissolves in your mouth. You must start taking it around the time that withdrawal symptoms start, which is 12-24 hours after you discontinue opioid use. You should also always take it according to your provider’s instructions. 

If you need longer-term treatment for opioid addiction, Triad Primary Care may prescribe a combination formula of buprenorphine and naloxone. Suboxone®, a brand-name prescription medication, contains this combination. 

Who should consider addiction treatment?

Addiction treatment with buprenorphine works best for individuals who have experienced opioid use disorder for less than a year. Some signs of opioid use disorder include:

• Uncontrollable cravings
• Sleep changes
• Isolation from friends and family
• Stealing
• New financial difficulties
• Poor hygiene
• Drowsiness
• Weight loss

You may or may not recognize these symptoms in yourself, but others around you likely will. Usually, signs and symptoms become more apparent over time. 

If you’d like to learn more about medication-assisted addiction treatment for opioids, call Triad Primary Care or book an appointment online today.