What is Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)?
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) “is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a whole-patient approach to the treatment of substance use disorders. Research shows that when treating substance-use disorders, a combination of medication and behavioral therapies is most successful.” 1
There are relatively few drugs approved by the FDA for treatment of addiction. Antabuse, which makes you sick if you have any alcohol, is probably the best known drug for alcoholism. Methadone is a well-known maintenance treatment for those addicted to opiates. There are also newer drugs to help blunt cravings.
For more information on the drugs that are approved for treatment of addiction, click on Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).
For much more detail, including my experience, click on the Treatment Intro/Menu.
[1] http://www.dpt.samhsa.gov/patients/mat.aspx
