Hey guys,
This is Ryan Womack with Creative Recovery Center. I am here to talk about Medication Assisted Treatments Suboxone and Vivitrol. and why it works, and why we believe it is a great step forward in starting your recovery.
Medication Assisted Treatment has been around for many years with medications such as Methadone and Naltrexone. The problem with Methadone is, that it is an opioid and a full agonist. What does that mean? Well it means simply that it can in turn actually get the user ‘high’. While methadone has helped many people in the past, we do not believe in swapping heroin/fentanyl/opioid prescription abuse with a full agonist opioid. It’s like trading one bad vice for the other (and it is incredibly hard to get off of when the user is ready, you’ll here “It feels like my bones are breaking’ from people withdrawing from methadone). Instead, what we in turn are looking for is newer medications that are a partial agonist.
In a quick summary, I will tell you the difference between a full agonist and a partial agonist. A full agonist is a full synthetic opioid with no blocker that binds fully to the brains receptors. AKA, there is no blocker effect. The partial agonist is part synthetic opioid, part Nalaxone. Nalaxone is a blocker, which means that when you take a medication that is a partial agonist, such as Suboxone or Vivitrol, yes there will be an opioid introduced in the medication (to prevent ugly and nightmarish withdrawals), the other half of the medication is a blocker, thus not allowing the end user to get that ‘high’ or rush like they would get from abusing pills or heroin. We believe this to be critical in not only becoming sober, but living a happy sober life without any kind of rush or high from opiates (like you get with methadone).
The two medications we will be using the most are Suboxone and Vivitrol. Suboxone is a mix of one part buprenorphine (the synthetic partial agonist opioid) and one part Nalaxone (the blocker). Vivitrol is the newest and greatest medication available in MAT, as it is simply an injection of Naltrexone (a medication that has been around for decades, but is rarely talked about, see the post “Naltrexone the Alcoholic’s Wonder Drug”). Both medications block the user from getting a rush or ‘high’ while also giving you the benefit of the medication, and both medications also reduce withdrawals and cravings. We find that the ability to reduce cravings and withdrawals is absolutely essential in recovery, because if you talk to any addict, they will tell you they can’t stop because of the immense amount of pain they will go through with withdrawals. Then they will say that they can’t continue to be sober because of the gravity of pull that the cravings they have that will limit their ability to succeed. These medications can often be used for a short period of time until the user gets used to living sober and not abusing drugs daily, however, in some situations, it is vital to keep the user on these medications for a longer period of time. Each person is different.
The last reason that we utilize these medications is that, like mentioned above, each person is completely different from the last. What works for some people might not work for others. This is a point I want to make, and it might be the most important piece of information in this Blog and on the website…What works for some people might not work for everyone, and everyone responds to treatment differently. There is not one single approach to addiction recovery that works for everyone every time, therefore, you need to work with your Recovery Coach and find out a plan that works for you and you specifically. Some people might be able to put down their drug of choice easier than others, and thus wont need these MAT’s very long. Other people will have significantly harder times coming off of their drugs of choice and will need the MAT’s longer. While we would like to see everyone utilize these medications for just a short period of time, we understand that relapse is a huge part of addiction. One of the main reasons that someone might pass away from drug abuse is that they get some clean time under their belt, and then they relapse. When they relapse they go and take the same amount of the drug that they were previously using before getting clean. What they fail to realize is that their bodies aren’t used to the drug anymore, and thus the dose they took before that was fine then, will now actually cause an overdose and even death because the fact that they don’t have the same tolerance as before.
Why Medication Assisted Treatment? Because Medication Assisted Treatment works. There are trials and trials, study after study, and success stories all over the world for years and years that studies have shown these medications to be effective. While we might wish that one could just put down their drug of choice and walk away easily, we understand that that is not a realistic outcome and that it is necessary for them to utilize these bridge medications so that they can be successful. We do not want anyone to die, we do not want anyone to return to abusing drugs, and study after study shows that MAT is the best option for almost all drug abusers (Mind you, I said ALMOST ALL drug abusers).
The great thing about Creative Recovery Center is that we will not just focus on the Medication side of treatment, but we will focus on the mental side as well. It will be my job to assist the individuals coming to us to help them recreate a positive life, to build a plan of action to get clean and remain clean, and to help them come up with goals and achievements that will help them see the success of their treatment and to take pride in what they’re doing. Getting clean is only half the battle that these folks will face, and we fully count on our ability to help with the physical indications of getting clean as well as the mental side of things. Our Physicians have had extensive training on MAT and psychological side of addiction. We will strive everyday to help create a better life for these individuals and we will make them strong both physically and mentally.
I know this is a long Blog, but I wanted to make sure that you fully understood how we work, why we work the way we do, and how these medications work. I want you to be able to feel comfortable sending talking about these medications, and I want you to feel like you have the knowledge to talk to at length about these medications. Please, by all means, utilize me as a resource. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, I will be here and I will assist you with anything I possibly can. As a recovering addict myself I have found that MAT and psychological counseling have helped me make tremendous strides in life and in recovery. While once not being able to maintain healthy relationships, a healthy lifestyle, or really maintain anything other than my drug abuse, I now can happily say I have over many years of sobriety under my belt and I’m absolutely living the life I always dreamed I would be living. I fully believe that being an addict myself will make me an extremely effective Recovery Coach, because I have lived in the shoes of an addict. At Creative Recovery Center we will help those in need. We will not tolerate stigmas. We have a beautiful renovated office. We have beautiful minded people working here, and we have heart. We have one goal, and that is to help people get clean and sober and living a happy life. We will not fail.
Thank you
Ryan Womack
Recovery Coach
636-200-5088
