Medication-Assisted Treatment
Recovery from substances and harmful behaviors is one of the most challenging things a person can do throughout their life. The withdrawal period, waitlists, and the months-long inpatient treatment requirements can be impossible for some people to manage. Especially given the fact that many people living with addiction are at risk of losing their job, housing, and family support within that time. At Empower Treatment, we don’t ask you to sacrifice the things most important to you in order to focus on treatment. We work with you to make the most effective, safe, and accessible treatment plan that not only meets your current needs but also supports your long-term goals. By offering a combination of medicine and behavioral health therapy, Empower Treatment maximizes your chances of successful recovery.
The data is clear- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is the gold-standard for supporting people living with opioid use disorder and other substance use issues. Life-saving medicines like buprenorphine, naltrexone, naloxone, and methadone are safe, approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), and chosen based on what each person specifically needs. Studies have found that using both medicine and behavioral health therapy together works well for treating substance use issues. These medicines bind to the opioid receptors and reduce withdrawal and cravings without the harmful effects of the illicit drugs like heroin, fentanyl, and other opioids. Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) options are safe to use for months, years, or even a lifetime with the right support.
The main goal of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is to help people fully recover, including being able to live their lives the way they want. This holistic approach can lead to:
- Better chances of staying alive
- Staying in treatment longer
- Less illegal drug use and less crime
- Better chances of getting and keeping a job
- Healthier pregnancies for women with substance use issues
- Reduced risk of getting HIV or hepatitis C by making it less likely for someone to go back to using substances
These medicines do not just substitute one drug for another, which is a common stigma in the recovery field. Stigma like this makes certain treatment programs less effective when they let shame, rather than data, guide their efforts. A bias for abstinence-only treatment options makes our communities far less safe and deprives patients of their right to choose the best personal recovery path for them.
The "Forced Taper" Model & Why We Do Not Use It
Some treatment programs will provide Medication-Assisted Treatment for a limited amount of time, and then force their patient to get off the medication, even without their consent. They will often choose arbitrary deadlines like 30 or 90 days, and then force the patient to taper-off or completely stop taking the medication all at once. We believe this method is the opposite of patient-centered treatment, as it disempowers the freedom every person should have to decide their own recovery path and behavioral health treatment. This method can create a “revolving door” that chews patients up and spits them right back out.
To the best of our knowledge, there are zero credible, evidence-based sources to back up this “Forced Taper” treatment method. If anything, we believe this approach likely increases the risk of harm, relapse, and accidental overdose significantly. At Empower Treatment, if you are tapering off your medication it is because you are choosing to with the support of our clinical team, not because we are forcing you to do so. We respect your right to choose the services and medications that are best able to help you lead a healthy, self-directed life. No judgment, no shame, and no stigma. Just data-driven, evidence-based support. You deserve nothing less.
