Medication-Assisted Treatment (also known as medication-assisted therapy, or MAT for short) is a method of treatment that includes the use of medications in addition to counseling and behavioral health therapies as part of Lakeview Behavioral Health’s Intensive Outpatient Services offerings, with an ultimate goal of a full and sustaining recovery. This treatment program is proven effective in treating substance use disorders and preventing opioid overdose, providing great opportunity for success in recovery from an opioid addiction and alcohol dependence. The medication options administered along with a tailored therapy plan at Lakeview Behavioral Health are Vivitrol and Suboxone, both of which are used to reduce withdrawal symptoms, decrease cravings, and prevent use of heroin, opioids, and alcohol.

The way opiates like heroin work is by attaching to brain cell receptors, causing an influx of neurotransmitters and brain activity, namely the release of dopamine that produces the high and can lead to physiological dependence and, for some people, addiction. The goal with Vivitrol and Suboxone medications is to block these receptors or how they react to opiates. Which medication is right for each client will be included in the preparation of the tailored treatment plan by a provider at Lakeview Behavioral Health.

Vivitrol is a non-opioid-based medication that attaches to these receptors, causing a reduction in withdrawal symptoms because it works to block the release of dopamine. It is called an opioid antagonist because it opposes the effects of opioids in the brain. This means an opioid relapse will not have the same effects as it once did, breaking the psychological barrier that pairs the high with the drug, leading to elimination of drug dependence. Vivitrol does not come without risks and side effects, however, which providers will discuss with in detail. The main risks are reactions at the site of the injection and a lower tolerance to opioids, increasing the chances of overdose. It is important for clients to tell their family and the people closest to them of these risks.

Unlike Vivitrol, Suboxone is an opioid-based medication. But unlike heroin, morphine, oxycodone/oxycontin, and other opiates, its effects on a person are limited. While Suboxone still attaches to brain cell receptors, the effects are released over a longer period of time, which starves off the withdrawal symptoms and, like Vivitrol, helps break the psychological barrier that pairs the high with the drug. Any mild euphoric effects of Suboxone will tend to plateau, meaning the effects reduce or go away completely. This helps manage opioid dependence. Suboxone also contains an opioid antagonist called naloxone that acts as a deterrent to Suboxone abuse by reducing withdrawal symptoms, but only activates if the drug is used other than as prescribed. Like Vivitrol, there are risks and side effects that need to be understood, managed, and communicated with family and those closest to those going through treatment. The use of opioids and alcohol while taking either medication can be dangerous.

The goal with medication-assisted treatment and these medications is to feel normal, not high, to reduce or eliminate opioid dependence, and to live a sustainable, non-dependent life. And at Lakeview Behavioral Health, we offer a wide variety of services for substance use disorders, mental health services, and medication management
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