Medication-assisted treatment in Los Angeles offers individuals who struggle with opioid use disorder a combination of pharmacological and therapeutic treatment that helps manage both physical and psychological effects of opioid withdrawal and recovery.
Since 2011, the United States has officially been battling an opioid epidemic unlike any other even seen before. More than 3 million American adults are hooked on opioids like heroin, oxycodone, fentanyl, and morphine and thousands are dying from overdoses. In fact, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a startling increase in opioid overdoses has occurred. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 19,000 people died of opioid overdoses in the first three months of 2020, which is nearly 3,000 more people than the first three months of 2019. The rate of opioid overdose continues to rise, signaling a resurgence of excessive opioid use in Americans.
There is certainly nothing beneficial when it comes to actively abusing opioids, but there are several benefits within opioid addiction treatment. One of the most renowned and championed benefits of opioid addiction treatment is medication-assisted treatment.
What is Medication-Assisted Treatment?
Medication-assisted treatment includes involving FDA-approved medications into a patient’s opioid addiction treatment. These medications (such as methadone and buprenorphine) are introduced during the detox phase of recovery, where patients are withdrawing from opioids in an effort to clear their bodies of this addictive substance.
For decades, medication-assisted treatment has been the first line of defense for people who want to stop abusing opioids but who struggle with the withdrawals that develop once they cease use. It remains the go-to for opioid addiction treatment and has helped countless individuals continue to abstain from using opioids again. When taken as directed by a medical professional, the medications provided in medication-assisted treatment can do an exceptional amount of good.
Benefits of Medication-Assisted Treatment in Los Angeles
If you or someone you love is addicted to opioids, getting professional help is absolutely vital. Continuing to abuse opioids will only lead to a dead end. Medication-assisted treatment in Los Angeles helps those addicted to opioids get through the cravings and withdrawal symptoms so that true recovery can begin. Some of the most important benefits of medication-assisted treatment in Los Angeles include the following:
- Boosts treatment retention — The goal of medication-assisted treatment is to help reduce painful withdrawal symptoms and nagging cravings so that the process of detox can be more manageable. It is highly common for people to go back to using after making an attempt at detoxing from opioids on their own because the symptoms they experience are too much to handle. But when enrolled in a medication-assisted treatment program in Los Angeles, patients can receive medications that make detoxing easier, helping to boost treatment retention.
- Reduces risk of overdose — If you attempt to detox from opioids on your own, you run the risk of becoming overwhelmed by the withdrawal symptoms that set in. And, if the pain becomes too much to bear, you might go right back to using the same amount of opioids you are used to. When that occurs, your risk for overdose is higher, as your body is no longer accustomed to that amount. Being in a medication-assisted treatment program in Los Angeles reduces that risk because you are being monitored and cared for by medical and mental health professionals.
- Provides a safe treatment option — By the time you are dependent on opioids, you may not have a safe, secure place to detox in. You might not even have anyone around who wants to help you get into recovery. Medication-assisted treatment in Los Angeles offers a safe space for you to detox in, plus continuous support from people who want to see you win. And while detoxing from opioids is not typically deadly, it can lead to serious issues like dehydration, which can cause severe problems. Medication-assisted treatment reduces that risk by providing enough fluids and medications to help you stay as healthy as possible during this time.
- Includes psychological care — It is a common misunderstanding that medication-assisted treatment is solely focused on giving patients more prescription medications. While medication-assisted treatment in Los Angeles does utilize FDA-approved medications, they also combine that pharmacological treatment with therapeutic treatment. This includes individual therapy, group therapy, and other evidence-based therapies that have been proven to help treat the disease of addiction.
These benefits can help make what could be a highly distressing experience much easier to handle.
Methadone and Buprenorphine
So, what are methadone and buprenorphine? And what exactly do they do? Both medications interact with the opioids receptors in the brain. Methadone, which has been used for decades, is an opioid agonist. This means that they fully block the opioid receptors in the brain, reducing withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Buprenorphine, which started being used in medication-assisted treatment facilities in the early 2000’s, is a partial opioid agonist, meaning it does the same thing as methadone but does not block the opioid receptors as much.
The use of these two medications can begin during the detox phase and continue for an amount of time that fits the patient’s individual treatment needs.
Drug Rehab in Los Angeles
If you are struggling with opioid use disorder, know that you are not alone. We understand the pain that this type of addiction can cause and how it can feel like you will never be free of it. But, at Riviera Recovery, we provide medication-assisted treatment in Los Angeles that can make recovery feel like a possibility for the first time.
So, do not continue to abuse opioids. Doing so is only going to create more problems in your life and potentially be fatal. You are not alone in your fight against opioid addiction. We can help you get through the initial stages of recovery so that you can see what a life free of opioids will be like for you.
Call Riviera Recovery right now. We will connect you to a trained admissions specialist who can help you get moving on the road to recovery.
