Medication assisted treatment is a viable and effective option for helping people overcome their respective addiction and when it comes to finding a treatment center or Suboxone doctors, OKC has many rehabilitation facilities in place.
With that said, with all of these treatment centers, how do you know which ones can help you the most?
When searching for a recovery center, there are a number of things that you should keep an eye out for. For instance, looking for a recovery center that believes in evidence-based treatment such as specific therapy and medication-assisted treatment administration, is important.
One of the most common forms of MAT is buprenorphine. This type of medication-assisted treatment is generally used during medically assisted detox to help patients overcome the withdrawal symptoms and urges that they may be feeling at this time.
With that said, there are a number of other forms of MAT that may be beneficial. However, today, we’re going to be focusing on buprenorphine specifically before moving on to a few other topics.
What Is Buprenorphine?
To put it simply, buprenorphine is a medication that is used to treat opioid addiction.
Buprenorphine is different from other opioids as it is a partial opioid agonist. This means that when it is used it will produce typical opioid effects but it has a ceiling effect that makes it pointless to take more of the medication as it will provide no further psychoactive benefits. Essentially the buprenorphine allows for less euphoria, less physical dependence, a lower potential for misuse, and a relatively low withdrawal experience.
Overall, buprenorphine can be used by patients during the detoxification period of recovery to help them overcome withdrawal symptoms and deal with the cravings to use that are common during this period of the treatment process.
Buprenorphine is effective and can be helpful for people who are dealing with some sort of substance abuse problem. Drugs and alcohol problems can affect anyone, and Oklahoma and Oklahoma City specifically, is one location that has been disproportionately affected by the drug problems we are seeing in the country.
Drug Problem in Oklahoma City
Opioid addiction is a serious and deadly problem across the country. The opioid crisis leads to the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans each year. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there were over 70,000 drug overdose deaths in 2017 alone, most of these were due to opioids and synthetic narcotics.
Many states across the nation are dealing with major issues as they relate to the opioid crisis and overarching drug epidemic. In 2017, there were almost 400 drug overdose deaths involving opioids in Oklahoma. While the drug overdose rate has declined in recent years, there are still many deaths that could be avoided if correct action takes place.
Opioids
Obviously, opioids are at the top of peoples’ minds when talking about drug deaths and overdoses. Despite the warning signs, the opioid crisis has taken the country by surprise and has led to a widespread drug problem that mostly began with legal prescription medications.
These medications were prescribed at high rates with little thought about the potential repercussions. What were these repercussions?
These high prescription rates of dangerous and addictive drugs led to people become addicted with many moving to cheaper, but illegal alternatives when the costs became too high.
Overall, prescription rates have peaked in Oklahoma a few years ago during which time the state made attempts to reduce these prescriptions. From these efforts, prescription rates, and overdose deaths rates associated with prescription pills, have fallen in recent years. However, the threat is still there.
Methamphetamine
Despite the problems associated with the opioid crisis, the larger drug epidemic is still a major issue in the state of Oklahoma. In fact, according to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs methamphetamine is the greatest threat to the state of Oklahoma.
“The use, trafficking, and distribution of methamphetamine poses a significant threat to law enforcement and citizens of Oklahoma.”
Law enforcement believes that one of the biggest reasons for the threats and problems associated with methamphetamine in the state and Oklahoma City specifically is due to Mexican drug cartels. According to the 2018 Oklahoma Drug Threat Report, the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the largest drug cartels in Mexico, has increased its presence in Oklahoma City.
Methamphetamine is one of the most dangerous and addictive drugs that you can use. The substance is serious and leads to many deaths each year.
Alcohol
Along with prescription opioids and illicit drugs like methamphetamine, alcohol is one of the most serious and deadly drugs that is used throughout the country and in Oklahoma. According to data from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Oklahoma had the 11th highest rate of alcohol poisoning in the nation in 2015. Moreover, over a quarter million Oklahomans are dependent upon or abuse alcohol but only 7.6 percent of Oklahomans in need of alcohol treatment got the help they need.
Alcohol, despite its legality, can pose a major problem for people and it can lead to deadly consequences. And while a number of people need help across the state for both alcohol and drug use, not many receive the treatment that they need.
If you or a loved one are looking for ways that you can get help, there are a number of treatment options to help patients get the support that they need. Through evidence-based care and medication-assisted treatment administration, rehabs can help people overcome their addictions.
Let’s take a closer look at the MAT and how Suboxone doctors may be able to help patients.
Is There Suboxone In OKC
Despite this major opioid crisis and drug epidemic that is affecting areas like Oklahoma City, there are tools and resources in place to help patients conquer addiction and achieve long-term sobriety. One common tool that is used in drug and alcohol recovery programs is the administration of medication-assisted treatment. There are a number of different forms of MAT that have proven to be not only useful but outright effective when it comes to helping patients overcome addiction.
In one study, patients who received buprenorphine, the active ingredient in Suboxone, were compared to patients using a placebo. The groups were given their respective medications during the detoxification period. In the study, treatment failure for placebo was 100 percent compared to 25 percent of the buprenorphine group. Moreover, of the patients who were not retained in treatment, there was a 20 percent mortality rate.
From this, we can conclude that using Suboxone, and other forms of buprenorphine, can help patients not only commit to treatment, it can save lives.
Oklahoma City
When searching for Suboxone doctors, OKC and the state of Oklahoma does have some treatment centers in place to help patients with their respective addictions through evidence-based treatment and medication-assisted treatment administration. Suboxone, along with many other forms of MAT is a hotly debated topic among the recovery community. However, there is evidence that Suboxone can be effective and help people commit to and achieve long-term sober success.
Other Forms of MAT
Along with buprenorphine and Suboxone, there are a number of other different forms of medication-assisted treatment that can help patients. Let’s take a look at some of the other common forms of medication-assisted treatment.
Vivitrol
Vivitrol is one of the most useful and effective forms of medication-assisted treatment to help patients. Vivitrol is a non-addictive form of MAT that does not lead to physical dependence which differentiates from other forms of MAT such as Suboxone or Methadone. According to one six-month study, patients who were given Vivitrol reported 90 percent opioid-fre weeks compared to 35 percent from people receiving the placebo. Moreover, patients who were given Vivitrol reported longer stays in treatment, a decrease in cravings.
Campral
Acamprosate, brand name Campral, is used along with counseling and social support to help people who are suffering from alcohol use disorder. Campral will not prevent the withdrawal symptoms that people may experience when they stop drinking alcohol but is used to help the brains of people who drink too much. It works by getting their brains and thought processes to work normally again.
Disulfiram
Disulfiram, like Campral, ias used to treat alcoholism. This type of medication-assisted treatment works by causing unpleasant effects when alcohol is consumed, even in small amounts. Some of the effects can include headaches, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, mental confusion, choking, anxiety, and more. The effects will generally begin within 10 minutes after alcohol enters the body and can last for an hour or longer. It should be noted that Disulfiram is not a cure for alcoholism, but can help to discourage users from drinking, especially during treatment when urges to use are high.
Methadone
Methadone is perhaps one of the most well-known forms of medication-assisted treatment. There is a lot of debate surrounding the use of methadone as a proper treatment option. Many believe that methadone does not count as sobriety as the patients is still using a mind- and mood-altering substance. With that said, methadone can provide some benefits and has been known to help patients in the past. In fact, some studies have found that methadone and buprenorphine may be equally effective at reducing opioid use.
Obviously, there are numerous different forms of medication-assisted treatment, all of which may be able to help patients overcome their respective problems. If you or a loved one has an issue with drugs or alcohol, it is important to find the help that you need.
Effectiveness of MAT
While we looked at a few specific forms of MAT, we can still learn a lot by examining medication-assisted treatment as a whole. According to multiple sources, medications, including buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone, and more are effective for the treatment of opioid use disorder. The World Health Organization even calls buprenorphine an “essential medicine”.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, MAT is effective at decreasing opioid use, opioid-related overdose deaths, and even criminal activity and infectious disease transmission. MAT also increases social functioning and amount of time in treatment.
With all of this said, MAT works the best when it is combined with behavioral counseling and a full treatment plan that is characteristic of a drug and alcohol rehab facility.
Misconceptions About MAT
One of the biggest misconceptions and problems that surround the use of MAT is the belief that using MAT is substituting one addiction for another one.
Finding Help
Struggling with substance abuse is something that is incredibly difficult to deal with and if something is not done, it can prove to be not only dangerous, but fatal. It is important to remember that no matter how alone or hopeless the problem may feel, recovery is always a possibility.
Recovery is hard, it can take people multiple attempts at recovery before it actually sticks. However, when you get the right treatment and support and you are willing to fully commit to your sobriety, it will drastically improve your chances of finding long-term success.
Finding The Perfect Rehab
Finding a drug and alcohol rehab that is right for you or for your loved one can be hard. You may not know exactly what you should be looking for or where to start. When searching, one of the first steps that you want to take is to decide whether or not you want to find a local or national treatment center. Both can hold benefits, but local recovery centers can provide more convenience, access to help sooner, and can be a better decision financially.
Once you’ve decided this, it is important to check with the facility that you are looking into on a few things. First you want to be sure that the treatment facility is appropriately accredited and licensed. This helps to legitimize the facility and ensure that you are getting the quality of care that you need.
Along with these, be sure that the staff at the facility is also properly credentialed and are experts in their fields. Moreover, you need to be sure that the rehab that you have found will offer aftercare services such as an IOP program to help patients after they leave the facility. There are other things that you need to look for, but this is a good starting point when you’re trying to find the right facility.
If you are looking for a facility to help you or your loved one, Landmark Recovery may be able to help you.
Next Steps
Landmark Recovery is a drug and alcohol rehab facility that is dedicated to helping as many patients as possible and offer them the highest quality care available to help them achieve long-term sobriety. Part of this means medication assisted treatment administration if your loved one has received the prescription from Suboxone doctors. OKC is one city that has been disproportionately affected by the opioid crisis, and the situation is only getting worse with the rise of illicit drugs like methamphetamine. If you are interested in learning more about Landmark Recovery and how one of our rehabs in Oklahoma can help you or your loved one overcome addiction, please reach out to our admissions team today and visit our website.
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