We’ve all heard the old saying, the first step is admitting there is a problem. The signs that indicate addiction treatment might be the right path for you aren’t always clear, but this list is certainly a starting point. If you or someone special to you is experience anything like this, medication-assisted treatment may be a good thing to explore.
What do we know about the effectiveness of medication-assisted treatment (MAT)? In this article from the website STAT, Dr. Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, discusses the data supporting MAT.
“I don’t think that there’s any areas where the data is shaky. It clearly shows better outcomes with medication-assisted therapy than without it,” Volkow said. “Studies have shown that outcomes are much better when you are on medication-assisted therapy. For one, it decreases risk of relapse — significantly. Second, MAT has also been shown to be effective in preventing infectious diseases like HIV. Third, medication-assisted therapy has been shown to be effective in preventing overdoses,” she said.
Don’t wait another day, get help now if any of this sounds familiar.
Do you suffer withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop using?
Withdrawal symptoms can be physical, psychological, mental or emotional. The most common form is physical withdrawal. In these situations, typically a medically supervised detox is necessary. Opiate users addicted to substances like heroin, OxyContin or Percocet will suffer physical withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, muscle cramping, depression, agitation, anxiety, and strong opiate cravings.
Has your drug use progressed from “partying” to using alone?
No one sets out to become an addict. Many people that suffer from addiction begin in the same way that everyone else does try something at a party or social environment with friends. However, when addiction takes hold, and more is needed to feel the same way, a person might begin to use alone to stave off growing cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Negative consequences eventually catch up with you when you’re using regularly.
Typically it’s only a matter of time before something significant happens that can be attributed to your drug use. Have you lost a job? Have your friends been pulling away because of your use? Have you gotten a DUI or multiple DUI’s? Are you unable to save money? Did your relationship break up because of your use or your behaviors?
Do you find you have little or no control over the amount you are using?
As an addict, your mindset will eventually go into “maintenance” mode. You plan on using just enough opiates to maintain and not get sick from withdrawal but instead use too much and wake up in the morning terrified because you have nothing left. At this point, panic sets in and your decision-making become skewed to rationalize all kinds of behaviors to get the money or drugs that you need.
Do you hide your drug use from your friends, sometimes even the friends you use with?
Do you want the friends you use with to not “know how bad” you are? Do you hide the amounts that you use, even with friends using the same substances? Do you change up your friends to keep hidden exactly what is going on with your drug use? These are all signals that your drug use has been dangerously addictive.
If any of this sounds like you or someone special to you, take action today. Get into a medication-assisted treatment plan that is supported with counseling.
