How does everyone feel about MAT program (maintenance assisted treatment like suboxone or methadone or any other maintenance medication)?

suboxone
#1

Maintenance assisted treatment or methadone maintenance treatment or any other maintenance medication

#3

A few more answers on this thread

And would love to hear from some of our members on their current / updated thoughts!

#2

I’ve seen it work well for my brother (he actually has used vivitrol - which is a slow release / month dose with a similar result to suboxone - I’m no medic though so just sharing anecdotally what has worked!) I know many find suboxone very beneficial to recovery.

My husband has been using patches to break his decade + long smoking habit and I’m getting to see first hand how much some medication assisted taper down can really help. I don’t think there’s a chance he could quit otherwise - and it’s still a process!

#4

Hi @Bamachick - suboxone seems to be helpful to our son in finding more stability in his life and keeping a full-time job. It has been affordable, especially now that he has health insurance through his job. He has never been to rehab, and it seems like many of the rehab models are abstinence-only. Suboxone has been safer as far as reducing overdose risk from heroin, versus abstinence-based programs.

#5

I am in recovery. 6/23/15.
I’ve been around many addicts.
I struggled for years and meetings,rehab etc never worked for me.
I sought out a professional and was put on medication. Buphnorphine and naloxone.
It’s changed everything. Well Jesus, is who saved me. The medication has done wonders for me.
I take it correctly. I have underlining issues like PTSD, anxiety, chronic pain etc. I’m looked down on because I take medication and I will probably be taking it for the rest of my life. and I’m okay with that. My recovery isn’t going to be the same as another’s. What works for then doesn’t for me,and what works for me,isn’t for everyone. Some eventually stop taking anything. I doubt I’ll be that person because the pros outweigh the cons. Recovery isn’t a one size fits all type of thing. People take insulin,wear glasses ,take blood pressure medicine, anxiety medication etc to help them and no one sees them as less than . My medicine does the same for me, it helps my quailty of life and I’m not ashamed of it.
I wish it wasn’t looked at so negatively. It truly helps many. My insurance won’t cover it nor the doctor and I’m blessed to be able to pay for it,but that’s not the same for too many people. We’re dying and if this medication helps people get and keep their lives together,what’s the problem. I am in full support of it.
I do think therapy along with medicine will help more. Anything can be abused. Many,like myself take it correctly. And if you knew me before,you would see the drastic changes. I’m an author and will be in a book coming out soon. I do my best to help people like me and loved ones. I’ve been both,and at the same time. God saved me so he could use the bad for good and for the good of others.

#7

It saved my life. I don’t know that I’d be here today without it. It gave me my life back. I had no quality of life before it and now I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.

#6

Thanks for sharing your perspective @SmithT! Super helpful, and very encouraging to hear of the success you’re finding in recovery! :relaxed:

#8

Super super encouraging @Wenderella81! Thank you!

#9

I agree! I have gotten my life back! It was chaos but not no more! It has saved my life! I don’t think I would be here if I didn’t get on a maintenance program.

#10

My experience has been that it it totally useless if it isn’t accompanied by a genuine desire to quit. So it can’t work in a vacuum, and the person’s mindset has to be in a recovery space first. You can’t just reduce the cravings and expect recovery to automatically follow. Plus they can sell the strips (suboxone) and use the money to buy heroin. So I don’t have a positive experience to report. All that being said, my husband just got the Vivitrol shot while in an inpatient rehab program, and he seems mentally committed to the recovery process, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

#11

@Courtcourt I’ve been on maintenance and have been doing good. I haven’t used or wanted to use coming up on 5 years in March. I hope your husband all the best! I appreciate you replying. Thank you. I know exactly what you mean about people selling their medication. There is a big Stigma on maintenance medication because of people like that or people that abuses the program! Thank you!

#12

The MAT program my son is in gets every empty packet of suboxone back from him and tests his urine each visit for the right amount of suboxone and no other drugs - these are steps to try to prevent misuse or sale of the medication. I think they help motivate compliance.

#13

Dead people don’t recover. Substitution and maintenance therapies save lives because they can keep people from being stuck between deadly strong fentanyl analogues or being so sick they wish they were dead. It lets people have some agency and ownership over their use and connects them to other services that can help them be healthier and happier and experience less problems from their use.
Next thing I am feeling hopeful about are the opiate ( non substitution ) pilot programs that are running in a few Canadian cities. If we had had a safe supply thousands of people would still be with us today and could be pursuing their recovery too.