MAT- are you for it or against it?

Question

What do you think of MAT (medication assisted treatment) such as methadone or suboxone? 
Some people feel that it is a safe alternative to getting off of opiates as it's done in a medically supervised setting, it's legal, and there's no worry about it being tainted with a potentially lethal drug. 
Other people feel like it's just substituting one addiction for another so they don't see the point. 
IMO these meds can help with recovery and keep users out of jail or an early grave. 
What are your thoughts?

Answer

I think it’s a bandaid on the gaping wound of American drug issues. 
That said, I’m not against methadone maintenance in and of itself. I just believe we need to look at the issue more holistically.

Answer

I’m for it, but I noticed people claim to be clean while on them. I personally don’t consider someone clean or drug free until they are off all drugs. You may not be a heroine user anymore, but you’re still addicted to a mind altering substance.

Answer

I am 100% for it. I come from a small town that’s had an opioid epidemic for over two decades. Suboxone is a life saver, although I have lost a number of people to addiction. It allows the person to get their life under control, be able to function and get situated back into society. The correct use of the drug is for it to be prescribed for a few months (3, I believe), while slowing weaning the person off of it. The issue is that doctors are prescribing the drug for years and years. At that point it becomes a necessity to take it every day just like they would have to take opiates or the withdrawals are literally worse than the withdrawals from opiate use. With such a severe opioid crisis haven taken over our country, I believe doctors are trying to avoid a patient relapses and/or dying and in many people’s eyes, taking Suboxone (even longer than suggested) is better than taking opiates. Eventually, like when an addict gets sick of using opiates, they get sick of being dependent on another drug, especially when they’ve gotten their life together and will decide to come off it.

Answer

I hate Suboxone. I wouldn’t mind it if they gave controlled doses like they do in methadone clinics, gradually weaning them down. I know people that have been on suboxone for years and get a whole script at once and get completely effed up on them.

Answer

My mom is a psychiatrist and recovery counselor.  She donates her time part time at a methadone clinic. What she sees is horrific drug abusers turn their lives around.  Unfortunately it is a necessary treatment.

Answer

I have unfortunately only seen people use methadone when they weren’t able to get the heroin they really wanted. I think all drugs should be decriminalized. People with addictions don’t stop because they’re illegal or could be dangerous, so let’s tax and regulate everything.

Answer

I’m for it if it’s being used to help wean the patient off addictive drugs. It’s a practice many doctors use with patients who are on opioids long term (even if they’re not suffering form addiction at the time). And it has been effective in many cases. I do think it should be combined with other forms of addiction therapy though and should not be an automatic go-to. It needs to done on a case by case basis as some addicts may not respond well to this kind of therapy.

Answer

It's not a substitution addiction. I mean some people may abuse it in that way, but it's intended to be a tool to taper an addict off of the previous narcotic. My husband suffered from addiction from years and has been tapering down on sub for a year and it's saved our lives. He never got high or buzzed from it, it just took away the pain/withdrawal symptoms. After the monthly doctors appointments and hard work, he's going to be off of it in a few months :)

Answer

They work so I’m for it. My moms doctor allowed her to get whatever prescriptions she wanted and allowed her to get addicted to opiates for TEN YEARS. When they changed the laws, he cut her off cold turkey and it was terrible. She had to get on methadone to wean her from opiates. She’s clean completely from opiates and now weaning off of methadone. You need to visit s counselor while on it and they help u through it. They don’t support staying on it forever and push for you to slowly get off. Anyone who disagrees probably doesn’t know enough about it.

Answer

Opioid withdrawal symptoms can be really dangerous to go through alone. These clinics reduce the risks. I don’t think it’s a perfect solution, but it’s a step in the right direction

MAT- are you for it or against it?

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