Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is focused on combating substance abuse. When combined with therapy, MAT helps new addiction for long-lasting recovery. It is common for couples who use drugs together to suffer from addiction.
Therefore, couples tend to undergo medication-assisted treatment together. Most couples don’t like the idea of being separated when going to rehab. Due to the fact that such couples experience emotional and financial stress together, it’s only sensible for them to receive treatment meant for just couples. To know more about couples therapy and if it is worth it, read Is Couples Therapy Worth It?
How Medication Assisted Therapy Helps Couples Stay Clean
- Buprenorphine-ORT for Opioid Dependence
Buprenorphine facilitates recovery from opioid drugs such as heroin and Vicodin. The drugs are addictive, often leading to overdose or even death. Just like the illegal drugs, this medication-assisted treatment affects the brain. However, it presents no withdrawal symptoms when abstaining from drugs.
Buprenorphine can be prescribed by a doctor for use at home. Therefore, it is convenient for a couple to use this treatment method to stay clean.
- Naloxone-Opioid Antagonist
Naloxone medication is used in treatments to help couples get over opioid dependence. It blocks the activity of opioid so you don’t feel high and thus prevents overdosing. Naloxone is a lifesaver; it can be injected as an emergency if a couple has an overdose of opioid.
Combined with buprenorphine, it helps fight addiction through double action as a MAT for abstinence.
Drug rehabilitation for couples is done in two stages. The first stage, first level care, involves couples being introduced to what addiction is. Couple rehab counselling is done twice a week while group therapy goes for five days a week. You get a chance to set goals as a couple during recovery.
The second stage involves second level care where a couple meets with clinicians to develop a substance abuse treatment plan for each individual and goals set in the first phase. Outdoor activities such as games are included in the therapy.
During rehab, couples learn to connect when they’re clean instead of being under the influence of a substance.
- Disulfiram for Alcoholism
Disulfiram works by causing unpleasant side effects whenever a couple drinks alcohol, discouraging them from abusing the substance. The medication causes anxiety, blurred vision, dizziness and confusion. However, these side effects usually don’t last long, going for about an hour on the higher side, depending on the amount of alcohol you drink.
Since the side effects of this medication de-motivate people from drinking alcohol, couples can use it to stay clean.
- Whole Patient Approach
Medication is not enough to help couples achieve long-term recovery. The whole patient approach involves addressing a problem from its root cause. Couples can be analyzed through therapy to unearth what led them to substance abuse and addiction.
The approach involves couples being educated on various drugs and relapse during treatment sessions to facilitate their recovery. Therapy is the pillar of medication-assisted treatment. The kind of therapies used includes behavioural therapies such as alcohol behavioural couple therapy.
Being partners in recovery is not easy as issues might arise and cause relapse for the two parties involved. Therefore, use therapy sessions to address substance abuse and addiction issues and stay clean.
Contact us for substance abuse and drug addiction rehabilitation for couples at www.steppingsober.com.
