March 2021
The names sound similar, but these are two different approaches to recovery.
Not too long ago, getting treatment for drug and alcohol addiction mostly meant walking into a 12-step meeting and relying on will-power, camaraderie, and a higher power to make a change. Today, there are more treatment options available than ever before. That’s great — it allows individuals to find the path to recovery that is right for them. However, it also means that there’s pressure to understand the treatment options and choose between them.
One common source of confusion is between medically-assisted detox, and medication-assisted treatment. Both of these treatment approaches can be helpful for people with opioid addiction or dependence. Although the names sound similar, the approaches are actually quite different. Medically-assisted detox helps people get off opioids entirely, whereas medication-assisted treatment helps people manage their substance use disorder by taking prescription opioids in a responsible and controlled way.
