On the other side, the 12‑step‑oriented model of addiction treatment needs to add medication as a fully respected, long-term option for patients with opioid use disorder. That is a huge step for them to take. Not all OUD patients will choose MAT, but having it available to them is in the patients' interests.
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is pioneering this new hybrid approach. When people go into the HBF program, if they have problems with opioids, they are actively encouraged to use medications as part of this 12-step recovery-oriented system of care.
My goal is to help our two treatment camps to stop fighting with each other and to work together in mutual respect. Reach out your hand to the other folks and bring them in with you – into what you're doing. We are dealing with one disease involving many different drugs. Millions of addicted people need help. There is no one right way. There are many different paths to sustained recovery that need to work together to achieve the goals that none alone can achieve.
(“M.A.T. can be a helpful ‘circuit breaker’ in some contexts, but can never be an end in themselves, as long-term use of any toxin only aids and abets harms. ‘Sunset Clauses’ on M.A.T use can really only work with a drug use exiting therapeutic tool, such as 12 Step Programs simultaneously in play.” – Dalgarno Institute_
