There are several different types of treatment for Substance Use Disorders. Different treatments will work better for different people, but treatment and recovery is always possible. You can check our list of SUD treatment resources to find whatever works best for you.
Inpatient or Residential vs. Outpatient
Inpatient or residential treatment is what people tend the think of when we talk about substance use treatment or "rehab". These programs generally involve spending a period of time in a treatment center or hospital to receive intensive treatment day-to-day.
Outpatient treatment, where one comes into the facility regularly for treatment, and then goes about the rest of their day, can be more flexible and affordable.
Medication Supported Recovery
Medication Supported Recovery, also known as Medication Assisted Treatment or MAT, is the use of an opioid-like drug such as methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone to reduce craving, withdrawal symptoms, and dependence. The timing and dosing depends on the medication being used. Medication supported Recovery has been shown to be more effective than counseling alone in the treatment of Opioid Use Disorder, particularly when used with behavioral therapy, counseling, and social support.
From MAT to Medication Supported Recovery
There has been a recent shift in the recovery community and among many treatment providers to use the term Medication Supported Recovery instead of MAT to help decrease stigma around Medication Supported Recovery. In an effort to do our part to decrease stigma, we shall use the term Medication Supported Recovery on our site, with exceptions for some data and news articles that either rely on ICD-10 codes that say MAT or are published by outside sources.
The most esteemed scientific advisory body in the US, the National Academy of Sciences has published a new monograph, Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Save Lives. This document exhorts the medical and behavioral health communities to embrace the use of medications to treat Opioid Use Disorder. It also draws a bright moral line stating that withholding or not making available all FDA-approved medications for OUD is denial of appropriate care.
Learn more about MAT: