Medication plus therapy

Medication-Assisted Treatment Program in Florida

FDA-approved medications for alcohol and opioid use disorders, prescribed alongside the therapy that addresses why the addiction took hold.

Call (888) 492-1633 Check insurance coverage

A clinician holding a patient's hands in reassurance

About this program

Medication-assisted treatment

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) combines medications with talk therapy to treat substance use disorders — primarily alcohol and opioid use disorders, including addiction to heroin, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, and prescription painkillers such as OxyContin and Vicodin. For opioid use disorder, methadone and buprenorphine ease withdrawal symptoms and cravings, and naltrexone blocks the effects of opioids. For alcohol use disorder, the medications help people drink less or stay stopped. They do not treat alcohol withdrawal, which is managed separately during medical detox.

Many people maintain recovery without MAT; for others, it is the support they need to stay in recovery and focus on treatment. Whether MAT is right for you is a clinical decision, made by the treatment provider based on individual needs, tolerance, and substance use history — and it always happens under the supervision of a trained professional who monitors for adverse reactions and any signs of misuse.

MAT is provided through our detox center in West Palm Beach. For opioid use disorders it usually begins with medically supervised detox, then continues alongside residential care, therapy, and aftercare — because the medication manages the physical side of addiction while treatment works on everything underneath.

Medications used in MAT

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) lists three FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorder: acamprosate, disulfiram, and naltrexone. For opioid use disorder, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) describes methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Which medication, if any, fits is a decision made with your prescriber. Each works differently:

Acamprosate
Helps people who have stopped drinking stay stopped. NIAAA says it eases the negative symptoms sometimes felt during abstinence. Its FDA label says it does not ease withdrawal symptoms, so it is started after detox, once drinking has stopped.
Disulfiram
Discourages drinking: any alcohol, even a small amount, causes unpleasant symptoms such as flushing, nausea, headache, and sweating. Its label says it is never given to someone who is intoxicated or without their full knowledge.
Naltrexone
Used for both alcohol and opioid use disorders. NIAAA says it helps reduce the urge to drink. For opioids, it blocks the receptors opioids act on, so they no longer produce a high. A person usually needs to be off opioids for 7 to 10 days before starting, or naltrexone can bring on withdrawal. After stopping it, tolerance is lower, which raises the risk of overdose if opioid use returns.
Buprenorphine
For opioid use disorder, started once early withdrawal symptoms have begun. NIDA says it reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms without producing intense pleasure or intoxication, and it can block other opioids from attaching.
Methadone
For opioid use disorder. NIDA says it acts more slowly and lasts longer than heroin or fentanyl, so it reduces withdrawal symptoms and cravings while producing less intense feelings of pleasure.

What the research shows

For opioid use disorder, NIDA reports that people treated with methadone or buprenorphine are less likely to die or to overdose than people who receive no treatment. For alcohol use disorder, the benefit is real but more modest. A 2023 review of 118 trials in JAMA found that for about every 11 people treated with acamprosate, one more avoided any return to drinking than with a placebo. For oral naltrexone, the figure was about 1 in 18. The review supports both as first-line medications when they are paired with counseling.

Contrary to a common belief, these medications do not simply substitute one drug for another. NIDA notes that methadone and buprenorphine do cause physical dependence, but it is milder than with other opioids and is managed by tapering the dose slowly rather than stopping suddenly. Used as prescribed and under supervision, these medications help people stabilize their lives and reduce the harm associated with opioid use.

How detox works with MAT

Detox — clearing alcohol and drugs from the body — is the first step, and because withdrawal can be dangerous, it happens under medical supervision. The process moves through three stages:

Evaluation
Medical professionals assess physical and mental health: screenings for co-occurring disorders, withdrawal risk, and a full review of medical, psychiatric, and substance use history.
Stabilization
The core of detox: getting through withdrawal safely and with minimal discomfort, using medication, nutritional support, and close monitoring for complications.
Preparing for treatment
Detox alone is not enough for long-term recovery. Once stable, the focus shifts to the next phase — therapy, medication, peer support, and comprehensive treatment.

Why detoxing alone is dangerous

Going cold turkey at home is risky in ways that are easy to underestimate. Depending on the substance, withdrawal symptoms range from uncomfortable to life-threatening — anxiety, depression, seizures, hallucinations. Without medical support those symptoms go unchecked, the discomfort drives a high risk of relapse, underlying mental health issues can worsen, and there is no therapeutic support for the psychological side of withdrawal. The risks of self-detox far outweigh the appeal.

The role of therapy in MAT

Medication is only half of MAT. It can ease cravings, and for opioids withdrawal too, but the program depends on active participation in therapy, which offers what medication cannot: