Our Daily Show Interview! Centerstone: Medication Assisted Treatment
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
ALTON - Centerstone offers several treatment options for mental health and substance use disorders, including medication-assisted treatment (MAT).
When engaging in MAT, the client takes a medication — Vivitrol, Suboxone or methadone — with the goal of preventing an opiate relapse. The medication curbs cravings and “retrains the brain” to minimize the individual’s desire for an illicit substance, explained clinical coordinator Ellyn Lowry. MAT is available at Centerstone’s Alton location at 2615 Edwards Street.
“MAT, medication-assisted treatment, has a bias associated with it. But it has really been instrumental in saving lives,” Lowry said. “At the end of the day, that’s what we’re shooting for. We all have the ability to make changes in our lives if we still are breathing. And if a medication can assist a person’s process in doing that, then the sky’s the limit.”
Lowry noted that some people have a “strong bias” against MAT. They argue that MAT simply allows an individual to “trade one substance for another.”
She explained that Centerstone utilizes a harm reduction approach, and the medication is an instrument in preventing relapse or death. Especially when combined with counseling, MAT has been proven to be an effective way of combating substance use disorders.
“Really, the medication alone is just a tool,” Lowry said. “We have an assortment of different services that we use to try to combat and aid in the recovery process. I think it’s all about perspective. We’re trying to save lives, at the end of the day. If a medication helps someone or deters them from going and using an illicit substance that is very fatal, we’re going to shoot for using that medication as opposed to somebody going out and potentially using a substance that could end their lives.”
The medication serves as a “jumpstart” to curb cravings and help people manage their substance use. This is when counseling can be helpful. As a counselor, Lowry believes counseling can help people overcome a variety of challenges.
She added that Centerstone takes a client-centered approach, meaning clients determine what services they want to participate in. While addiction can happen to anyone, so can recovery.
“There is so much more complexity to an addiction than just the physical dependence on a substance, and that’s where the group counseling and individual counseling come into play,” Lowry said. “Addiction does not discriminate. We see all kinds of different populations of people, all different ages, races, genders. Therefore, we do take into account those unique traits and things like that in an individual. We do focus our treatment on their particular walk of life and make it individualized for the person.”
As more people utilize Centerstone’s MAT program in Alton and beyond, Lowry hopes medication-assisted treatment and counseling can provide the tools that people need to manage their substance use. This is Centerstone’s ultimate goal, and they’re eager to help people in the Riverbend community get the help they need to live happier, healthier lives.
“We all, together as a team, try to uplift and build hope for people,” she added. “That’s ultimately what we’re trying to do at Centerstone, and save lives at the end of the day.”
For more information about Centerstone, including how to book an appointment in Alton, visit their official website at Centerstone.org.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
More like this:
