Medically Assisted Treatment There are many options for treating substance addiction, and using medications as a means to eliminate substance use is a double-edged sword. There are two schools of thought regarding medically assisted treatment. First, let's define medication-assisted treatment (MAT): “It is the use of pharmacological medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a “whole patient” approach to treating substance use disorders. Research indicates that a combination of medication and behavioral therapies can successfully treat substance use disorders, and for some people struggling with addiction, MAT can help support recovery” (Watkins, 2016). One side of this treatment option is that it provides that little extra push to begin recovery with fewer or more withdrawal symptoms. For example, disulfiram is an alcohol aversion agent, which when taken with alcohol makes a person seriously ill (Watkins, 2016). There are also other medications that help reduce withdrawal symptoms, such as methadone. This leads to the second school of thought on medically assisted treatment. There has been much discussion about the drug used to treat opioid addiction, methadone. Many believe that the drug methadone is simply exchanging one drug for another, as methadone addiction is rapid and almost as powerful as an opiate addiction (Nelson, 1994). Withdrawal effects are much more intense with methadone and for this reason it is a lifelong maintenance drug. Some suggest that more rehabilitation programs that address users' social problems are needed to help them recover, rather than the methadone program that is seen... halfway through the document... alive from the implementation of an ongoing, empathetic and therapeutic relationship. hopeful, providing integrated treatment and care coordination across the course of multiple treatment episodes” (Watkins, 2015). Whether it is a substance use disorder, gambling or sex addiction, the way a counselor works with the client in an open and helpful way is key to motivating the client to change their behaviors. “A man convinced against his will, is still of the same opinion” (Carnegie, 1981). The most important part of the helping relationship is that the client is the protagonist of his care, since it is he who will make the decisions for his care. A counselor is essentially a skilled and qualified teacher who guides an individual towards the best recovery options and it is up to the individual to make the necessary changes in their life and behaviors.