Treatment
When others need treatment, we can listen and help.
Ken Choke’s elders taught him to take care of family and community.
When that includes taking care of someone who uses fentanyl, it might mean showing empathy when you are also angry. Or listening when you would rather talk. Or being patient when you’re frustrated.
That’s what Ken, a leader with the Nisqually Indian Tribe, tells people who seek his advice when their family members or friends are struggling. He has learned from his own experiences with relatives, including cousins who have died of overdose. But he’s also seen loved ones enter treatment and heal their lives.
What he’s found works best: “Treat them as a human being,” he says, “and don’t judge them.”
And when it’s time for them to start treatment, help them find a program that works for them and get what they need to begin.
KEN CHOKE
Helping people get treatment
When others need treatment, we can listen and help.
Ken Choke’s elders taught him to take care of family and community.
When that includes taking care of someone who uses fentanyl, it might mean showing empathy when you are also angry. Or listening when you would rather talk. Or being patient when you’re frustrated.
That’s what Ken, a leader with the Nisqually Indian Tribe, tells people who seek his advice when their family members or friends are struggling. He has learned from his own experiences with relatives, including cousins who have died of overdose. But he’s also seen loved ones enter treatment and heal their lives.
What he’s found works best: “Treat them as a human being,” he says, “and don’t judge them.”
And when it’s time for them to start treatment, help them find a program that works for them and get what they need to begin.
KEN CHOKE
Helping people get treatment
Treatment made for Native people saves Native lives.
Connection to our Indigenous traditions and identities is good for treatment and recovery. That includes people who haven’t felt connected with their tribes or cultures in the past. Traditional practices learned in treatment — singing, drumming – can start creating that sense of connection.
Programs that combine medication with counseling and traditional healing can be especially effective. If you or someone you care about may be ready for treatment, look for a program that blends clinical and Indigenous healing concepts and providers in a community-based setting. For help finding a program:
- Contact your tribe’s or community’s behavioral health or medical center.
- Call the Native Resource Hub at (866) 491-1683.
- Call the Washington Recovery Help Line at (866) 789-1511.
- Use the Washington Recovery Help Line MOUD locator.
Treatment made for Native people saves Native lives.
Connection to our Indigenous traditions and identities is good for treatment and recovery. That includes people who haven’t felt connected with their tribes or cultures in the past. Traditional practices learned in treatment — singing, drumming – can start creating that sense of connection.
Programs that combine medication with counseling and traditional healing can be especially effective. If you or someone you care about may be ready for treatment, look for a program that blends clinical and Indigenous healing concepts and providers in a community-based setting. For help finding a program:
- Contact your tribe’s or community’s behavioral health or medical center.
- Call the Native Resource Hub at (866) 491-1683.
- Call the Washington Recovery Help Line at (866) 789-1511.
- Use the Washington Recovery Help Line MOUD locator.
Mary Leitka, of the Hoh Indian Tribe, talks with Ken Choke.
Programs combine medication and other support.
Some people and programs talk about “medications for opioid use disorder,” or MOUD. This is formerly known as “medication-assisted treatment,” or MAT. MOUD and MAT are the same thing. They both combine medication with counseling and other support.
By using medication, we create space for healing. Medication maintenance is the most effective treatment available for people who use opioids.
Medication brings stability into a person’s life, so they can work on healing trauma, repairing harmed relationships, building resilience, and learning new coping tools. Taking medication is not the same as being dependent on fentanyl or other opioids off the street.
- It is safer to take medication under medical supervision than it is to take fentanyl made in illegal labs.
- People who are fentanyl-dependent often spend a lot of their time trying to get and use drugs. With medication, they don’t have to. Instead, they can work on healing.
Methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone reduce risks.
Medication options for opioid use include methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Depending on the option you choose, medication is available on different schedules (some can be taken every month) and in different forms (such as injectable or oral).
Medication reduces the number of deaths from overdose. It also can reduce chronic pain and cravings, and it's been shown to reduce the risk of resuming drug use as well as transmission rates of HIV and HCV.
Programs combine medication and other support.
Some people and programs talk about “medications for opioid use disorder,” or MOUD. This is formerly known as “medication-assisted treatment,” or MAT. MOUD and MAT are the same thing. They both combine medication with counseling and other support.
By using medication, we create space for healing. Medication maintenance is the most effective treatment available for people who use opioids.
Medication brings stability into a person’s life, so they can work on healing trauma, repairing harmed relationships, building resilience, and learning new coping tools. Taking medication is not the same as being dependent on fentanyl or other opioids off the street.
- It is safer to take medication under medical supervision than it is to take fentanyl made in illegal labs.
- People who are fentanyl-dependent often spend a lot of their time trying to get and use drugs. With medication, they don’t have to. Instead, they can work on healing.
Methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone reduce risks.
Medication options for opioid use include methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Depending on the option you choose, medication is available on different schedules (some can be taken every month) and in different forms (such as injectable or oral).
Medication reduces the number of deaths from overdose. It also can reduce chronic pain and cravings, and it's been shown to reduce the risk of resuming drug use as well as transmission rates of HIV and HCV.
METHADONE
Methadone has become increasingly flexible and accessible for people with substance use disorder. It's the most effective medication for fentanyl dependency.
- People who use fentanyl don’t have to detox before they start taking methadone. The medication stimulates the same receptors in the brain as fentanyl without creating the high. That lets people begin treatment and take the next steps toward recovery and healing without suffering from withdrawals.
- Methadone is effective for people who suffer from severe and chronic pain.
- Methadone is dispensed by specially regulated clinics. It's available in liquid or pill form.
- Dosing from an opioid treatment program can start at up to six days a week, but usually becomes less frequent. Some patients eventually can get up to 28 days of take-home doses.
BUPRENORPHINE (Suboxone®)
Some people prefer buprenorphine, because you can get a prescription filled at a pharmacy. This can be easier if you live in a rural area or need to travel.
- Like methadone, buprenorphine prevents opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
- Buprenorphine blocks the effects of other drugs, if the person in treatment relapses.
- It can be offered in any medical setting.
- It comes as a pill, a film under the tongue, a six-month implant, or a monthly injectable.
NALTREXONE (Vivitrol® or ReVia®)
Some people prefer naltrexone, because it works for both opioids and alcohol.
- It also blocks the effects of other drugs if the person relapses.
- It can be offered in any medical setting.
- It come as a daily pill or monthly injection.
If you’re pregnant, treatment helps protect your baby.
Getting treatment now is one of the best things you can do for your baby and yourself, if you are pregnant and use fentanyl or other opioids. Chronic opioid use during pregnancy can lead to complications for the birth parent and the baby. That includes drug withdrawal in the newborn, called neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS.
Medications are safe during pregnancy.
Treatment is most effective when it includes medication along with mental, emotional, spiritual, and cultural support.
- Medication can prevent withdrawal and reduce opioid cravings, so you can focus on recovery and caring for your baby.
- Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone are safe during pregnancy and chestfeeding.
- Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone reduce the risk of preterm and low-birthweight births. These medications also reduce the risk of miscarriage.
If you’re pregnant, treatment helps protect your baby.
Getting treatment now is one of the best things you can do for your baby and yourself, if you are pregnant and use fentanyl or other opioids. Chronic opioid use during pregnancy can lead to complications for the birth parent and the baby. That includes drug withdrawal in the newborn, called neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS.
Medications are safe during pregnancy.
Treatment is most effective when it includes medication along with mental, emotional, spiritual, and cultural support.
- Medication can prevent withdrawal and reduce opioid cravings, so you can focus on recovery and caring for your baby.
- Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone are safe during pregnancy and chestfeeding.
- Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone reduce the risk of preterm and low-birthweight births. These medications also reduce the risk of miscarriage.
