Advocacy in Action: Challenging the Stigma of MOUD-Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In this interactive webinar, Haley Sherlock, a woman in long-term recovery and the CARES program team lead at Georgia Council for Recovery, emphasized the importance of breaking the stigma surrounding addiction and the role recovery plays in personal and community growth. The session featured Andrea from the Opioid Response Network, focusing on Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOOD), an evidence-based treatment that includes methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Key objectives of MOOD include mitigating withdrawal symptoms, reducing cravings, lowering risk of overdose, and prolonging treatment engagement. The presentation highlighted that MOOD is twice as effective as abstinence-only models.<br /><br />Discussions covered the mechanisms of medications, with a particular focus on agonists, antagonists, and partial agonists, examining how each impacts the brain's opioid receptors differently. Special attention was given to the differing stability provided by prescribed medications compared to illicit drugs, facilitating a better-managed recovery trajectory. <br /><br />Andrea also addressed misconceptions about medication-assisted treatment (MAT), emphasizing that it's not merely replacing one addiction with another, but leveraging safe, controlled substances to aid recovery. The session ended with advocacy strategies to improve education and access, recognizing the significant challenges and stigmas still present in treatment landscapes and the need for comprehensive support networks. Participants were encouraged to stay active in these educational opportunities to better integrate these insights into their professional practices.

Keywords

Haley Sherlock

Georgia Council for Recovery

addiction stigma

community growth

Opioid Response Network

Medications for Opioid Use Disorder

methadone

buprenorphine

naltrexone

medication-assisted treatment

recovery advocacy

education access