I am tired, yall. Deep, bone-deep, emotionally drained tired. & not just in the “I need a looooong nap” type of way, but in the way that comes from having the same exhausting conversation over & over again—defending people’s right to define their own recovery. Because it is their life, after all. All Paths To Recovery, Matter❤️
The debate around Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) & what “counts” as “real recovery” is never-ending. It’s not just the stigma from people who’ve never struggled with addiction. It’s the constant pushback from within the recovery community itself, which is the most frustrating. The sideways comments, the judgment disguised as concern. The “Well, they’re still dependent, aren’t you?” The “But are you really sober?” It’s the idea that if someone takes Suboxone, Methadone, or another FDA-approved medication, their recovery somehow doesn’t count & they’re less valid.
And I’m so tired of explaining that addiction is a disease. Sorry rando FB user- that isn’t up for debate- it’s a FACT. That, just like diabetes or heart disease, some people need long-term medication to manage it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with “maintenance medications.” That no one questions whether a diabetic on insulin is “really” managing their condition or whether someone on antidepressants is “really” treating their depression.
But when it comes to opioid addiction? Suddenly, everyone has an opinion.
And here’s what makes it even more frustrating—MAT isn’t new. We’ve had it for literal DECADES. We’ve also accepted/normalized it for other addictions for decades.
• Nicotine gum? Nicotine patches? Chantix? All forms of MAT for smoking. No one argues that using Nicorette means you’re “not really quitting.”
• Naltrexone, Antabuse, Acamprosate? Medications for alcoholism. Completely accepted. No one shames someone for taking them.
But the second it’s for opioid use disorder, suddenly, people feel the need to gatekeep recovery. Why? Why is it that only people in recovery from opiates get told their medication isn’t valid? Why is it that only Suboxone, Methadone, & Buprenorphine carry this stigma?
I’ve seen people who are doing the work, who have completely turned their lives around, get treated like they’re somehow less than because their recovery includes medication. As if choosing to stay alive, to be functional, to be stable, is somehow “cheating.”
It’s absolute bullshit.
Recovery isn’t about suffering. It’s not about checking off boxes on someone else’s definition of sobriety. It’s about reclaiming YOUR life. And if MAT helps someone do that? If it keeps them from relapse, from overdose, from the chaos of active addiction, from losing their limbs to cuts that necrosis?! Then it IS recovery.
It’s gotten to the point many people don’t even like the word “recovery” or go to traditional meetings, because of the hate they received there. & I’m not blaming every meeting- there are many that welcome all. But sadly, a few bad apples ruin the bunch, as they say.
I am so tired of the harm these debates cause. Because every time someone is made to feel like their recovery doesn’t count, there’s a risk they’ll give up entirely. That they’ll stop taking the medication that’s keeping them stable. That they’ll isolate themselves from support. That they’ll think, “Maybe I’m not really in recovery after all.”
And that? That’s what kills people.
So no, I won’t stop defending MAT. I won’t stop advocating for people’s right to choose what works for them without shame. I won’t stop pushing back against this outdated, narrow view of recovery that leaves too many people behind.
But I am tired.
And I really wish I didn’t have to do it so much.
