Opioid addiction treatment at Vive Treatment Centers combines medication that controls cravings and withdrawal with therapy that addresses why the use started. It runs on an outpatient basis, so you get medical treatment for opioid dependence while living at home and keeping your job or studies. A psychiatrist leads care and treats any depression, anxiety, or trauma alongside the opioid use. We treat dependence on heroin, fentanyl, and prescription painkillers. We accept all major Insurance.
Medication-assisted treatment is the medical standard for opioids
For opioid use disorder, medication is not optional support, it is the treatment with the strongest evidence behind it. Medication-assisted treatment uses FDA-approved medication to stop withdrawal, cut cravings, and let your brain stabilize, which is what makes the therapy that follows possible. Willpower alone fails against opioid dependence at very high rates, and that is a matter of neurochemistry, not character. We prescribe buprenorphine and naltrexone as part of treatment, and a psychiatrist decides with you which fits your situation and manages it directly. Pairing medication with counseling, rather than using either alone, is what the evidence supports and what we do.
Why opioid addiction is dangerous to leave untreated
Opioids are the deadliest drugs in circulation, and the reason is fentanyl. It is far stronger than heroin or prescription pills, it now contaminates much of the illicit supply, and it makes every use a potential overdose. Tolerance also drops fast during any break from use, so a dose that felt normal weeks ago can be fatal after a short period of abstinence, which is why relapse after detox carries such high overdose risk. This is the core reason medication-assisted treatment matters: staying in treatment on medication is strongly protective against overdose death. Getting help is not something to postpone until things get worse, because with opioids, worse can mean fatal.
Opioid withdrawal and what to expect
Opioid withdrawal is intensely uncomfortable but, unlike alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal, not usually life-threatening on its own. It typically brings muscle aches, nausea, sweating, agitation, and cravings that peak within a few days and ease over about a week. The harder problem is not surviving withdrawal, it is that the misery and the cravings drive people straight back to use. Medication changes this: buprenorphine can suppress withdrawal before it becomes unbearable, so treatment does not depend on white-knuckling through it. If you need a higher level of medical support to start, we help arrange it, then bring you into our outpatient program to continue.
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How treatment works here
Opioid treatment at Vive runs through our Intensive Outpatient Program, with medication management built in. You attend three-hour sessions, three to five days a week, in daytime or evening tracks, then step down to weekly care as you stabilize. Group therapy, individual counseling, and family sessions use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to rebuild the parts of life opioids took over, while your medication is managed by a psychiatrist in the same plan. The intensive phase commonly runs about three months, followed by ongoing support, because the months after early treatment are when relapse risk, and therefore overdose risk, is highest.
What starting medication actually involves
Starting buprenorphine begins with timing, not a leap. You need to be in early withdrawal before the first dose, because starting too soon can briefly worsen symptoms, so the clinical team walks you through exactly when to take it. Once you are stabilized on the right dose, cravings and withdrawal fade into the background and stay there, which is what frees you to focus on therapy and rebuilding a routine. Dosing is reviewed regularly and adjusted as you progress, and nothing about it requires you to be visibly medicated or impaired; taken as prescribed, it simply removes the daily emergency of chasing a drug. For people who prefer a non-opioid option, naltrexone works differently, by blocking opioid effects entirely, and a psychiatrist helps you weigh which path fits your history and goals.
Treating opioid use and mental health together
Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and trauma are treated in the same plan as the opioid use, not sent to a separate provider. Many people start using opioids to manage pain that is physical, emotional, or both, and if the underlying condition goes untreated, the pressure to use stays. Vive was founded by a board-certified addiction psychiatrist for exactly this reason: opioid recovery holds better when a physician can treat the addiction and the mental health condition together, adjusting medication for both. That integrated care is the difference between managing a craving and resolving what drives it.
Starting treatment, step by step
Getting started takes four steps. First, a confidential phone call about what you are using and what you need. Second, we verify your insurance and explain your coverage before anything begins. Third, an intake assessment with a licensed clinician who builds your plan, including whether medication starts right away. Fourth, you begin treatment and step down toward weekly support as you stabilize, with relapse management and alumni community throughout. If a higher level of care is safer for you to start, we help arrange it first.
Insurance and cost
We are in-network with Aetna, Cigna, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield including the Federal Employee Program, UnitedHealthcare and Optum, and Tricare, and we work with most other commercial plans. Most cover outpatient opioid treatment and medication-assisted treatment with prior authorization; your out-of-pocket depends on your deductible and coinsurance. Send the verification form and our team confirms your benefits before your first visit, so the cost is clear before treatment starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What medications are used to treat opioid addiction?
We prescribe buprenorphine and naltrexone as part of medication-assisted treatment. A psychiatrist decides with you which fits and manages it alongside any mental health medication, so it is one coordinated plan rather than several.
Does medication just replace one addiction with another?
No. Medication like buprenorphine, taken as prescribed under medical supervision, stabilizes brain chemistry without the cycle of intoxication and withdrawal that defines addiction. It is the difference between a controlled medical treatment and uncontrolled use.
Can I work while in opioid treatment?
Yes. Sessions run in daytime and evening tracks, and medication is managed on a schedule built around your life, so most people keep working or studying.
How long does opioid treatment take?
The intensive phase commonly runs about three months, then steps down to weekly care. Length follows your progress, and medication may continue longer because staying on it is protective against relapse and overdose.
Do I need to detox before starting?
Not in the way alcohol requires. For opioids, medication like buprenorphine is often started as part of treatment rather than after a separate detox. We assess this on your first call and arrange a higher level of support first if you need it.
Does insurance cover opioid treatment?
Most commercial plans cover outpatient opioid treatment and MAT with prior authorization. We are in-network with Aetna, Cigna, CareFirst, UnitedHealthcare, and Tricare, and verify your benefits before you start.
Does treatment address mental health too?
Yes. A psychiatrist leads care and treats depression, anxiety, PTSD, and trauma in the same plan as the opioid use.
