A big part of the addiction recovery process revolves around clients getting safely past the withdrawal process. Depending on a number of factors, a person’s withdrawal symptoms can be just as scary as the addiction itself. It’s for that very reason that the addiction treatment community as a whole heavily promotes the idea of clients going through detox programs. As for the aforementioned factors, here are a few things that could influence the extent of someone’s withdrawal symptoms:

The length of time the addict has been abusing their drug or drugs of choice
The amount of drugs or alcohol the individual consumes when they use
The frequency of the individual’s substance abuse
The actual substance or substances of choice
The rate at which the individual’s body metabolizes the substance or substances in question

Assuming someone rates average among these factors, they would most likely need to go through a standard medically monitored detox program. The emphasis of such a program is to get clients past their withdrawal symptoms and cravings as safely as possible. In order to ensure clients are safe while detoxing, the detox facility’s medical staff would be monitoring their progress. Should any client show signs of discomfort or distress, there would be a doctor standing by with the option to prescribe relief medications if they feel that’s necessary. Otherwise, clients are given the opportunity to detox as naturally as possible. For the most part, clients should be able to clear their withdrawal symptoms within a week. During that timeframe, days two through five would be the most challenging. If a client gets past day five without complications, they should be ready for therapy within a day or two. Where things get complicated is when a client enters rehab with a deep, long term addiction to a dangerous substance like heroin. That makes the detox process a whole lot more complicated. In the section below, we will address how an Ohio detox center might handle a long term detox situation.

Are Ohio Inpatient Drug Detox Centers Equipped to Handle Long-Term Heroin Addiction?

The answer to the titled question is an emphatic yes. In almost every case, Ohio detox centers will have programs in place to address the needs of clients who have significant addiction issues. The approach to providing detox services is very logical. Plan for the worst-case scenario and everything else will be manageable. If someone enters rehab with a severe addiction to heroin, that is the worst-case scenario. If you are wondering why heroin addiction poses so many issues related to detoxing, look at this list of common heroin withdrawal symptoms:

Difficulty with the respiratory system
Issues with high blood pressure and a rapid heart rate
Severe muscle cramping in the abdomen area
Nausea and vomiting
Frightening hallucinations and nightmares
Body convulsions and tremors in the arms and legs
Increase in depression or anxiety

On its own, this list is quite disturbing. If the client’s addiction to heroin is severe, these same withdrawal symptoms become more dangerous. That is the reason the detox facilty’s medical staff with prescribe a tapering detox program. A tapering detox program includes the use of tapering drugs like suboxone or methadone. The premise behind this approach is to keep clients on a safer variety of opioids while slowing down the detox process. It’s worth noting that while suboxone is an opioid substance, it does not have the same addictive qualities as heroin. Medical staffers will use this substance in such a way that they can slowly decrease the amount they give clients over time.

Slowly but surely, the client’s body will start adjusting to the need for less suboxone until the client is completely weaned off the substance. While a standard detox program might last a week, a tapering detox program could last weeks. Again, the goal is always to make sure clients are safe until they can clear their withdrawal symptoms. If you live in Ohio and have a severe heroin addiction, you can take comfort in knowing there are detox centers equipped to give you the help you need. We can provide you with that level of treatment. Your first responsibility is to recognize you have a problem and reach out for help. We will be there to help you if you contact one of our representatives at 833-497-3812.