It doesn’t matter how many people die from a heroin overdose. It doesn’t matter how many people watch their lives disintegrate into constant turmoil. No matter what, the cycle of heroin addiction continues to cause problems for the U.S. population. America has been fighting this battle for close to 40 years. Still, millions of people are walking the streets with needle marks on their arms and legs. With that said, all of the news is not bad. In recent years, the drug addiction treatment community has been finding better and more effective ways to help people recover from the disease of heroin addiction. If you have been struggling with a heroin addiction problem, it is probably time for you to take a look in the mirror.
The reality is we don’t see many old heroin addicts because they either stop and get help or they die well before they should have. If you take that look in the mirror and don’t like what you see, that’s an indication it’s time for you to get help. We can tell you now that there really is just one option because all of those self-help options you hear and read about simply don’t work.
The only option you really have is seeking treatment from a reliable drug and alcohol addiction treatment center like ours. Once you enter rehab, it would become clear what treatment for a heroin addiction entails. To be clear, treating someone for a heroin addiction offers more challenges than we typically encounter when treating clients who have an addiction to other substances. Heroin treatment offers more challenges because of the highly addictive nature of the drug. In the section below, we will describe for you all of the heroin treatment options you will encounter in rehab.
What are the treatments for heroin addiction?
As you enter rehab, you will be greeted by someone from the administrative staff. Their job is to interview you to find out the scope of your addiction. Based on the information you provide, staff members will plot out a course of treatment. Since heroin is so highly addictive, the first treatment you will encounter will be a detox program. In such a program, you will get the opportunity to deal with any withdrawal symptoms you might encounter. Depending on the severity of your heroin addiction, you could encounter what we consider to be very dangerous withdrawal symptoms. As a case in point, here is a short list of withdrawal symptoms that are common among heroin addicts:
- breathing issues
- Sudden escalation of blood pressure and heart rate
- Hallucinations and nightmares
- Tremors in the hands and feet
- Body convulsions
- Nausea and vomiting
- Significant problems with concentration and motor control
- Sleeping issues
- Depression and anxiety
- Severe cramping in the stomach region
As you can see, there is a significant risk on this list. That is why you need a medically monitored detox program to help get you safely through withdrawal.
After detoxing, you would start therapy. While working with a licensed therapist, you would participate in individual, family, and group therapy sessions. As part of individual therapy, you might encounter one or more of the following treatment models:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Dialectal Behavioral Therapy
- Standard treatment options
- Holistic treatment options
Regardless of which option your therapist decides to use, the goal is the same. You need to know the truth about your addiction. Knowing the truth can lead you to develop better-coping skills, which would you cope better with your triggers. Upon leaving rehab, the last treatments you might encounter are aftercare programs. That might include participation in alumni programs, membership in 12 Step groups, additional outpatient counseling, or moving into a sober living home.
Before closing, it’s worth noting that outpatient treatment options are available for clients who won’t or cannot commit to residential treatment. As you can see, there is a whole menu of heroin addiction treatments available to you. All you have to do is surrender your addiction and ask for help. When you ask for help, we hope you come to us first. We should be able to bring you in and offer you whatever we feel you need to find recovery. For more information about the heroin treatments we offer and a bit about the facility, please give us a call at 833-497-3812.