Heroin Addiction Treatment
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Heroin addiction is one of the toughest addictions to get over, as the withdrawal symptoms can be very painful for the user both physically and psychologically. Many times the rehab from addiction to heroin can be a process that can be a lifelong process and the chances of relapsing are significant. However, there are several types of heroin treatment and heroin recovery is possible. Many former heroin addicts have overcome their addiction and have stayed sober leading productive lives. There is a lot of heroin addiction help out there and for a user that is looking to kick their habit there are treatment options available to them.
Understanding Heroin Addiction
The poppy plant produces heroin and it is a type of morphine, which is also a very addictive drug. Heroin is one of the most addictive substances that has ever been created. The addiction to heroin makes treatment very difficult because of the immense cravings that users feel when they try to rid themselves of the drug. Basically the quicker that the heroin can get into a user’s system the better the high will be. It is a drug that can be smoked, taken orally, or injected with needles. Heroin that is taken with the use of needles is the most addictive as well as the most powerful.
Heroin injection whether it is right into the muscle or vein makes the drug more dangerous than other types. Because a needle is used there is a possibility of damage to the veins as well as more serious effects such as the risk of disease and overdose. When heroin is taken orally the risk is not as great, as the drug will go through the liver, which makes it less likely that the dose will be fatal. Heroin addiction can be tough, as well as fatal, on the user, as well as the people they love them.
Heroin Treatment Options
There are different types of heroin treatment from inpatient and outpatient programs to medicinal treatment and various kinds of behavioral therapy. Many times the best, being most successful, type of treatment is when there are medicines used to help the user get off the drugs and rid them from the body followed by some kind of behavioral therapy. Since heroin is one of the most addictive substances outpatient programs are not used as much and they are not as successful. A heroin treatment center will be staffed with doctors, nurses, and counselors and their one main goal is to help the user beat their addiction. There are also holistic heroin treatment centers that will not use medication, but focus on the body using such therapies as yoga, meditation, and acupuncture.
Heroin Detox and Heroin Withdrawal
When a heroin user stops using the drug they will go through withdrawals and they can be seen anywhere from several hours to a day after stopping using the drug. The time of the onset of withdrawals will change depending how much heroin is in the user’s system as well as how much of a tolerance they have built up over time. Just some of the symptoms associated with heroin withdrawal are profuse sweating, body cramps, anxiety, insomnia, cold sweats and chills, fever, nausea, and diarrhea. Many users going through withdrawals will also have compulsive feelings to scratch their skin, which can lead to scabs. There are also psychological effects such as hallucinations and depression. The first step of getting off heroin is called the detoxification process and it is during this process when the user will go through withdrawals.
The intensity of a user’s withdrawals will vary, as it will depend on how mush of the drug the person took and how long they have been on the drug. Many times at a heroin treatment center they will bring on the withdrawals in a quicker manner by giving the user a type of opioid antagonist.
When the detox process the withdrawals will also be over, but the user is still not out of the woods. After the detox process is then when behavioral therapy will take place. Counseling is very important for kicking the heroin addiction and it can then lead to full sobriety. While the detox process will be at an inpatient facility the behavioral therapy can take place there as well and at a heroin outpatient facility. It is important that when a person leaves an inpatient facility that they have a strong support system, which can help them stay away from drugs. The less contact that a former user has with people that use heroin the less likely it is that they will relapse.
Also, after a person finishes the detox process they can take advantage of the various types of medication that is available to help prevent a heroin relapse. These types of medications, when they are taken in the prescribed manner, can help reduce the desire for heroin as well as prevent symptoms of withdrawals.
The most popular type of medication to do this is methadone, which is a synthetic form of an opiate and is taken orally. Other types of medication used are buprenorphine, naltrexone, and diazepam (Valium).
Rapid Detox for Heroin Recovery
Rapid detox heroin treatment is an option for heroin users and while the process does not take very long and they will not go through symptoms of withdrawals there are some negative aspects associated with it. Basically, heroin rapid detox is when a user is put under, with the use of sedatives, and then their body is rapidly flushed of the opiates. The withdrawals will happen, but the user will be asleep and not feel them. They are not only given sedatives to put them under, but they are also given anesthetics for the pain. Typically, the rapid detox for heroin recovery lasts around 24 hours.
When the rapid detox is complete the person will take medication that will help block the effects of heroin and other opiates so even if they do happen to relapse soon after they will not feel the high. This type of heroin treatment has worked for many, but there are some downsides. The first, and obviously the biggest, is the fact that users have dies during the rapid detox process since it is such an intense process on both the body and the mind. Another downside is the fact that is a person goes through the rapid detox process they will not feel the pain and discomfort of the withdrawals and they can be a great deterrent for people to use again so they do not have to go through that pain. Also, the rapid detox heroin treatment is very expensive.
Recovery from Heroin Addiction
Recovery from heroin addiction is not easy, but there are treatments for people that would like to get sober. As stated before the most successful way to get on the road to sobriety is to go through some sort of detoxification process and then go through counseling. The recovery process can take some time and while heroin treatment centers can be of great help it is all up to the person and if they want to get sober and stop using heroin.
