Heroine is considered one of the highly addictive and damaging drugs. With just one or two small use of heroin addiction can take hold, resulting in long and short-term risks to both physical and mental health. The severity of heroin addiction makes its treatment an important part of the recovery of any user. Effective treatments such as rehab, detox, and therapies can assist you in eliminating the dependency on the drug and also take you on a path to long-term wellness.
Treating heroin addiction helps lessen the withdrawal symptoms and stop the need to make use of the drugs. In the past, methadone was the only medicine utilized for treatment of heroin addiction which is itself a very addictive substance. But now there are numerous medications present based on the health history of the person and their individual drug experience and behavior pattern.
If you or your loved one is suffering because of heroin addiction, then know how to treat it and how to start the recovery journey.
Signs it’s time to get heroin addiction treatment
Because of the effect of the heroine on your brain and body, it has the potential to generate high physical and psychological dependency resulting in addiction. When a person becomes addicted to heroin, they will show many signs like
· Disturbances in personal relationships
· Financial strain
· Difficulty in carrying out the job
· No interest in activities and hobbies
· Continue using heroine irrespective of the consequences
· Enhanced tolerance
If you are noticing such signs then it’s time to seek heroin addiction treatment. The severity of the heroin addiction is measured based on the severity of the signs and the symptoms. Those people who are in their initial stage of addiction are resistant to treatment as they think that addiction has not had an impact on their lives. Those with severe addiction might find it very challenging to leave the habit, even after several attempts.
Ways for treating heroin addiction
Heroin addiction can be treated with several interventions administered under the supervision of a clinical recovery specialist. This treatment protocol includes:
- Heroin detox
- Medication-assisted treatment
- Therapy
- Rehabilitation & integration
Now let’s take a look at each of these treatment protocols.
Heroine detox for light symptoms
While seeking heroin addiction treatment, it is vital to select a good drug treatment center that has a medical doctor on staff along with a certified opioid treatment program that facilitates them in offering medication-assisted treatment. A lot of people choose an inpatient detox environment where there will be both medical psychological and emotional support all through the heroine detox process. Medication-assisted treatment can assist in lessening the bad effects of the heroin withdrawal symptoms. With proper medical supervision, the care providers ensure your safety when the drug leaves your body in the initial days and weeks of detoxing.
Based on the severity of the heroin addiction, you might experience some symptoms such as
· bone pain
· Cold flash
· Diarrhea
· Vomiting
· Muscle cramps
Nausea, weakness and restlessness are also some of the withdrawal symptoms which you might suffer while treatment.
Medication-assisted treatment
There are numerous drugs approved by the FDA for treating heroin addiction with each of them designed to assist in alleviating the heroin cravings and lessening the withdrawal symptoms. Medicine in a few cases is used for the long term and years to come. Medication-assisted treatment has also got the approval for pregnant women. Here are a few medicines used for the treatment of heroin addiction:
· Buprenorphine decreases the heroin cravings and does not cause high which there is less risk of getting hooked.
· Suboxone is a mixture of buprenorphine and naloxone and helps in reversing the overdose but is not very strong when compared with other drugs.
· Methadone is a drug that has been used for over 50 years in treating heroin addiction as it makes it impossible to experience the high and it also works well for someone who does not respond to other medicines.
· Naltrexone also interferes with the ability of the person to experience anything pleasurable about making use of heroin. It is a non-addictive drug and is effective in compliance among the users.
Therapy
Along with medication treatment for heroin addiction, therapies are an important ingredient for getting a successful treatment. It helps in learning some new habits as well as behaviors for assisting in the prevention of relapse. Heroin specifically has a very high rate of relapse but like other addiction disorders, it’s vital to address all underlying trauma and mental health issues and develop a new lifestyle that does not involve people as well as places where heroin use takes place.
Another vital aspect of treating heroin addiction is having the ability to cope with stressful life events without requiring to get high. There are many proof-based practices like mindfulness-dependent stress reduction which have become important in many drug treatment centres. It helps patients live in the present and not only one day at a time but one moment at a time.
Moreover, there are relapse-preventing therapies done by skilled people to assist individuals with heroin addiction in identifying relapse thought patterns and behaviors. Rather than repeating the negative behavior, the individual is equipped with a plan for relapse prevention for disrupting the cycle of relapsing and has an enhanced likelihood of achieving long-term success.
Heroin rehabilitation
While overcoming addiction, detox is the initial stage of an exclusive drug rehabilitation program. Generally lasting for about 28 days, rehabilitation includes an inpatient stay in a purposefully built atmosphere away from the strong triggers of everyday life. There the patient works with skilled psychiatrists, experts and therapists through a dedicated programme that works best for you. At the time of rehab, you will undergo various treatments like therapies, medicines, and other wellness activities, recognizing the cause of addiction and developing efficient coping plans that are more than in-patient stay.
Get treatment for heroin addiction treatment
If you are struggling with heroin addiction, or you are concerned for your loved one, you must know that addiction recovery is possible by approaching a good treatment center for drug addiction. You can take the initial step towards a bright future by booking an addiction assessment at any drug treatment center. They will assess your rightness for treatment and offer you the chance to ask any questions about all the care they provide. From there they will work to build for you a good treatment program that will end the damage that heroin addiction has brought in your life.