Facts About How to Treat Heroin Addiction
Heroin is an extremely powerful addictive opiate. Heroin addiction treatment is vital to ending an addiction to heroin. Seeking treatment is a very frightening prospect for some. It becomes easier once you know a few simple facts about heroin addiction and treatment.
1.A combination of Medication and Counseling Works Best
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, medication assisted treatment is the most effective form of treatment for a heroin addiction. During medication assisted treatment, you receive medications to help with the withdrawal and the counseling you need.
2.Heroin Addiction Treatment Comes in Both Inpatient and Outpatient Forms
You can choose either inpatient or outpatient treatment. Which you choose depends on your situation, addiction, and treatment goals. Inpatient treatment is a residential form of treatment where you stay at the treatment center 24 hours a day. Outpatient treatment is a bit more complex. During outpatient treatment you can attend day sessions that last all day and then return home at night. You can also attend scheduled appointments daily, weekly, or even monthly.
3.Treating Heroin Addiction is Hard Work
When you treat heroin addiction, you have to work at it. Treatment is not an easy process but you can get through it. Change is never easy and in order to overcome your addiction you will have to change your life. Heroin addiction seeps into your life completely so everything that it affected you will need to change.
4.Not Every Treatment Works for Everyone
There is no one size fits all treatment type. You have to find the treatment that works for you. This might take some trial and error at first but when you find that treatment that works for you, your life will begin to improve.
5.You Need to Modify Treatment as you Change
Treatment should be flexible. Treating heroin addiction is a long term process and your needs, wants, and goals will change as it begins to work. When you change your treatment should change.
of the Best Reasons to Treat Heroin Addiction
If you are addicted to heroin, you might be wavering on whether to seek treatment or not. Although it is difficult, there are many very valid reasons to treat heroin addiction. These are just a few.
1.You will be Healthier and Look Better
Heroin addiction not only destroys your health, it destroys you appearance as well. Most heroin addicts look drawn and gaunt. They have dry brittle skin and sunken eyes. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are also health effects such as:
- Brain damage
- HIV
- Respiratory disease
- Abscesses
- Secondary infections
- And many more
Each of these can and will kill you, if you do not seek treatment.
2.Your Friends and Family will Thank you
Most heroin addicts lie, steal, and cheat their family and friends to get the money to pay for their drugs. Also, when you are on heroin or in withdrawal, you might have problems with mood swings and irrational anger. This drives your family away. When you treat heroin addiction, these mood swings will end and you can get your family and friends back.
3.You End the Cycle of Addiction
The cycle of addiction is simple. You:
- Find the drugs
- Do the drugs
- Try and get the money for the drugs
- Go and get the drugs
Then the cycle repeats. This cycle eventually consumes you to the point where it is all you are doing. Your life becomes the cycle. You stop doing anything that you used to enjoy. When you treat heroin addiction, you can end the cycle.
4.You will get your Life Back on Track
One of the most important parts of heroin addiction treatment is regaining your life. You can start doing the things that you enjoy again. You can get your confidence, self esteem, and everything that you once treasured back when you end your addiction with treatment.
3. Why Should I Use a Treatment Center to Treat Heroin Addiction?
Deciding to a treat heroin addiction is one of the biggest and best decisions that you can make. It may also be one of the most frightening decisions you will make. You might be wondering why you should choose a treatment center for your heroin addiction treatment.
There is Less of a Chance of Relapse
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, relapse is a return to drug addiction and heroin addictions after stopping use. Heroin withdrawal is often described as one of the worst withdrawal periods you can go through. Doing it alone is the least successful ways to treat heroin addiction. In a treatment center, you will receive support and learn relapse prevention techniques that will help you when you feel the cravings for heroin.
Counselors are There to Help you
The addiction counselors are available 24 hours a day at an inpatient treatment center and they usually man a phone line in outpatient treatment centers. You will have access to individualized counseling during your treatment. This counseling is designed to help you with:
- Finding the cause of your addiction
- Treating the cause of your addiction
- Figuring out all of the consequences of your addiction
- Correcting the consequences
- Learning to live again
- Finding your triggers
- Learning to cope with your triggers
The counselors at addiction treatment facilities do all of this and more. They offer self help classes and guide group therapy sessions. Counselors are only found at comprehensive addiction treatment facilities.
You will have Medical Care for Co-occurring Disorders and Withdrawal
Access to medical care is one of the most important parts of addiction treatment. Heroin treatment facilities have doctors to help you through the worst of withdrawal and treat co-occurring disorders. They can prescribe medications like buprenorphine, methadone, and Suboxone to help you through the worst of the withdrawal and treat chronic pain if it is necessary.
Learn more about heroin addiction on this page www.addictions.com/heroin/
