The only way to recover from heroin addiction is through a clinical drug rehab program. Although many laypeople continue to view drug addiction as an issue of choice, it is a neurological disorder which requires medical treatment. The severe physical dependencies heroin creates may make recovery seem impossible, but even this addiction can be effectively managed. Here are some of the most popular treatment methods for heroin addiction.
Inpatient Rehab
The three most common types of addiction treatment programs are inpatient rehab, partial hospitalization, and outpatient rehab. For most heroin addicts, the rigors of an inpatient program are necessary for long-term sobriety.
Inpatient treatment requires addicts to live at their clinics for thirty to ninety days. This length of isolation and supervision is usually necessary to keep heroin addicts off of drugs long enough to produce the lifestyle changes necessary for sobriety in the outside world. Inpatient treatment also involves fifty or more hours of therapies per week - a level of involvement which is crucial for treating severely addicted people.
Rapid Detox
Almost all inpatient addiction treatment programs begin with detoxification. For most substance abusers, this is a five-to-fourteen day process of drug deprivation designed to wean people of their immediate physical dependencies on drugs.
For people addicted to heroin, however, weeks of withdrawal can bring painful and even deadly symptoms. Heroin addicts have been known to experience heart palpitations, breathing troubles, and even cardiac arrest during withdrawal. To reduce these risks, rehab clinicians often use specialized medicines to induce rapid detox in heroin-abusing patients. These patients experience days of withdrawal in just hours, drastically reducing their risks of such symptoms.
Biofeedback Therapy
Heroin users often ignore their physical degradation during periods of active drug use. To help them restore their mind-body connections and identify the physical stressors related to drug cravings, rehab clinics often use specialized biofeedback machines. These machines help doctors monitor their patients' vital signs and make connections between physical warning signs and impending drug cravings.
Individual Counseling
One-on-one counseling sessions between addicts and their clinicians have shown to be the most effective treatments for producing lasting lifestyle changes. Patients talk about the reasons they used heroin in the first place and make personal discoveries about how their drug use developed into full-blown addictions. They then use these personal discoveries to develop coping strategies that will help them manage drug cravings throughout the rests of their lives.
Essential Lifestyle Changes
The reason why today's rehab methods are so effective for heroin addicts is that they are designed to produce lasting lifestyle changes. Staying sober during treatment is one thing; keeping clean in the outside world is another matter entirely.
Some lifestyle changes involve personal associations. Most addicts still have drug-using friends, and they must cut ties with these people to avoid their negative influences. Other changes may involve careers. Certain jobs can create immense amounts of stress - stress which must be avoided or mitigated to manage drug cravings. Finally, heroin addicts may even have to change their living arrangements to stay clean. Living in an area where drug use is rampant and even accepted is extremely dangerous for people struggling to avoid relapse.
If you are struggling with heroin, other opiates, or any other type of drug, help is available. Even the worst cases of addiction are treatable - as long as you seek help before it's too late. Click the links below to find a reputable clinic in your area, and seek treatment today. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
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