Addiction to heroin is a dangerous and debilitating way of life. What begins as occasional recreational use of heroin quickly escalates to full-blown obsession in a short time. If you are among those afflicted, you are aware of the horrific physical condition that results from the daily abuse of heroin. The casual use of the drug turns into a scenario where heroin becomes paramount above all other aspects of your life. You are no longer using heroin to get high; you are using it to prevent the agonizing withdrawal symptoms that become a certainty when you run out.
Usually, heroin addicts are unable to stop using the drug without treatment. The painful withdrawal symptoms are addressed medically in rehab so that you will not suffer needlessly. Also, there are other components to treatment that enable you to face life confidently upon discharge and hopefully never use heroin again. The number of fatal overdoses from this narcotic are on the rise every year, and more addicts are seeking treatment to begin a new life every day. Hopefully, you have decided to enter treatment, and, if so, you are probably wondering what types of therapeutic services are available in heroin rehabs.
Management of Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal from heroin is an unpleasant experience. Your body and mind have become dependent on the drug to function in day-to-day life, and, with the cessation of heroin use, withdrawal symptoms become manifest. Unmedicated, you can count on feeling horrible, with flu-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, cold sweats, muscle aches, cramping, insomnia, anxiety and more. The painful reality of withdrawal is what keeps so many heroin addicts hooked on the drug for extended periods.
Conversely, in a treatment center, withdrawal symptoms are managed with medication. The medical staff specializes in addressing the conditions that accompany the discontinuance of heroin abuse. While a variety of medicines are useful in mitigating withdrawal, the two most common are methadone and suboxone. After evaluating individual patients medically, a doctor will prescribe a detox taper protocol that ensures the transition from active addiction to sobriety is as comfortable as possible. The detox process typically lasts five days or longer, depending on the severity of the habit.
Group and Individual Therapy
Upon admission to a residential treatment center, a clinician or counselor becomes responsible for your case. Although there are many other staff members that you will interact with, the clinician or counselor is your primary point of contact. This person will help you to understand underlying issues that may have led you to engage in the destructive behavior patterns that addiction entails. Also, strategies to ensure relapse prevention are a focal point of the education that these trained professionals will impart to you.
The vehicles that are catalysts for the personal change that results from treatment are both group and individual therapy. Your clinician will meet with you individually, on a regular basis, to develop a treatment plan that identifies areas for personal growth. You also will convene in a group setting with other patients for a more dynamic type of interaction. Group therapy allows for identification with others that share your predicament, and you can benefit from their feedback. Group and individual therapy work in tandem to deliver the most comprehensive therapeutic approach possible.
Holistic Therapy
Treatment facilities are increasingly integrating holistic modalities to their programs because patients respond favorably to these types of offerings. Often referred to as mind, body, and spirit programs, this approach includes disciplines, such as yoga, meditation, and acupuncture. The eastern concept of mindfulness finds a place in this milieu because it is a proven mental skillset in the promotion of a sober outlook. Many rehabilitation facilities maintain a library of spiritual reading as a healthier alternative to the graphic entertainment found on television and in mainstream reading material.
Fitness centers are common in treatment facilities and personal trainers assist in the formulation of exercise plans. Physical exercise provides a therapeutic benefit that helps with cardiovascular health, insomnia, weight loss, and self-confidence. Some rehabs are situated geographically in a way that they can offer wilderness programming or equine therapy. Dieticians are also on rehab staffs, and the effect of proper diet on enhanced mental health is significant. Food service at treatment facilities is designed to reflect wellness and clean living.
Now, this is only a partial list of the many therapeutic benefits that treatment centers have for heroin addicts. Many of the benefits are subtler, such as the safety of being in a healthy environment with fellow addicts who understand your problem from personal experience. The therapeutic benefit of one addict speaking with another is itself quite powerful. So, please, give us a call at 844-639-8371 as soon as you can, and begin to rediscover the beauty of life without heroin addiction.