Heroin addiction has been a major problem in the U.S. for decades. As the drug of choice for hardcore addicts from shore to shore, the amount of damage this drug has done to millions of people is unfathomable. If not for the fact the nation has an incredible addiction treatment infrastructure, things would likely have been far worst.
Addiction treatment professionals will tell you that treating heroin addiction is a very complicated process. Why is that? Well, most of the complications come from the detox process. It’s no small thing that the withdrawal symptoms associated with heroin abuse are very dangerous. Some experts believe the cessation of heroin abuse is just as dangerous as actually taking the drug. During the fist few days of detox, that is a supportable belief.
While some people believe that kind of view is hyperbolic, dealing with heroin withdrawal symptoms is a very dangerous endeavor. As a case in point, look at the following heroin withdrawal symptoms and try to imagine what it would be like to deal with them:
- Difficulty breathing
- Increasingly dangerous heart rate and blood pressure
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Body convulsions and tremors in the body limbs
- Severe muscle cramping in the abdomen
- Nightmares and hallucinations
- Difficulty with motor control and concentration
- Onset of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideology
There is little denying just how dangerous some of these symptoms can get. In the worst cases, herion withdrawal can create permanent health conditions, including death. That’s the primary reason why treatment professionals will almost always prescribe a medically monitored detox program for heroin addiction clients.
In a standard heroin detox program, medical staffers will monitor the progress of clients as they go through withdrawal. Should a client encounter pain or discomfort issues, a doctor will be standing by to prescribe relief medications. They will do so with the goal being to keep clients as safe as possible while they detox.
Remember, this is what happens in a standard heroin detox program. The hope is client will be able to clear their withdrawal symptoms in a week or so. Unfortunately, the level of danger increases when a client show signs of a very serious heroin addiction. What then?
When a client has a significant heroin addiction, there is a chance they will need more help than usual with the detox process. In such cases, the medical staff will prescribe a tapering program featuring a tapering drug called methadone. Methadone is also an opiate, though it is not nearly as addictive as is big brother heroin.
The theory behind placing clients in a methadone tapering program is the drug provides clients with a safer path through withdrawal. Over several weeks, the doctor in charge will administer diminishing doses of methadone until the client’s dependence on heroin becomes manageable.
While methadone programs have shown to be an effective way for clients to beat withdrawal symptoms, a lot of caution is warranted during the treatment process. The methadone is subject to the same kind of abuse as heroin. There is a chance the client will form an addiction to the methadone. What happens then?
Is a Methadone Addiction More Difficult for a Delray Rehab to Treat Than a Heroin Addiction?
If a Delray rehab were to administer methadone to a client who ends up trading their heroin addiction for an addiction to methadone, it creates a real problem. Why? it’s tougher to treat a client with a methadone addiction because nothing remains to allow clients to safely detox off the methadone. Translated: The client would have to endure a regular detox program, facing the very same withdrawal symptoms we listed above.
To keep this from happening, doctors need to keep a close eye on clients who are using methadone. Where that becomes a problem is when the medical staff allows a client to participate in a methadone program on an outpatient basis. If a client isn’t disciplined enough to use methadone properly, that’s when the new addiction comes to life.
If you are suffering from a heroin addiction, you need to understand danger is lurking. Given enough time, heroin will destroy your life. The good news is we can help you arrest your addiction. Furthermore, we would be happy to do so. If you would like to come in and start treatment as soon as possible, you need to pick up the phone and call us at 833-846-5669.