Heroin and prescription painkillers are wrecking havoc on America. Recent news reports are quick to point out that opiate abuse has reached epidemic levels. The resulting impact on society has become very obvious. Clearly, heroin addiction creates major problems for the users. What isn’t so clear is the amount of collateral damage being caused to loved ones who are watching a family member of friend wither away from addiction. Of course, rising crimes rates related to heroin addiction are affecting society as a whole.
The fact you are reading this information indicates either you or a loved one are suffering from heroin addiction. That makes this our opportunity to tell you a little bit about getting heroin addiction treatment from a heroin addiction treatment center, perhaps even one in the “rehab capital of the world”, South Florida.
In an effort to help you understand what you can expect from treatment, we first want to point out something you might not know. Getting treatment from a professional addiction treatment center is the only viable solution for a severe heroin addiction. None of Internet’s quick fix solutions will be of any value because they don’t usually address the causes of addiction. This is your life or the life of a loved one we are talking about. There are no shortcuts to recovery.
At this point, we would like to answer any of your questions by describing what you can expect from treatment in a treatment center.
What to Expect From a Heroin Treatment Center
The information we are about to disclose represents what you can expect from a full service heroin addiction treatment center. The following represents a step-by-step approach to treatment:
- Entrance Evaluation
- Detox Program
- Therapy and Counseling
- Aftercare services
Let’s review each of these steps in detail.
Entrance Evaluation
Upon choosing a rehab, an incoming patient will be interviewed by one of the facility’s clinicians. This evaluation process will be used to determine the possible depth of the patient’s addiction, which will dictate the course of treatment. This is particularly important because each patient has unique circumstances. Most top addiction treatment centers employ a large range of treatment options that can be tailored to meet a patient’s specific circumstances.
Detox Program
It’s hard to find a heroin addict who doesn’t need help getting through detox. The first treatment procedure usually prescribed for heroin addicts is a medical-monitored detox program. Why? The possible withdrawal symptoms awaiting a hardcore heroin user are troubling. In many cases, they can pose threats to the user’s long-term health. We are considering withdrawal symptoms like:
- Nausea, Diarrhea and vomiting
- Severe breathing issues
- Heart rate and blood pressure issues
- Tremors and convulsions
- Hallucinations and nightmares
- Insomnia
- Severe muscle cramping
Under the watchful eye of medical professionals, a good detox program will make sure the patient is safe and comfortable as they pass through withdrawal. With any sign of discomfort, a doctor always has the option to prescribe relief medications.
Therapy and Counseling
After detox, the patient should be able to focus on therapy and counseling. It’s during their individual and group therapy sessions that they will learn the truth about their addiction. Not all counselors believe it’s absolutely necessary to find causation in order to find recovery. For the most part, the stats say otherwise. Finding the root causes of addiction gives a counselor a better idea of what addiction treatment tools will be effective. Sometimes, a patient exhibits psychological problems that might be playing a role in the addictive behavior. If that’s the case, a dual diagnosis treatment protocol might be prescribed to assure simultaneous treatment of both issues. The end-goal of therapy is to help the patient develop better coping skills to prevent future relapses.
Aftercare Service
It would be irresponsible to think that every recovery addict is ready for the real world after treatment. The truth is most exiting patients need a little additional help. A good rehab facility is going to make sure exiting patients know what resources they have should things start getting a little dicey. Common aftercare services include sober living, outpatient counseling and 12-Step meetings
If you or a loved one are dealing with heroin addiction, the time to get help is now. The good news is we are prepared to provide that help. All you need to do is call one of our staff members and ask for help at 833-846-5669.