For people struggling with heroin use, finding an addiction center specializing in heroin addiction is often their best option for proper care and treatment. Heroin is highly addictive and can affect your mental and physical health and damage relationships and your ability to work or go to school. If you or a loved one is addicted to heroin, we can help. Hickory Treatment Centers has specialized and compassionate treatment programs for heroin addiction.
Do You Need a Heroin Addiction Treatment?
Heroin is addictive by nature, a potent drug that changes the chemistry of the brain. As such, withdrawals from it can be intense, uncomfortable, and even painful. It’s short-acting in nature, producing an intense sensation of euphoria, followed by a crash, uncomfortable physiological symptoms, and an intense craving, both mentally and physically.
If you have one or more of these side effects after not using heroin, you probably need professional treatment for your addiction:
- Changes in mood, including anxiety, depression, paranoia, or hostile outbursts
- Weight loss and loss of appetite
- Intense cravings for heroin or a preoccupation with obtaining more
- Fatigue and nodding out during a conversation or other social interaction
- Chronic constipation
- Unexplained bruising, scabs, and intense itching
Many people refer to heroin withdrawals as being “dope-sick,” and flu-like symptoms are common. When people choose to stop using heroin, they often wean off the drug, taking it less often and in smaller doses to reduce the intensity of withdrawal.
However, heroin is extremely dangerous to stop using on your own. In fact, most people quickly lose their tolerance level for the drug after ceasing use for just a short time. If they relapse and use the same amount or frequency that they did before quitting, their chances of an overdose are extremely high, causing significant health problems or even death. Supervised heroin detox and treatment can keep you or your loved one safer.
How Does Heroin Addiction Treatment Work?
Many heroin treatment programs involve assessing the extent of your addiction and possibly giving you medication to ease withdrawal symptoms. The most intense feelings of withdrawal typically start between 6-12 hours after your last use and will peak between 2-3 days after your last use. However, withdrawal symptoms can last up to 10 days. Many treatment centers will try to make you safe and more comfortable during this time.
Once your body is physically clean, then the work of examining the underlying reasons for your addiction begins. Your treatment can include both group therapy and individual counseling. We explore the nature of addiction and how it happens. Your treatment also includes exploring your past and any underlying trauma you may have experienced or mental health conditions that could contribute to your heroin use. You’ll be able to work through these in a safe, accepting environment. At Hickory Treatment Centers, we encourage creating a support network of people and counselors to help you when you struggle or cravings hit.
Local Heroin Rehabilitation Treatment
If you’re concerned with your heroin use or worried that a loved one is addicted, we can help. The professionals at Hickory Treatment Center offer compassionate rehabilitation for heroin addiction, including relapse prevention strategies. We also provide family counseling to help you rebuild relationships. Contact us today to discuss your options in confidence.
