Do I Need to Do an Inpatient Detox for Heroin?

The simple answer is chances are you do need an inpatient detox for heroin. Heroin is an extremely difficult drug to get away from. Heroin withdrawal, without inpatient care, often leads to relapse and overdose.

Inpatient Detox and Treatment

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one of the effective treatments for any drug addiction is inpatient or residential treatment. During inpatient treatment and detox for heroin, you will receive:

• medical maintenance treatment
• doctor’s care
• Nursing and counseling staff 24 hours a day
• a place away from your triggers
• complete privacy
• all of the amenities that an inpatient center can provide

These are only a few of the things that you will receive during inpatient detox. There are many other benefits. To find an inpatient heroin detox that can help you, call 800-483-2193(Who Answers?).

Why Inpatient Detox for a Heroin Addiction?

If you struggle with a co-occurring mental illness, you should seek inpatient heroin detox.

People who should consider inpatient treatment for heroin detox are those who:

• who need a break from stress
• have a severe addiction
• have a mental illness
• have a physical illness that requires treatment for pain
• need to get away from their current location
• need privacy during detox

This is by no means a complete list. If you feel that you need inpatient treatment for your heroin detox, then chances are you should consider it as the best option.

Other Options for Heroin Detox

There are other options aside from full inpatient detox for you to consider depending on your addiction, needs, and circumstances.

Partial Residential Treatment and Full Outpatient Treatment

During partial residential treatment you start out in inpatient treatment. This is where you go through detox and the doctors titrate your medication. Then you transition into an outpatient program or a sober house depending on your needs.

The inpatient detox program usually consists of:

• a one to three week stay at a residential treatment center for detox
• 24 hour monitoring
• medication management
• initial assessments for mental illness
• medication for withdrawal symptoms
• medication titration

After you are finished with detox, you stop residential treatment and go to an outpatient program. During the outpatient portion you participate in:

• counseling
• medication management
• 12 step programs
• other forms of treatment as needed

There are drawbacks to this method of detox. According to an Overview of Inpatient and Outpatient Detoxification the drawbacks are:

• less privacy
• increased risk of relapse
• exposure to triggers
• less access to support
• daily visits to a clinic for medications
• need for transportation to and from appointments
• less access to treatment in general

These drawbacks can discourage you from seeking outpatient or partial outpatient treatment. Inpatient treatment as a whole is more effective in treating heroin detox and addiction.

For help deciding whether you need inpatient heroin detox or not, call 800-483-2193(Who Answers?).We can help make your decision a little bit easier.

Sources

1. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018). Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction.
2. Motoi Hayashida, M.D., Sc.D. National Institutes of Health. (1998). An Overview of Outpatient and Inpatient Detoxification.