Treatment Choices After Heroin Detox

Heroin detox is only the first part of heroin addiction treatment. Medical heroin detoxification allows the heroin to leave your body completely but this is not the end, it is only the beginning. To truly end the drug addiction you need to continue your addiction treatment. There are a variety of treatment options after heroin detox.

To learn more about heroin recovery options, call 800-996-6135(Who Answers?) .

Treatment Choices

The treatment choices for heroin addiction are broad. Heroin is a very old drug and many people have needed heroin addiction treatment throughout the ages. It is because of this that doctors and scientists have developed these treatment choices.

Treatment is necessary after heroin detox to ensure continued abstinence. Find out which option is best for your recovery.

Medications

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a variety of drugs are used to treat heroin addiction. These medications are:

• methadone
• buprenorphine
• naloxone
• Suboxone
• Naltrexone

Although the way that these medications operate is different, they all accomplish basically the same thing. They stop withdrawal symptoms and cravings for heroin.

Counseling

According to the American Psychological Association, counseling enhances the success of medical approaches to heroin addiction. In addition to medications there are a variety of counseling options. These options are:

• individual counseling
• group counseling
• 12 step programs
• Family therapy
• Behavioral therapies

Counseling has been proven especially beneficial for patients with severe addictions. Counseling is one of the most effective ways to treat heroin addiction. While medications address the physical aspects of heroin treatment, counseling addresses the psychological aspects. These psychological aspects include:

• depression
• anxiety
• preexisting mental illness
• aggression
• other mental conditions due to the heroin use

Without dealing with these issues, you are likely to relapse back into your heroin use. Counseling helps you deal with these issues as well as the ones that caused you to start using heroin in the first place.

Holistic treatments

Another form of treatment that often happens after heroin detox is holistic. In holistic treatment the entire person is treated, not just the addiction. A few of the more common holistic treatments are:

Yoga and meditation can help you stay sober after heroin detox.

• dietary counseling
• exercise and strength training
• yoga
• aquatics
• relaxation technique training
• meditation
• acupuncture
• massage therapy
• spiritual counseling
• herbal medicines

More and more holistic therapies and treatments are being recognized by heroin addiction treatment centers as a viable support treatment. The concept of treating the whole person is one of the researched principles of addiction.

Types of Aftercare

Aftercare is extremely important after both treatment and detox. Just because you are out of actual addiction treatment does not mean that you no longer need help. Aftercare is where you continue counseling, medicated support, and get your life back. The types of aftercare consist of:

• outpatient counseling
• sober houses or transitional housing
• life skills training
• job training
• counseling
• education
• help finding a job if you need one

Aftercare is also a vital part of relapse prevention. One of the largest dangers of heroin addiction recovery is that there is a chance for relapse. Aftercare helps to prevent this from happening.

Where to Find a Heroin Detox and Treatment

Your best options for heroin detox, treatment, and aftercare is to find a treatment center that has all three. In order to find one all you have to do is call 800-996-6135(Who Answers?) for more information.

Sources

1. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018). Heroin.
2. American Psychological Association. (2015). Treating Drug Abuse.